The Labor4Learning program is designed for beginning and aspiring farmers seeking employment and additional training in farm management and production skills. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your on-farm experience and build your farmer network while earning an income.

Will Lorentzen and Adrian White of Jupiter Ridge Farm in Garber are willing to hire a farm hand who is motivated to "dig in" and learn more about how to farm at a diverse vegetable farm.

"We want to connect, sustain, and generally support interest in farming among young and beginning farmers here in Iowa. We have walked the path ourselves and think it is time we helped those who were like us back then. It will also be exciting and fun to connect with new farmer acolytes and share our skills with the right candidates." - Will Lorentzen and Adrian White

During 2020, we found many people enjoyed the opportunity to attend field days virtually, so we’re improving our virtual engagement options with a weekly series called “Live From the Farm.” This series builds on our 2020 virtual field day season, but with improved video and streaming quality.

Most Tuesdays from June through September, we will stream live from a member farm, aiming to showcase important farm activities that are interesting to see but harder to show and make engaging to in-person visitors, such as planting, harvest, cultivating, processing and delivery days.

These live events are interactive on YouTube Live, with chat enabled for attendees and the host, and will be available as recorded videos on PFI’s YouTube channel as soon as the live event ends.

This year, we’ve planned a series called “Catching Up,” an ever-growing line-up of small, energizing, in-person gatherings on farms across Iowa. To keep our farmers, staff and attendees safe, each “Catching Up” event is limited to 15 attendees.

Iowans faced many challenges in 2021, including unprecedented strain on our food systems. Farmers can and must take an active role in advocating for policies and programs that benefit us.

Check out our blog post from PFI member Denise O'Brien about the importance of farmers taking an active role in policy advocacy.

Are you preparing to plant your summer field crop into a spring cover crop and have termination questions? Maybe you're a beginning orchardist and are unsure of the best time to prune your fruit trees.

Or perhaps you have some old, reliable two-wheel tractors you would like to sell. Become a PFI member and join our email discussion lists.

These members-only discussion groups let you stay connected to other PFI members wherever you are. Ask specific production practice questions, learn about upcoming events or simply keep your finger on the pulse of what other PFI members are talking about.

We have recently updated our collection of business, financial, production and technical assistance resources to help aspiring and beginning farmers further their business goals. You can access them by clicking on the icons below.

We will continue to build this list and add new resources as they are available. If you see any resources missing that you find helpful, please share them with us. You can send them to Celize Christy at celize@practicalfarmers.org.

A new report from American Farmland Trust calls attention to the importance of speeding implementation of conservation practices on rented farmland and ranchland. "Advancing Understanding of Conservation on Rented Land" notes that nearly 40% of farmland in the United States is rented or leased. 

Kiss the Ground's “Introduction to Regenerative Gardening” was created to show everyone, everywhere, that they can be a gardener. Designed with all levels in mind, the 8-module course begins with the history of gardening and then takes students from understanding their soil and what to plant, through troubleshooting potential issues, and finally to harvesting. Enroll Now - Start May 19, 2021

Sharing Our Roots has worked to research and develop a Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agriculture model that integrates old wisdom with new thinking - how to raise our food in a way that respects the earth, the worker, the animal and the consumer. This manual offers guidance on how to establish paddocks and coops, raise free-range flocks and manage a poultry-centered farm business. Access a FREE copy of the latest version of our Poultry Manual here.

Communicating for the Farm | May 13 - June 17, 2021

Montana State University Extension and Purdue Extension provide a webinar series dedicated to helping agricultural producers improve their agriculture communication skills. The free online course takes place weekly, on Thursday evenings. 

Organic Hemp for Fiber and Meat Chickens on Organic Pasture | May 24, 2021

Join Organic Association of Kentucky for this free virtual visit to Butler Farms, as Kathleen and Lane Butler share their production experience of growing 40 acres of Certified Organic hemp and thousands of meat chickens on Certified Organic pastures.

African American Farmers: Stress Issues and Solutions | May 27, 2021

All farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers face stress related to their occupations. However, African American farmers have additional sources of stress not faced by other agricultural producers. Some of the main topics for this webinar include: stress sources of all farmers, unique stressors that African Americans face, suggestions and resources. Register by May 24th.

Introduction to Growing Hemp | May 29, 2021

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute presents the results of its and others' most recent field research on hemp, conducted in the Midwest.

June 8: Live From the Farm - Bees, Beetles & Broccoli

10-10:45 a.m. | Online

June 15: Live From the Farm - "Practical Farrowing Box"

2-2:45 p.m. | Online