April Hemmes
Owner and Operator, Hemmes Farms
April is a farmer and rancher. She farms her family’s century farm south of Hampton, Iowa. The farm consists of approximately 1000 acres. She has been owner and operator of her farm for forty years. The farm is corn, soybean rotation and pastureland. April is the full-time farmer in this family, and her husband is retired from his off farm job.
April has a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Iowa State University. From there she worked in a bank, in the ISU Agronomy Department doing research, at the Iowa Swine Testing Station in Ames, and as a Legislative Aide for an Iowa Congressman in Washington D.C., as well as for NK brand seeds doing research.
She serves on the Iowa Corn Growers P.A.C Board, Holden Cancer Center Advisory Committee, Advisory Council for Top Producer Summit and Women in Agribusiness Conference, Women in Agribusiness Advisory Honorary Advisory Council, Iowa State University Ivy College of Business Department of Management Executive Advisory Council Member, Iowa State University Ag Endowment Advisory Council, Iowa Department of Agriculture, Good Farm Neighbor Award nominating committee, Franklin County Soil & Water Commissioner (25+ years, Treasurer), Franklin County Farm Service Agency County Committee and township clerk.
She has served on the United Soybean Board, serving on the Executive Committee as the Demand Chair, Executive Board of Directors for Soy Nutrition Institute Global, Iowa Soybean Assoc. Director, Iowa Pork Producer Board, Governor’s Council on Ag Education, Iowa Dept. of Economic Development Value added Ag Committee, Iowa 4H Foundation Board, Iowa Cattlemen Association Special Events Committee, Franklin General Hospital Board of Trustees and helped to develop and served as first President of Iowa Women in Agriculture. Participated in Iowa Cattlemen’s Young Leader Program and Iowa Soybean Association’s Ag-Urban Leadership Program.
April has participated in writing many grants for projects involving educating women in agriculture with a focus on finance, marketing, intergenerational communication and to inform asset owners. Funders have included Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency and Risk Management Education Agency North Central Region. April also has started a Women’s Grain Marketing Group.
In 2024 she was named Iowa Master Farmer by the Wallace’s Farmer Foundation, and in 2025 she received the Visionary Farmer CropLife AgTech Award of Excellence. Other, numerous honors include the first Life Time Achievement Award from Iowa Women in Agriculture, first ever Top Producer & Executive Women in Ag Award, Monsanto’s Farm Mom of the Year 2011 Mid-West Region Winner, Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, Franklin County Alumni 4-H Award and FFA Alumni award. April was the First Inductee to the FarmHer Hall of Fame, Iowa State University’s Women Impacting the Land, for conservation work done on her land, as well as both an Iowa State University Extension Friend of Extension Award and the Iowa Governors Environmental Award.
Her work has been showcased in many media outlets including the cover of Successful Farming Magazine.