Just ask Cody Allen, a Humboldt-area farmer and entrepreneur.

“It’s fun to see the kids get excited about ag and engineering,” said Allen, whose mother, Becky Allen, is a third-grade teacher at Taft Elementary in Humboldt.

Shortly before school was out this past spring, Allen spent about an hour with the third-graders. He explained how technology and engineering are essential in agriculture. He also shared many of his own experiences that sparked his interest in farming and mechanical engineering.

The Taft Elementary kids had plenty of questions for Allen regarding all things ag, including, “What’s that plastic stuff on the outside of hay bales?”

“The kids had a ton of questions, which is great,” said Allen, who also showed some videos to help kids see ag technology in action.

Allen brings a real-world perspective to the classroom.

“I was born and raised in the Humboldt area and had many family members and friends who farmed,” said Allen, who helped his uncles on their farms.

Allen also grew up around horses, which he enjoyed. “Some of my cousins had Percheron horses, and my family had several horses,” Allen said. “I got hooked on horsepower — both the traditional, equine kind and the mechanical kind.”

During his high-school years, Allen joined FFA and earned his Iowa FFA degree.

“I liked participating in the ag mechanics competitions, since I was a gear head growing up,” said Allen, who rebuilt his first engine (a chainsaw engine) while he was still in grade school.

Allen had taught himself how to weld while he was in middle school, plus he took welding classes in high school. In addition, he started Allen Innovation and Design, an ag equipment repair and engineering consulting business, around 2009, after people started asking him to work on their equipment.

“Back then, I also worked part-time for ADF Systems, a pressure-washer manufacturing company in Humboldt,” said Allen, who graduated from Humboldt High School. “There are so many misconceptions about ag.”

After graduating from Humboldt High School, Allen earned his associate of science degree at Iowa Western Community College (IWCC). During his time in Council Bluffs at IWCC, Allen worked part-time for a farmer in the Logan area.

He transferred to Iowa State University, where he joined Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR), the ag fraternity. He earned his ag engineering/industrial technology degree in 2016.

“I focused on tractor and engine design, as well as GPS,” Allen said. “In addition, I earned a certificate in horsemanship and equine training from ISU.”

During his years at ISU, Allen landed an internship with the Vermeer Corporation in Pella, where he continued to learn about ag mechanics. After graduating from ISU, Allen joined the Vermeer Corporation full-time, where he worked on hay balers and other ag equipment.

“Since the lack of labor in production agriculture is an ongoing challenge, my work focused on a self-propelled baler project,” Allen said. “This baler is designed to eliminate the need for one person working in the field.”

As he traveled for business across the country, he quickly realized how little most people outside of production agriculture understand about farming and food production.

“There are so many misconceptions about modern agriculture,” Allen said. “I saw that when I traveled to 40 states and large cities through my work with Vermeer. People who are far removed from production agriculture hear about one case of animal abuse on a farm and think that’s the norm. People tend to believe the bad press about farming, whether it involves livestock farming, GMOs, herbicides or other issues.”

Start local to make a positive difference

This motivated Allen to speak up for ag after he chose to move back to the Humboldt area in January 2022. He also continues to grow his own businesses, including a start-up medical device company. In addition, he’s a subcontractor with the Cargill corn-milling ethanol plant near Fort Dodge.

Giving back to the community is important to Allen. He serves as a director with the Humboldt County Farm Bureau board. He has gathered with other Farm Bureau leaders at the state capitol in Des Moines to meet with state lawmakers and discuss ag-related issues.

In March 2023, Allen traveled to Washington, D.C., with other Farm Bureau leaders to meet with Iowa’s congressional delegation and discuss ag-focused policy issues.

Allen doesn’t focus all his efforts on agriculture. This Eagle Scout continues to support the local Boy Scout troop as an assistant scout master.

“Based on my experiences in the work force, it seems like a lot of young people today are timid, lack confidence, seem paralyzed by risk and don’t know how to communicate well with others,” Allen said. “You can learn a lot of these skills through scouting. I want to encourage kids to spend more time outdoors and help them develop leadership skills.”

Although all this keeps Allen busy, he still makes time to volunteer in local schools to help the students learn about Iowa agriculture. He has spoken to students at Taft Elementary in Humboldt and the St. Mary Catholic Grade School in Humboldt, which hosts a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) week each year.

In addition, he assists with the Humboldt County Farm Bureau’s annual farm safety day camp.

“If you want to make positive change,” he said, “start at the local level.”