You are worth more than $60

Or $50, $110…whatever annual membership dues you provide Practical Farmers each year.

We do rely on membership income to reach budgetary goals. Reaching these goals provides us funding to be farmer-directed and provide programming relevant to our members and their needs.

However, membership in Practical Farmers of Iowa provides us much more than fiscal support. I get excited each time I see a new member, often googling farm or business names (such as new members St. Andrews Holy Carp Fertilizer) to find out what new expertise and observations they are going to bring to the PFI network.

Here are reasons some of our board members would like to see more Practical Farmers members:

Vic Madsen

Ann Cromwell

Ann Cromwell: “More collective knowledge, more enthusiasm, more shoulders pulling together to accomplish Practical Farmers of Iowa’s vision.”

Vic Madsen: “More members mean more energy, more ideas and more experiences to add to the PFI pot.”

Ann Franzenburg: “Practical Farmers of Iowa is a great place to connect with others who have experience with adding enterprises to their farms. PFI members have freely given their time, expertise, and friendship to Eric and me. I appreciate the opportunities to pay it forward and teach others what we have learned along the way as well. Our PFI community is strengthened by the viewpoints and experiences of our fellow members.”

Gail Hickenbottom: “To be a part of the growing number of farms who listen and learn from other farmers and recognize the value of the wisdom obtained from other farmers’ proven results. To be a part of the present-day PFI membership where farmers’ profits and their way of life are important, but most important is giving back to the land for the future generations to come.”

Julie Wheelock: “Joining PFI is more than just gaining access to practical, tried and true farming knowledge, it’s being invited to be part of a family that sincerely wants to see you succeed with your business.”

Wendy Johnson: “More minds to problem solve, more experience to gather from and more knowledge to learn from.”

Mark Peterson: “So others can benefit like I have. Through involvement in this organization, I have learned how to incorporate cover crops onto my farm. I am able to talk with other members about the how-tos, and troubleshooting if things don’t turn out as planned. I have not found a group like this elsewhere.”

Thank you, all current members, who helped us reach our membership goal this year! And, more importantly, who add so much energy to our incredible network.

If you are not a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa, please consider joining to help strengthen our community!