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Resources for Media
Welcome to the resources for media page. For permission to rebroadcast archived farminars, use the Practical Farmers logo or reprint blog entries, magazine stories or other communications, please contact Elizabeth Wilhelm at (515) 232-5661 or elizabeth.wilhelm(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org.
Guidance for Reporters, Media, and Third-Party Video at PFI Events
For reporters and members of the news media: PFI is eager to support members of the media – you are always welcome at our events! We know your schedules are busy and fluid, and we appreciate your interest in our programming.
If you know ahead of time that you plan to attend an event, please let us know so we can do our best to meet your needs and interests (and so we can make a point to say hello!). Contact Elizabeth Wilhelm at elizabeth.wilhelm(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org or (515) 232-5661.
Most of our events are free, but if you wish to attend an event with a registration fee, we grant complimentary admission to members of the media who plan to report on the event. Please let Elizabeth know so staff working at the event are aware you’ll be coming.
For filmmakers, videographers and podcasters outside the news media who wish to film or record during PFI events for educational or commercial purposes: We appreciate your interest in our events and programming.
To ensure there are no unintended disruptions to the flow of PFI events – and to ensure informed consent of the farmers and speakers involved – you must have prior written approval from Practical Farmers of Iowa, and the farmers and speakers participating, to film or record during a PFI event. We want to make sure the experience is positive and productive for everyone involved and obtaining this approval in advance will ensure all parties know what to expect and are working together.
For more information, see the following resources:
- Can I Shoot Here? Photography Rules at Public Events
- When Do You Need a Release Form for Filmmaking and Videos?
We are happy to talk with you about your project and can help connect you with the people and resources you are seeking, as well as work with you to arrange appropriate times during a PFI event – or outside of it – to gather the interviews, footage, sound clips or other material you need for your project. Contact Elizabeth Wilhelm at elizabeth.wilhelm(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org or (515) 232-5661.
Logos
This ZIP file contains both black and white variants in the Practical Farmers brand that may be used to accommodate your design needs.
Video
In 2017, we started out on a journey to tell the story of regenerative grazing and its promise for the Iowa landscape. As we talked to more and more PFI farmers about the animals that made up the backbone of their farms, we realized we were onto something bigger – and more complex. High-tensile fences and electro-netting, mob grazing and manure packs, small grains and silvopasture are all part of it. But focusing on these innovative practices obscures the most important part of this story: It’s all about the people.
Our late co-founder Dick Thompson had something to say about this. He said it many times and in many ways, but the premise was the same: When cattle leave the farm, the people leave and the community begins to crumble. While livestock can work wonders for protecting soil, cleaning the water and even providing habitat for the birds and bees, at their core, they reveal things about ourselves and each other.
Bringing Back the Edges: Creating Wildlife Habitat on Farms
From corn farmers to vegetable growers to graziers, all farmers have an interest in land stewardship. Implementing conservation practices can improve water quality, build soil health, address climate change and provide critical native habitat for wildlife on farms. Watch this Bringing Back the Edges video series from PFI to see how small strips of prairie along the edges of row-crop fields can provide wildlife habitat, prevent erosion, improve water quality and add beauty to a farm; how livestock can be used to graze native plants; how beetle banks and pollinator habitat can increase beneficial insect populations on farms; and how precision conservation can transform unproductive areas into wildlife habitat.
Organic Weed Control Series
Interest in mechanical cultivation is increasing. A new generation of farmers is interested in starting out by farming organically, or by transitioning their parents’ conventional operation to organic.
Mechanical weed control is a fundamental part of organic row crop farming. But it’s not just on organic farms: herbicide-resistant weeds are a growing problem on farms across the country, and cultivation is one tool that can slow the development of resistance and eliminate resistant weeds from fields.
This video series from PFI gathers knowledge from farmers who cultivate corn and soybeans, and aims to share that information with farmers looking to relearn this skill, start farming row crops organically – or simply wish to add a new method of weed control to their arsenal. Like our other work, you’ll see a variety of perspectives and a variety of tools. Everyone has their own way of controlling weeds, see some of their strategies in this series.
Practical Cover Croppers
The Practical Cover Croppers series from PFI will focus on everything from the basics of cover cropping to more advanced topics like relay cropping, roller crimping and diverse rotations.
Rotationally Raised
Iowa was once a national leader in small grains production, especially oats, but many farm families haven’t grown them for a generation. Over the past few years, more and more farmers have started seeing the benefits of diversifying their crop rotations and are trying to figure out how to bring small grains back to their farms.
Because they haven’t been grown on many farms for such a long time, even the production basics can be challenging. At Practical Farmers of Iowa, we’ve been trying to help with that process. To help bridge the knowledge gap, we created a range of resources to arm farmers with the information they need.
And more!
Check out our YouTube channel to see some of our recent uploads.
PFI Podcasts
Rotationally Raised
This podcast is a result of extensive interviews with PFI farmers – young and old, organic and conventional, and from every corner of the state. We also talked with a couple of scientists at Iowa State University who are strong PFI supporters and focus their careers on diversified rotations and small grains research.
Like everything else we do, this series is farmer-led. You can access the podcast on our website, or in your favorite podcasting platform.
On-Farm
We interviewed 17 different members of Practical Farmers of Iowa about their farm in this podcast series. Hear practical information from all types of farmers: new and experienced; young and old; small and large; horticulture, livestock and row-crop farmers. We talked with farmers about the issues most relevant to the farming community: the nitty gritty of growing and raising all sorts of plants and animals; on-farm research; protecting and improving soil and water quality; farm profitability; the challenges facing beginning farmers; building community in rural areas; and of course, food.
Farminars
Farminars are Practical Farmers’ version of a webinar. These 90-minute online seminars are free and produced to help farmers learn about business and production issues that matter to them from the convenience of their homes
Farminars are held weekly each Tuesday during the winter months, and run from 7–8:30 p.m. CST. Most farminars are led by farmers, and many are presented in a “fish-bowl” format where attendees listen as an experienced farmer answers a beginning farmer’s questions. Farminars air live online and allow participants to ask questions of presenters in real-time.
Check out our extensive farminar archive
Looking for More?
Let us know what we can help with! Reach out to Elizabeth Wilhelm at elizabeth.wilhelm@practicalfarmers.org or call us at (515) 313-8608