Published Oct 26, 2023

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2023 Field Day Season Photo Recap

By Practical Farmers of Iowa

Sometimes society (and social media) leads us to believe every question has one right answer, that people are successful all on their own and that big changes happen in a finger snap. But when you’re at someone’s field day, you have a chance to see that even “small” changes take a lot of thought and investment. Mistakes and disasters happen. Humility, patience and support are necessary for success in the long-term. Knowing this, we don’t expect people to leave a field day and change their whole farm (though once in a blue moon that seems to happen!).

Field days are part of the long game – curiosity, collaboration, community. No one expects a field day host to have all the answers. And when 89% of field day attendees agree with the statement.

“I have new questions or ideas to explore based on what I saw and heard at today’s event,” we are reminded how vital these events are – that when we create spaces for farmers to connect, we’re helping spark thousands of small steps towards resilient farms and communities.

The whole Hepp family poses for a photo after their first field day for PFI, which also started PFI’s 2023 field day season on June 9. James shared how cover crops can improve profitability. (June 9, Rockwell City, IA)

PFI staff members Morgan Jennings, Solveig Orngard and Taylor Hintch prepare for the next stop at Caleb Akin and Noah Wendt’s field day. (June 13, Cambridge, IA; in partnership with Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program)

Attendees gather around Caleb Akin’s custom-built combination roller-crimper and planter. (June 13, Cambridge, IA; in partnership with Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program)

Cassie Kurash demonstrates her daily practice of moving chickens across pasture. (June 17, Fort Atkinson, IA)

Rachel Burke, PFI’s beginning farmer engagement coordinator, and AmeriCorps member Erin Carpenter welcome guests to the field day at Steve Strasheim’s Twisted River Farm on Father’s Day. (June 18, Mitchell, IA)

Steve Strasheim highlights some of his equipment favorites, including his Planet Junior cultivator, flame weeder and paper pot planter, to a crowd of nearly 90 people. (June 18, Mitchell, IA)

Dwight Rutter explains what’s involved with establishing prairie habitat while extolling the benefits of prairie. (June 21, Spencer, IA; in partnership with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever)

Shelley Buffalo of the Meskwaki Tribe shared an Indigenous perspective on prairie management during a field day at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. (June 28, Prairie City, IA)

Two attendees pause to photograph prairie plants during a field day at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, while the rest of the group follows Christina Gish Hill of Iowa State University’s Three Sisters Project. (June 28, Prairie City, IA)

PFI’s senior research manager, Stefan Gailans, and Nathan Anderson, PFI board president, enjoy Neil and Elizabeth Peterson’s field day during a much-needed gentle rain. (July 7, Fonda, IA)

The Hundlings’ farm dog enjoyed networking during the field day. (July 8, Breda, IA)

Field day attendees load up the wagon to check out a newly established windbreak during Brice and Melanie Hundling’s field day. (July 8, Breda, IA)

Benson tries to prevent Mable from stealing Hunter’s PFI hat at Plaid Perch Farm. (July 8, Newton, IA)

Regina Frahm demonstrates skirting a fleece at Plaid Perch Farm. (July 8, Newton, IA)

David and Kathy Law have been restoring oxbows on their land near Lohrville to provide habitat for a range of species, including the endangered Topeka shiner. (July 12, Lohrville, IA)

Searching for endangered Topeka shiners in a restored oxbow at David and Kathy Law’s field day, attendees also found a multitude of minnows. (July 12, Lohrville, IA)

Maury and Mary Wills’ orchard-focused field day drew veteran apple growers Jerald Deal (left), Paul Rasch (center) and Dean Henry (right) – a quartet representing a potent concentration of Iowa apple production knowledge and experience. (July 18, Adel, IA)

A couple of curious pigs approach the camera during the Wilson family’s discussion of raising outdoor pigs at West Fork Farmstead. (July 14, West Chester, IA)

Hannah Skates Kettler shares tales of damage done to her prairie strips – by both deer and toddlers. (July 16, State Center, IA)

Hannah Skates Kettler and Kurtis Kettler talk lavender in their commercial flower beds. (July 16, State Center, IA)

Attendees explore the biodiversity of the prairie at Carl Kurtz’s field day. (July 19, St. Anthony, IA)

An attendee walks out among the showy tick-trefoil during Carl Kurtz’s field day. (July 19, St. Anthony, IA)

Mitchell Hora, CEO of Continuum Ag (right), examines root nodulation in a soybean field with permanent clover cover crop that Patrick White (left) farms with his father, Chuck White (not pictured). (July 19, Spencer, IA)

Kent Morris talks all things tractors during the Trying Out Tools field day. (July 23, Atlantic, IA)

Pearl the chicken patrols the patio while guests conduct an on-farm food safety scavenger hunt during a field day at Donna Warhover’s Morning Glory Farm. (July 24, Mt. Vernon, IA)

Zach Knutson discusses his cattle and grazing practices on land he’s been converting from row crops to perennial pasture. (July 28, Zumbrota, MN)

Cathy Linker Lafrenz (pictured right) and her farm team, Brooke Baker (left) and Melissa Thompson (center), on the front porch of Cathy’s on-farm store, The Summer Kitchen & Local Handmade, during her field day at Miss Effie’s Flower Farm & Garden Stuff. (Aug. 6, Donahue, IA)

Attendees at Mark and Jodi Peterson’s field day load up to tour the fields and talk cover crops. (Aug. 7, Craig, NE)

Julianna Vajda chats with PFI’s livestock education coordinator, Amos Johnson, during Beth Hoffman and John Hogeland’s field day. (Aug. 10, Lovilia, IA)

Joe Merten (center) describes the movement of water through his farm, and how it impacted his decision to put this piece of ground into a Conservation Reserve Program pollinator mix. (Aug. 10, Austin, MN; in partnership with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever)

Megan Solland, conservation agronomist with Northern Country Co-op, references the field map for the CRP plantings during the Mertens’ field day. (Aug. 10, Austin, MN; in partnership with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever)

2023 Field Day Season Photo Recap

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