Equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities.
Okoboji Organics, a small certified organic family farm, took field day guests on a tour last Friday. Attendees walked through the pastures to visit pigs, chickens and turkeys; looked at how the Mendenhalls process poultry on-farm for direct sales; visited the farm store; and shared a pulled pork lunch together.

We have a host of field days planned for the coming weeks. Be sure to check out the topics and locations on our field day webpage.
While alfalfa is a tried-and-tested forage for many, bringing small grains into the mix can enhance alfalfa establishment and provide more crop diversity.

Alfalfa has the potential to keep roots in the ground for years at a time, fix nitrogen and provide quality forage to livestock.

In the June shared learning call, Jason Russell of Monticello, Iowa, shared his experiences with managing alfalfa.
NEWS

View the full job descriptions, duties and qualifications for both positions on our employment page.
PFI is hosting informal gatherings of land seekers, tenants and landowners to learn more about land access.

Nancy and John Brannaman will host a land connection meet-up after their field day on July 6.

On July 14, we'll host a meet-up on Zoom with speakers Ruth Rabinowitz and Mike Downey to talk about flex leases.
As the content assistant, Bri co-curates PFI’s social media platforms, email newsletters and website to expand Practical Farmers’ reach and impact by driving food and farming narratives that showcase resilient agricultural systems.

UPCOMING EVENTS
June 25 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Radcliffe, IA

Are you curious about how you can add more diversity, habitat or conservation practices to your farmland?

Join us at Nutty Farmer Chestnuts to learn how Heath Stolee has integrated chestnut trees, prairie strips, a 16-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) wetland – and more – on his Hardin County farm.
June 26 | 2-4 p.m. | Griswold, IA

Mike and Donna Brahms do a little of everything on 3 Bee Farms. With multigenerational support in their family, they grow vegetables in the field and high tunnels, manage a 1,000-tree apple orchard, host school field trips and much more.

June 29 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Stennie Nelson of Turn, Iowa, will be featured on Newsradio 1040 WHO's "The Big Show" next Wednesday.

Stennie will appear in a weekly segment of "The Big Show" called "Clean Water Wednesday."

Tune your dial to 1040 on AM radio or listen on iHeartRadio online.
Hosted by: Abby Barten, Nancy & John Brannaman
10 a.m. - noon | Lisbon, IA

Hosted by: Dan & Susan Voss, Brian Voss & Nicole Hepker
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Palo, IA
MEMBERSHIP
PFI believes that farmers should be the primary leaders in agriculture. To enable this, we regularly recruit farmers and provide support for them to take on leadership roles.

Your donations to PFI help us train more farmers to participate in on-farm research, provide farmer-to-farmer education, build relationships with their neighbors, speak to the media, promote food and farm businesses as engines of rural development and more.

IN THE NEWS
Members in the News
Nick Smith of Epworth, IA, was featured on CNBC: Soil erosion hits farmers in the Midwest, costs billions annually

Dale, Marcie and Tyler Raasch of Bridgewater, IA, were featured on KCCI:

Matt Russell of Lacona, IA, was featured on Radio Iowa: Farm Service Agency looking to fill dozens of positions

Ben Saunders of Des Moines, IA, was featured in the Des Moines Register: Fungi Fresh Farms takes mushrooms to new heights by growing them in a Grimes lab

Seth Watkins of Clarinda, IA, and Kayla Koether, PFI's senior farm viability manager of Decorah, IA, were featured in WorkingNation: Iowa is looking at a hefty hike in green jobs
Have you been featured in the media? If you're a PFI member, tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.

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