(Bridgewater) Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig made stops in Audubon, Adair, and Union Counties on Friday.
Secretary Naig toured Nichols Farms cattle and seedstock operation near Bridgewater based on high-quality beef genetics, including bulls, semen, and embryos, both nationally and internationally. The farm has earned recognition for its strong commitment to sustainable land stewardship and conservation while producing productive, performance-driven cattle genetics. Secretary Naig learned about the farm and its operations and customers, discussed the beef industry, conservation, innovation, and other topics.
In 2025, Nichols Farms received the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award. The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office presents this award annually at the Iowa State Fair.
Following the passing of Dave Nichols, Ross Havens now manages Nichols Farms and continues its legacy of leadership.
Nichols Farms follows the “science-based” approach to beef production. The seedstock company strives for improved efficiency. In 2021, Nichols Farms installed a feed bunk system for measuring individual feed intake and efficiency. Havens says the new bunk system tracks individual feed conversions. He says the end goal is to follow the most efficient young bulls in the herd.
Ross Havens is a board member of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation, representing the Cattlemen’s Beef Board on the Iowa Beef Industry Council Board, serving on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board Executive Committee, and acting as Secretary-Treasurer of the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
