2025 Black Hawk County: Jay and Jeanne Hansen

Black Hawk County proudly nominates Jay and Jeanne Hansen for the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. Jay grew up on a farm with deep 4-H roots, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. As a member of the Black Hawk Stars 4-H club from 1959–1967, Jay took on a variety of projects—beginning with a Holstein heifer named Spot—and went on to show hogs, beef, and dairy cattle, while also participating in communications and dairy judging. He was part of the Black Hawk County champion dairy judging team at the 1966 Iowa State Fair and credits 4-H and FFA for inspiring his agricultural career.

At Iowa State University, Jay majored in Ag Education and met Jeanne Wagner, then a secretary-manager for intramural athletics. They married in 1972 and settled in Charles City before returning to Jay’s family farm in Hudson. There, they raised five children—Brent, Brad, Blair, Blake, and Lynn—all active 4-H members. Jay and Jeanne served as 4-H leaders for eight years alongside Duane and Jackie Wulf, committed to raising their family with strong values rooted in farm life and hard work.

As their children grew, Jay and Jeanne expanded the farm into Hansen’s Farm Fresh Dairy, a family-run business bottling milk and producing ice cream, cheese curds, and more. Their farm also offers tours and events, promoting agriculture and local food. Today, with stores in Waterloo and Cedar Falls, their products are a staple at local 4-H events.

Now semi-retired, Jay enjoys seeing many of their 20 grandchildren involved in the family farm, continuing the 4-H legacy.