Kathy Dice received her B.S. in fisheries and wildlife biology at Iowa State University and began teaching and implementing conservation practices in Iowa. She has worked for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Louisa County Conservation Board. She is a soil commissioner for her county.
Tom Wahl was born and raised in Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University in 1984 with a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology. For the following 16 years, he worked for various government agencies in wildlife research, wildlife management, forestry, and park management.
Dice and Wahl married in 1984 and purchased 56 acres of steep, rugged timberland in Louisa County in 1986. In 2001, they added 31 acres of rolling farmland. Over time they established Red Fern Farm, a farm of fruit- and nut-producing trees, shrubs, and vines. They grow high-value tree crops including chestnuts, pawpaws, heartnuts, persimmons, Asian pears, and others. They also run a small flock of sheep with their son.
Areas of Expertise
Farmer
Company/Organization/Affiliation
Red Fern Farm