Nels Leo, better known online as the Jamaican Farmer — a fourth-generation Iowa farmer balancing crops, family, community, and content creation. From rain gauge updates to raising the next generation on the farm, this Iowa grower shares what real farm life looks like on and off social media.
Nels farms corn and soybeans in Iowa, including seed beans for major companies, while running a diverse lineup of equipment and managing challenges like field fires, weather swings, and land access as a next-generation farmer. He shares what it was like returning to the family operation, starting on his own acres, and building a farm business one decision at a time.
We also dive into:
Why he started sharing farm life on social media in 2019
How simple things like rain gauge updates connect farmers and non-farmers alike
What it’s like raising kids who actively help on the farm
Lessons learned from Iowa Corn’s I-LEAD program and international trade missions
Why community involvement — fire department, PTO, Lions Club — still matters in rural America
The reality of farming through tough seasons, including multiple field fires in one year
This conversation is a reminder that farming isn’t just about acres and yields — it’s about people, perspective, and showing the real side of agriculture.