Last Saturday, Practical Farmers of Iowa had the honor of receiving a Critic's Choice Award at the Iowa Independent Film Festival for our documentary, "Livestock on the Land"!

Have you seen the film? No need to head to the theatre – you can watch it on YouTube.

PFI is hiring a Latino engagement coordinator

Sign up for PFI's cover crop cost-share

Let PFI help YOU get the money and technical support you need to seed fall cover crops! 

You can receive $10 per acre on up to 200 acres or 10% of your farmed acres (whichever is larger), and $5 per acre on everything above that.

Click here for program requirements.

Apply for PFI's Landowner Coaching Program

PFI's Farm Business Coaching

Program is now accepting applications

Farm Business Coaching is a 14-month program aimed at helping you strengthen your established business through in-depth expert consultations. The process begins with a farm business assessment to identify areas of opportunity.

This program is designed for farm businesses that directly market their products, including those that sell produce or meat products directly to consumers or to wholesale markets. 

ON THE BLOG

Blog: Journey of a Beginning Farmer

At Tuuli Farm, Stennie Nelson sells yarn from her flock’s wool, grassfed lamb and lambskins directly to her costumers, or through One Farm Market. But she didn't figure out how to run a farm business on her own.

Read our new blog to learn about  Stennie's journey as a beginning farmer, and the guidance she's received along the way.  

Field day: Risk Management and Disaster Recovery: A Come-Back Story at Pheasant Run Farm

Sept. 18 | 2-4 p.m. | Van Horn, IA

When the August 2020 derecho swept across Iowa, Eric and Ann Franzenburg lost every crop and building on the farm. 

Join us to hear from the Franzenburgs about how they worked with their insurance agent and were able to get rebuilt and growing again.

Stay for a BBQ dinner and PFI fellowship after the field day!

For more, check out this interview with Ann describing her experience the day of the derecho.

Field day: Growing Cultural Vegetables on Small Urban Plots With Cover Crops

Sept. 25 | 4-6 p.m. | Des Moines, IA

Join Marie Andre and Tika Bhandari to learn about how they raise vegetables, use cover crops and plan to scale up their farms.

Global Greens is an 8.5-acre urban incubator farm program run by Lutheran Services in Iowa, focused on connecting refugee farmers with land, business assistance and technical support.

A potluck will follow the field day. A main dish will be provided; RSVP here and bring a dish to share!

More upcoming PFI field days

Oct. 5: Regenerative Grazing With Mobile Infrastructure and Livestock Guardian Dogs

Hosted by: JR Jenkins

11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Wilton, IA

Oct. 8: Creating a Diverse Silvopasture Farm on Former Row Crop Ground

Hosted by: Tim Swinton

2-4 p.m. | Clemons, IA

MEMBERSHIP

PFI: Your support to succeed

As members of PFI, Anna Hankins and Shae Pesek have conducted on-farm research in the Cooperators' Program, created a business plan in the Savings Incentive Program, and later in the Farm Business Coaching Program, they strengthened their farm plan to focus on what works for them.

“PFI has such a range of programming to meet people where they are at,” Anna says. “We’re in a moment where we want to take advantage of these programs, but we get a ton of benefit from going to field days. There are some awesome ways to feel connected to PFI.”

Become a member of PFI today and find the support you need to succeed. Join in September to receive some cool PFI swag!

Members in the News

Air Philavanh of Milo, IA, was featured on the podcast AgArts from Horse & Buggy Land: Episode #34: Lost and Found Dogs

Levi Lyle of Keota, IA, was featured on the podcast AgArts from Horse & Buggy Land: Episode #37: The Ballad of the Freemartin Town P.O.

Mark Schleisman of Lake City, IA, was featured on Brownfield Ag News: Iowa farmer pleased with timely rains

The Griffieon family of Ankeny, IA, was recognized by the Izaak Walton League: Honor Roll Award

Jack Boyer of Reinbeck, IA, was featured in AgUpdate: Positive attitudes highlight Farm Progress Show

PFI in the News

Practical Farmers of Iowa was mentioned in Reuters: The pioneers trying to restore life to America’s stressed soils

Practical Farmers of Iowa was mentioned in the Des Moines Register: 'Freshwater' among documentaries featured in Water Works Park's first DocuSeries