At the Women in Ag Tech meeting at Tech Hub LIVE! in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 21, 2025, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as CropLife Group Editor Lara Sowinski introduced the much-anticipated speaker, April Hemmes. Sowinski painted a vivid picture of Hemmes, a woman farmer who had recently been featured in a National Public Radio (NPR) profile.
Sowinski recounted her first virtual meeting with Hemmes. “She had grease on her face, her hair is like this,” said Sowinski.
With a smile, Hemmes responded, “I had a little tangle with a grease gun. And I won!”
The audience erupted in laughter.
Hemmes, a former nurse, introduced herself as a storyteller from Hampton, Iowa. She showcased her farm through photos, highlighting its no-till practices, showcasing her daughter, great-grandparents, and father, illustrating the deep roots of her connection to the land.
She also introduced the women she works with on various agricultural boards, emphasizing how they were viewed as farmers, not just women, a fact that meant the world to her.
A Farmer’s Journey
Hemmes’ 125-year family farm covers approximately 1,000 acres.
As an agronomy major at Iowa State University in 1982, Hemmes said only 5% of students in her field were women. She initially pursued other careers, working at a bank, conducting research at Ohio State, and even working for a congressman in Washington D.C.
Despite her successes, Hemmes said, “All I wanted to do was get back to the farm.”
Her grandfather encouraged her to return. From that time, she has remained working at the family farm for the last 40 years.
She’s found the realities of farming challenging, from hiring high school kids who help with chores like picking rocks to transitioning to ag technology.
With changes happening in agriculture, especially the use of ag tech, she’s observed the underutilization of data by many farmers. “It gets amazing to me, how many farmers don’t use their data and don’t know how to use it,” Hemmes said.
There are powerful insights ag tech can provide for decision-making, Hemmes said. To help more growers experience the benefits of ag tech, she stressed the importance of building trusted relationships when it comes to helping growers adopt new tools.
Challenges and the Future of Farming
During the Q&A, Hemmes addressed the rising cost of land, identifying it as the biggest production expense. She expressed concern for younger farmers trying to enter the industry, acknowledging that they couldn’t afford land at current prices.
When asked about how to reach growers, Hemmes emphasized the importance of local connections and relationships in rural communities. She said that farmers often rely on recommendations from other farmers and trusted local representatives rather than solely on digital platforms.
For women to be successful, Hemmes said they need to collaborate and provide mutual support and to give up any sabotaging behavior.
Hemmes left the audience with a thought about artificial intelligence. With the veracity of information generated by AI, Hemmes stressed the critical need for reliable, trustworthy data in decision-making.
“It all comes back to trust, the trust of the program,” Hemmes said.
