Meet Jeff Cuddeback

October 14, 2022 | Joseph Hopper

For Jeff Cuddeback, farming has been the family business for as long as anyone can remember — he’s a 10th generation farmer. The family came to America in the late 1600s, arriving in Iowa from Illinois in the early 20th century. And ever since, the family has farmed in Washington County. After more than two decades in the corporate world, Cuddeback joined his father on the family farm four years ago.

“One thing I love about agriculture is being outdoors,” Cuddeback says. “I was locked up in an office for 20 or so years. It was OK, but the older I get, the more I enjoy being outside and the freedom involved in being your own boss.

He adds, “I have a few friends who can no longer farm with their fathers, and it reminds me how lucky I am.”

It was an easy decision for Cuddeback to join the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA); his father is a long-time member. One of the aspects of ISA he appreciates is its work developing new uses and ISA’s role in keeping global markets open and promoting trade.

“I have felt over the years, there are a lot of forces working against agriculture,” Cuddeback says. “So, I think it behooves us as farmers to be passionate about our industry. If want to see production agriculture flourish, we better be involved.”

One of the ways Cuddeback has been involved with ISA is by participating in water quality studies, where tile lines are monitored regularly. Water quality is a big deal, he says.

“We want to be good stewards and don’t want to be contributors to environmental problems,” says Cuddeback. “If we’re going to continue and try to feed our country and the world, we need to continue figuring out how to do it sustainably and responsibly.”

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