the Practical Farmer: Autumn 2025
Table of Contents
- From the executive director
- Livestock
- Beginning Farmers
- PFI Profiles
- Field Day Photos
- Policy
- Field Crops
- Habitat
- Member Photos
- PFI News
On the cover:
A pig peers out from a bed of corn stalks at Ron Mardesen’s field day on July 22 near Elliot, Iowa. Want to see more images from our summer field days? Flip to page 14 for some highlights from the first half of the 2025 season.
Livestock
Making a Meal of Memories
LaVon and Craig Griffieon share stories and lessons from their years of raising turkeys.
Beginning Farmers
Changing Course
Since returning to the family farm, Natasha Wilson and her family have been taking careful steps to shift the farm’s focus so multiple generations can farm together.
PFI Profile
Paving the Way
Matt Johnson and Tiffiny Clifton build community around food and access for all in the greater Omaha area.
Field Day Photos
2025 Field Day Season
See images of learning, connection, food and fun from the first half of our 2025 field day season.
Policy
A New Policy Area for PFI
PFI can now advocate for local and regional food system programs.
Field Crops
Sharing Values, Exchanging Ideas
Two generations of the Pelzer family share values and ideas across the years as they steward their farm for the future.
Habitat
Mapping a Path to Conservation
Partnering with Pheasants Forever and her farm manager is helping Diane Horn shift the direction of her family farmland.
PFI News
Meet the Newest Members of PFI’s Team
Sean Dengler
Farm Systems Coordinator
Read Sean’s bio
Will Doepke
Senior Member Engagement Assistant
Read Will’s bio
Emily Schroeder
Senior Member Engagement Assistant
Read Emily’s bio
On-Farm Research Corner
In Iowa, when cover crops are seeded after corn and soybean harvest, there’s not much time for them to grow before winter sets in. Even when planting covers after small-grain harvest, late-summer hot and dry periods often stifle germination and preclude a lush fall stand that farmers hope for.
Over the past decade, some PFI farmers have been experimenting with interseeding cover crops between rows of cash crops through PFI’s Cooperators’ Program. They have tested different interseeding rates, dates and mixes to determine if interseeding can provide summer weed protection and increased fall cover crop growth on their farms without affecting crop yield.
Neil Peterson, of Fonda, Iowa, has found that interseeding his oat crop with legumes or mixes in the spring usually gives him a nice cover crop to graze his cows on from the first week of September until corn and soybean stubble is available later in the fall after those crops are harvested.
To hone his practices, Neil has been experimenting with different seeding rates and seed mixes through the Cooperators’ Program for several years. “It’s nice to do research trials on interseeding,” he says, “because even though it’s not a new practice, it is not a common practice. I am figuring out on my own what species work and how to do it better.”
Paul and Timothy Peterson help their dad, Neil, collect cover crop samples in a clover interseeding rate trial in fall 2024.
Neil encourages fellow farmers who are interested in interseeding or other novel practices to not be afraid to try something new. “You’re not going to know by looking at the neighbors if the neighbors aren’t doing it,” he says. “Sometimes a new practice works, sometimes it doesn’t. If you’re interested, you should try it.” Start small with test plots if you can. If you’re interested in research, PFI’s Cooperators’ Program is always looking for farmers who are interested in scientifically investigating practices on their farms.