At Practical Farmers of Iowa, farmers lead the sharing of knowledge and drive how that knowledge is presented. While planning our 2021 summer events season, we relied heavily on farmer feedback to shape our events and created small, safe in-person “Catching Up” events so farmers could network again. 

PFI member Maggie McQuown (pictured here next to Paul Ackley) attended Jon Bakehouse’s “Catching Up” event on his Mills County, Iowa, farm. “The small, informal aspect of the event made it easy for new people to feel included and not intimidated,” Maggie says. “I think this kind of event is great.”

In addition to the new "Catching Up" series, we retained a virtual event series and added a suite of traditional on-farm field days based on our diverse member interests. We will continue to listen to our members' evolving interests to deliver programming they need and want. 

Join or renew your membership with Practical Farmers of Iowa today, and help shape PFI programming to fit your needs.

Running an apple orchard and pressing cider is a year-round job, but the peak of harvest season tests the mettle of even the most experienced growers.

During this “Live From the Farm” episode, we’ll meet Paul Rasch in his main production orchard. He’ll show how the farm’s harvest is coming along and explain some of his favorite harvest tools and processes.

Bonus: Check out this podcast where Paul shares the story of how he got into orcharding, his travels, the future of Wilson's Orchard and much more.

Have you ever wondered how to turn your CRP or other prairie plantings into even more prairie? During this workshop, learn how farmers and landowners can collect native seed for use elsewhere on the farm.

Get hands-on experience collecting seed at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, and hear about best practices for native seed collection, preparation and storage.

Join Practical Farmers of Iowa for free outdoor screenings and panel discussions of “Livestock on the Land,” our feature-length documentary that tells the story of regenerative grazing and its promise for the Iowa landscape.

Following the film, the audience can ask questions and hear from a panel of farmers featured in the film.

Sept. 11 – Clarinda – Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum (300 N 16th St.)

Sept. 16 – Madrid – Ledges State Park Campground Amphitheater (1515 P Ave.)

Sept. 25 – Des Moines – Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park (2251 George Flagg Parkway)

Anyone is welcome to RSVP for a "Catching Up" event! To learn more about a specific event or to RSVP, email the PFI staffer indicated, or call the PFI office at (515) 232-5661.

Sunday, Sept. 12 | 2-4 p.m.

Host: Jenny Horner | Montgomery County

Friday, September 24 | 2-4 p.m.

Host: Danelle Myer, One Farm & One Farm Market | Harrison County

Host: Mark Quee | West Branch, IA

Saturday, Sept. 18 | 4-6 p.m.

Host: Phrakhounmany “Air” Philavanh | Milo, IA

Practical Farmers of Iowa was featured in Morning AgClips: Cover crop cost-share funds available for farmers in Iowa, Mo. and Neb.

PFI was mentioned in an op-ed published in the Des Moines Register: Healthy Iowa soils are a must for both agriculture and the environment

Have you been featured in the media? Tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.

Contact: tamsyn@practicalfarmers.org