For Rick Nelson, every acre of farmland tells a story — of soil tests, seed placement and years of steady improvement. That attention to detail recently earned the Iola farmer third place in the Kansas Soybean Association’s statewide soybean yield contest.
The contest required meticulous recordkeeping and attention to detail. Farmers documented everything from planting dates and seed varieties to herbicides and field inputs, then submitted yield data from at least five acres for verification.
“There was a yield contest and there was a value contest,” Nelson said, noting he focused solely on the yield contest.
The awards were announced Jan. 30 in Salina during the Kansas Soybean Association’s Kansas Soybean Celebration. The recognition served as a milestone for a farmer who has spent most of his life working the land.
NELSON’S connection to farming began early. Raised in Iola, he graduated from Iola High School in 1998 before attending Allen Community College and then Kansas State University, where he earned a degree in agricultural economics. He later completed an MBA through Baker University’s outreach program.
His path to full-time farming wasn’t immediate. Nelson spent 12 years in the animal health industry, traveling from North Dakota to Texas to work with operations across the Midwest. The experience broadened his perspective.
“That was a great experience. It really opened my eyes to get on a lot of different operations and see how things are done in different areas,” he said.
Today, at 45, Nelson estimates he has been farming for about three decades, dating back to fields he managed through his high school FFA program.
Farming runs deep in his family. He now works the land his father purchased in the 1960s. He and his wife, Jalayne, a preschool teacher at Iola Elementary, have two children, son Alston, 16, and Finley, 13.
Family and community remain central to Nelson’s life. He volunteers when he can and supports school activities and local programs.
Nelson comes from a large family, growing up with four sisters and one brother, and credits his parents’ involvement in education and community life as a major influence. His parents, Delbert and Eddye, emphasized education and hard work — values that still shape his approach today.
“We spent a lot of time on the farm, and this is where we really learned how to work, and build a good work ethic,” he said. “If you don’t have a work ethic, you don’t have anything.”
NELSON FARMS about 1,300 acres and has spent the last decade reshaping how he approaches the work. One of the biggest changes came eight years ago, when he transitioned primarily to no-till farming. The shift reduced fuel use and equipment needs, improving profitability even if yields dipped slightly.
He also relies heavily on grid soil sampling, testing fields every four years in small sections to determine precise fertilizer needs. The approach allows him to focus resources where they are most effective, rather than treating every acre the same.
Advances in planter technology have also been key.
Modern planters, GPS auto-steer systems and data-driven decision-making have transformed the way crops are planted and managed.
