Equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities.
Determining profitable pricing for your meat can be a difficult and complicated process, especially at a time when both farmers and consumers face increasing costs.  

Cornell University has created a convenient and easy-to-use program to account for production, processing, and marketing costs and then set prices to reach a profit goal.

Access the new and improved Meat Price Calculator!
PROGRAM UPDATES
Amos Johnson joined Practical Farmers of Iowa as the livestock education coordinator in May 2022. 

He engages with farmers to create livestock-focused farmer-led events, writes for PFI’s various publications and works to connect livestock producers with the educational resources they need.

Check out his bio to learn more!
Check out the 2022 field day guide online starting May 20, and arriving in mailboxes starting May 31. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak at just some of the livestock offerings this year:
June 17 | Okoboji, IA

Join Kate Mendenhall for a tour of Okoboji Organics, a small certified organic family farm raising healthy food for local families.

We'll walk through the pastures to visit pigs, chickens, and turkeys, look at how they process poultry on-farm for direct sales.
June 24 | North English, IA

Come learn from Jason and the crew at Grimm Family Farm as they demonstrate step by step their new on-farm poultry processing setup.

This field day will consist of a hands-on live demonstration of processing chickens. Jason will also discuss processing equipment and share how to navigate licensing for processing on-farm.
Aug. 27 | Northfield, MN

Hop on the bus with other poultry enthusiasts to tour and learn from Reginaldo "Regi" Haslett-Marroquín and Wil Crombie of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance in Northfield, Minnesota. Both Regi and Wil will share how Tree-Range Chickens are raised in a coop and paddock system that integrates trees and perennial crops like hazelnuts and elderberries.
Oct. 5 | Wilton, IA

Join JR Jenkins of Pleasant Prairie Stock Farm, to learn about rotationally grazing cattle and sheep on pasture and cover crops.

JR solely grazes on leased land, breeds and trains livestock guardian dogs, direct markets 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, and owns a custom fence company.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has the latest updates and developments on the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The latest outbreak was on May 3 in a backyard flock in Bremer County, IA.
BEYOND THE GATE
Having an organized plan for your livestock and your land can be a key to success.

With the grazing season starting, this chart can be used to plan out your grazing schedule.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join us for a screening of our feature-length film, "Livestock on the Land," on Saturday, May 21 from 7:30-10 p.m. in Harlan, Iowa.

The film goes beyond the science to show how livestock are central threads connecting people, diversifying farms, protecting soil and water and anchoring rural communities.

Hosted by: Land Stewardship Project
5-8 p.m. | Ossian, IA

Hosted by: PFI
7:30-10 p.m. | Harlan, IA

May 28: Event - Meat Goat Pasture Walk
Hosted by: Uplands Watershed Group
Noon-4 p.m. | Dodgeville, WI

Hosted by: NCAT ATTRA
5-6:30 p.m. | Online
Hosted by: ISU Extension
Dubuque, IA

Hosted by: NCAT ATTRA
5-6:30 p.m. | Online

Hosted by: Okoboji Organics
11 a.m. | Okoboji, IA
Field days will begin in June - stay tuned!
POLL
How do you keep track of your grazing plan?
A grazing management app
Pencil and paper works for me
Spreadsheets!
Another way
I need a better plan
Previous poll results:
What months do you calve, lamb, and kid?
  • March-April (40%)
  • April-May (30%)
  • February-March (15%)
  • May-June (15%)
  • January-February (0%)
Are you planning or hosting a livestock event? Do you want to host a livestock field day? Send the details to amos@practicalfarmers.org
Looking for more? Contact us today!
Meghan Filbert
Livestock Farm Viability Manager
Amos Johnson
Livestock Education Coordinator