Nicole Vernon grew up on Monck Farms, a 700-acre corn and soybean farm near Monticello, Iowa, where her parents emphasized sustainable farming and conservation practices. While still at Iowa State University, she bought her own 100-acre farm, raising corn, soybeans and cattle. She uses no-till and cover crops, and has restored prairie, oak savanna and wetlands through the Conservation Stewardship Program. She has also partnered with ISU on water quality projects using corn cobs. Named the 2025 Iowa Conservation Woman of the Year, she shows how conservation and row-cropping can thrive together.