2025 Field Day Photo Gallery

By Practical Farmers of Iowa

Nothing says “Summer in Iowa” – especially this summer in Iowa – like the rain pounding on a barn’s steel roof. And nothing says “PFI field day” like trying to hear a farmer talk over that cacophonous din! Rain or shine, farmer-led field days continue to be a collection of gems for learning, new ideas and networking.

More than ever, we have access to data, media and information at our fingertips and in our earbuds. Some is incredibly useful and helps us make better decisions. But the volume can be overwhelming, and often is consumed in solitude.

This summer we helped farmers host more field days than ever (66 field days!). At each one, we’re reminded of the unique value of being on a farm – listening, learning, asking questions and conversing in person. Thank you for being there with us, and please enjoy these photo highlights from the first half of the field day season.

A pig peers out from a bed of corn stalks at Ron Mardesen’s field day on July 22 near Elliot, Iowa.

Attendees ride the hay wagon to see Ron Mardesen’s research trial of finishing pigs on cover crops. (July 22, Elliot, IA)

Kody Karr takes questions from attendees while standing in his diverse stand of forages following his field day. (July 17, Monroe City, MO)

Grant and Aubrey Stuart stand in front of the planter. (June 18, Walnut, IA)

At this field day in mid-June, Laban Miller shares the values and reasoning behind the decisions he’s made for his farm, including adding in relay cropping and getting livestock on the land. (June 17, Leon, IA)

Cows stand in cover crops on Doug and Traci Steffen’s farm in northeast Nebraska. (June 11, Crofton, NE)

Attendees file by the head lettuce field and into the high tunnel at Phelps Farm, with Amy Phelps in the lead. (June 11, Guttenburg, IA)

Wheat berries develop, nearly ready for harvest at Jason Russell’s field day. (July 7, Monticello, IA)

Craig Fischer (right) discusses the impact of bison poop, pee and hooves on soil health during his family’s field day at Sleepy Bison Acres. (June 20, Sleepy Eye, MN)

John Wepking leads field day attendees to the edge of a vast field of Bickford wheat, a new wheat variety bred to be easily milled into flour. (July 10, Ridgeway, WI)

Tessa Parks shows field day attendees her first aid kit for cattle. (June 15, Northfield, MN)

Longtime PFI members Fred Abels, Craig Fleishman and Ron Rosmann catch up at Jeremy Gustafson’s field day and PFI’s 40th anniversary celebration. (June 24, Boone, IA)

An elderberry cluster (a.k.a. cyme) is ripe for picking during Anna Geyer’s field day at Land Alliance Farm, Folk School & Retreat Center. (July 25, Oxford, IA)

Even though Susan Young’s field day focused on goats, some attention must be paid to the cat. (June 16, Iowa City, IA)

Levi Lyle and his son stand in front of their certified organic tart cherry orchard. (June 14, Keota, IA)

Regina Frahm’s sheep get some grazing in between downpours. (June 20, Newton, IA)

Some attendees lead the way as others ride behind the tractor through the pasture at Eric Hein’s field day. (June 25, Altura, MN)

Bailey Scott Hobbs explains the area of the farm where she and her partner, Mike, run trials ranging from cover crops to polycultures and more. (June 21, Dunnell, MN)

Eric Mahaney points out features of his rotary hoe mounted with an air seeder that allow him to reduce equipment passes in the field. (June 10, Arion, IA)

ric Meyers inspects a soil pit in a corn field during his field day as onlookers ask questions. (July 24, Postville, IA)

Field day attendees walk to a trial in Michael Fosdick’s field to look at strip-tilled, 30-inch soybeans. (June 19, Sperry, IA)

Attendees had a chance to see Andrew Van Nice’s drone demonstrate cover crop seeding over a field of early-July corn at Wayne Braun’s field day. (July 1, Durant, IA)

Jordan Lyon explains the irrigation system in his cantaloupe field. (July 10, Conesville, IA)

Neil Krummen, Nick Sennert and Jessob Steffen stand in front of their Friesen bulk bins (which they referred to as “cone-bottom bins”) as they describe the farming practices they’ve added and changed since starting their partnership a few years ago. (June 26, Linn Grove, IA)

Attendees overlook a 5-acre wetland on Fred and Vicki Abels’ farm. (June 26, Holland, IA)

First-time field day hosts Denny and Emily Stucky pose in the giant rocking chair outside their farm, The Community Orchard. (July 29, Fort Dodge, IA)

Dan Miller introduces Dathan and Tony, the pilots who seed cover crops by airplane in partnership with Dan’s cover crop business, Millermatic Seed. (July 31, Harlan, IA)

Chris Von Holten shares details about his twin-row planter. (July 29, Walnut, IL)

Benjamin De Boef (center) demonstrates a drone flight for field day attendees above Ryan Wolf’s corn field. (July 11, Keosauqua, IA)

James Nisly shows how quickly his new processor can cube sweet potatoes. (July 27, Kalona, IA)

PFI staff members (from left) Chastity Schonhorst, Shawn Hanson, Katie Aupperle, Alexandria Atal and Jim Kain prepare to hand out local fruit and veggie samples to RAGBRAI riders who stopped at Plagge Farms along this year’s route. (July 23, Latimer, IA)

Attendees listen as Jayson Ryner presents about the SeedSpike planting system at the Grundy County Fairgrounds. (July 23, Grundy Center, IA)

2025 Field Day Photo Gallery

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