The Story of the Poots Heritage Farm
Jul 21, 2026
Sara Clausen
Director of Communications
AS WE CELEBRATE AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY, one word comes to mind: stories. And when you add stories and Iowa farm families together, the results transform into actual numbers recognized by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Since 1976, more than 21,000 Century Farms have been recognized throughout the state. Since 2006, 2,000 have received the prestigious designation of Heritage Farm.*
For one Newton family, their story began in Germany when a young man changed the course of his future and moved to America in 1857. Frederick Reckler first settled in Davenport, Iowa, then moved on to Grant County, Wisconsin, where he enlisted in the military, answering President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to serve in the Civil War. Reckler may have been a young, inexperienced soldier, but his story is that of a fearlessly dedicated American. In the historic Battle of Bull Run in 1861, he took a bullet to the heart and was presumed dead, only for his family to later learn he’d been saved by his pocket Bible. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war. When his time as a soldier was through, he bought land to farm in Jasper County, Iowa.
Frederick Reckler’s story is one that’s been passed down among his descendants, the Poots family, for generations. They relish the opportunity to share that he is the reason they now have a Heritage Farm—an honor they received at the Iowa State Fair in 2019, when they celebrated the farm’s 150th year.
“Nearly every generation that has operated our farm is buried here in Newton,” said Reckler’s great-great-grandson, Todd Poots. “I’m now the fifth generation to operate the farm and tell our family story.”
The original 160 acres operated by Reckler have grown to include a couple more neighboring 80 acres for the family to manage. “Surprisingly, my father, Jerold, was able to grow our farm in the 1980s,” said Todd. “He was involved with the farm for 75 of the 150 years!”
Though Todd and his wife, Marta, raised their children in Huxley, they moved back to the home farm in 2002 to care for Todd’s parents and help farm and tend to their livestock.
Now the family gets to celebrate yet another generation on their land. Todd and Marta’s son Clayton—who also serves as a Key Agronomist—has moved his young family to Newton and built a home on the farm.
In recent years, the family has diversified by growing their cow-calf herd, which they sell at market and to some local lockers. “We’re focused on being conservative, but we have done a lot of updates to the farm,” said Todd. “We must rethink what we’re doing to add value to our operation.”
If you’d like to take part in celebrating historic Iowa farms and the families who keep them going, you have the opportunity next month! New farms will receive Century and Heritage Farm designations at the great Iowa State Fair on Thursday, August 20, in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion.
________________________________
*A Century Farm is deemed as such if it is owned by the same family for 100 years. A Heritage Farm is deemed as such if it is owned by the same family for 150 years.
Pictured above: Key Agronomist Clayton Poots (left) and his father Todd (right) at the Poots Heritage Farm, which has been in their family for over 150 years.
From the family records, at the top is Frederick Reckler’s obituary, and below is an account of his service during the Civil War, which was published in a newspaper in 1916. Click to view.
Director of Communications
Celebrating 250 Years of American Agriculture
AS WE CELEBRATE AMERICA’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY, one word comes to mind: stories. And when you add stories and Iowa farm families together, the results transform into actual numbers recognized by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Since 1976, more than 21,000 Century Farms have been recognized throughout the state. Since 2006, 2,000 have received the prestigious designation of Heritage Farm.*
For one Newton family, their story began in Germany when a young man changed the course of his future and moved to America in 1857. Frederick Reckler first settled in Davenport, Iowa, then moved on to Grant County, Wisconsin, where he enlisted in the military, answering President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers to serve in the Civil War. Reckler may have been a young, inexperienced soldier, but his story is that of a fearlessly dedicated American. In the historic Battle of Bull Run in 1861, he took a bullet to the heart and was presumed dead, only for his family to later learn he’d been saved by his pocket Bible. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war. When his time as a soldier was through, he bought land to farm in Jasper County, Iowa.
Frederick Reckler’s story is one that’s been passed down among his descendants, the Poots family, for generations. They relish the opportunity to share that he is the reason they now have a Heritage Farm—an honor they received at the Iowa State Fair in 2019, when they celebrated the farm’s 150th year.
“Nearly every generation that has operated our farm is buried here in Newton,” said Reckler’s great-great-grandson, Todd Poots. “I’m now the fifth generation to operate the farm and tell our family story.”
The original 160 acres operated by Reckler have grown to include a couple more neighboring 80 acres for the family to manage. “Surprisingly, my father, Jerold, was able to grow our farm in the 1980s,” said Todd. “He was involved with the farm for 75 of the 150 years!”
Though Todd and his wife, Marta, raised their children in Huxley, they moved back to the home farm in 2002 to care for Todd’s parents and help farm and tend to their livestock.
Now the family gets to celebrate yet another generation on their land. Todd and Marta’s son Clayton—who also serves as a Key Agronomist—has moved his young family to Newton and built a home on the farm.
In recent years, the family has diversified by growing their cow-calf herd, which they sell at market and to some local lockers. “We’re focused on being conservative, but we have done a lot of updates to the farm,” said Todd. “We must rethink what we’re doing to add value to our operation.”
If you’d like to take part in celebrating historic Iowa farms and the families who keep them going, you have the opportunity next month! New farms will receive Century and Heritage Farm designations at the great Iowa State Fair on Thursday, August 20, in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion.
________________________________
*A Century Farm is deemed as such if it is owned by the same family for 100 years. A Heritage Farm is deemed as such if it is owned by the same family for 150 years.
Pictured above: Key Agronomist Clayton Poots (left) and his father Todd (right) at the Poots Heritage Farm, which has been in their family for over 150 years.
From the family records, at the top is Frederick Reckler’s obituary, and below is an account of his service during the Civil War, which was published in a newspaper in 1916. Click to view.
