Published Oct 27, 2010

Farminar Line-up (Fall 2010)
By Luke Gran
Beginning Tuesday, Nov-2, PFI will broadcast every other week, four new online seminars or farminars with farmers as presenters. This “Fishbowl” with a beginner asking questions to a farmer with more experience in an area will allow participants to watch and ask their own questions, from the comfort of their home computer with internet.


We hope you will join us to learn from our incredible farmer network!

Tuesday, November 2, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Cover Crops and Natural Manures with Mark Quee and Sally Gran

  • Learn how to use cover crops and natural manures to improve soil fertility and structure. Mark farms at Scattergood Friends School farm in West Branch and has great experience in this topic from hand seeding to no-till drill seeding as well as management of livestock. Sally has worked for several Iowa vegetable farms in the past and began her own fresh produce farm in 2010 near Nevada. Learn how to manage cover crops, rotation recordkeeping, compost, and manure applications.

Tuesday, November 16, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Growing Greens Better with Larry Cleverley and Glen Elsbernd

  • Larry Cleverley of Cleverley Farms near Mingo, shares his knowledge of producing high quality fresh greens for Iowa markets. Glen Elsbernd worked a full season at Harmony Valley Farm near Viroqua, WI before beginning his own organic horticulture farm “G Its Fresh,” in 2007.

Tuesday, November 30, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Marketing with Ryan and Kristine Jepsen and Caite Grieshop

  • The Jepsens graze livestock and manage Grass Run Farm, a pasture-based meat distribution company based in northeast Iowa. Says Kristine, “In the meat business, the goal is to have a ‘home’ (one or more customers) for all parts of the carcass you’re selling; this determines where we focus our marketing energy.” Joining the Jepsens is Caite Grieshop, who is beginning a direct market meat business, Marshall County Market, in Marshalltown.

Tuesday, December 14, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Financing Niche Pork with Jason Penner and Devan Green

  • Jason Penner of Butterfield, MN has raised niche pork for Niman Ranch for over six years. Jason will share his experiences, what worked for him, and what he would have done differently. Joining Jason will be Devan Green of Conrad who markets his own organic pork as Green’s Organics.

Practical Farmers of Iowa will offer more winter farminars in January and February 2011.

Missed One? All farminars are available archived online at practicalfarmers.org/farminar.

Practical Farmers of Iowa’s fall 2010 farminars are made possible by funding by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2010-49400-21843.