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Events
From field days, farminars and workshops to our annual conference, Practical Farmers hosts many events throughout the year to help farmers connect with and learn from each other.
Upcoming PFI Events
2023 Farminar Series
Tuesdays | Noon-1:30 p.m. | Jan. 10 – Mar. 28
Farminars are Practical Farmers’ version of a webinar – a farmer-led webinar! These 90-minute, online presentations are FREE for everyone, and recordings are archived on PFI’s YouTube channel. We encourage attendees to come with questions for the chat box!
Farminars are held on Tuesdays, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Central standard time from January to March.
All farminars are recorded and posted the day after each recording on PFI’s YouTube channel
Register for the 2023 farminar series
Horticulture Farmer Meet-Ups
Feb. 10 – Apr. 14
Farmers who grow vegetables, fruit, flowers, and orchard crops will gather together in locations around the state meet one another, build relationships, share plans and ideas with others in their regions, and learn as they all prepare for the coming season.
Please RSVP by emailing PFI’s senior horticulture education coordinator Jacqueline Venner Senske at jacqueline.venner.senske@practicalfarmers.org or by calling the office at (515) 232-5661.
See a full list of dates and locations
Tell Us Your Ideas!
Do you know a farmer who would be a good field day host? Have you been thinking about a good conference session or workshop topic? Tell us about it! This form feeds into our “Idea Bank,” which we routinely use to come up with speakers and hosts, and to design engaging sessions, content and programs. If you’d like to talk to a PFI staff member instead of using the form, give us a call at (515) 232-5661. Thank you for your contribution!
Marquee Events
Event COVID-19 Policy
At Practical Farmers of Iowa, the safety of our staff, members and communities are our top priority. At our indoor events, we’re committed to creating an environment that follows COVID-safety best practices and balances in-person interaction and learning.
Learn more about the Covid-19 policy
Field Days
Field days have been a core part of Practical Farmers since the beginning, when farmers would come together to share details of on-farm research and demonstration and learn from each other in a spirit of openness and curiosity. This remains true today. While spring and summer are our peak field day seasons, our members host events throughout the year, inviting fellow farmers and the public onto their farms to learn about topics that span the agricultural spectrum, and even the intersection of farming and local foods.
Workshops
Workshops take a deeper dive into a specific topic. Over the years, we’ve had workshops on holistic management, chestnut production, farm transfer and more.
Meet-Ups and Socials
Occasionally we host opportunities for farmers to get together to network, share a meal and visit with one another. Build your farming network and learn from others who have similar or different farm ventures than you. Whether it be a beginning farmer social, fruit and vegetable farmer meet-up or a grazing group, there’s sure to be an opportunity to get together with like-minded farmers near you.
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 fall and winter months, and run from 7–8:30 p.m. CST.
Annual Conference
Practical Farmers’ Annual Conference has been the backbone of our organization since our founding, when farmers looking to improve diversity on their farms gathered to share their knowledge openly with others. From the days when these informal get-togethers took place at someone’s farm and were known as the Annual Meeting, to the surging interest in pragmatic, sustainable farming solutions that in 2003 necessitated a shift in rhetorical scope from annual “meeting” to “conference,” to the ongoing upwelling of farmers seeking practical yet profitable and ecologically sensitive ways to farm, the annual conference has been a hallmark of what Practical Farmers stands for: farmer-to-farmer learning, networking and grassroots solutions to on-farm challenges for a more diverse, sustainable agricultural landscape.
Cooperators’ Meeting
The Cooperators’ Meeting is a two-day event where our farmer members gather to discuss past research and plan on-farm research for the following year. The Cooperators’ Meeting is an annual event rooted in the Practical Farmers ethos of farmers generating independent solutions to on-farm challenges through farmer-led research projects — and then sharing that knowledge freely with other farmers.
Beginning Farmer Summit
This annual event brings beginning farmers together to network, plan and discuss ways to improve their farms while helping to build a sense of community among this fast-growing farming demographic. The first Practical Farmers Next Generation Retreat took place in 2009, and it has been an annual event ever since. The two-day retreat has become a popular networking and business planning event that helps beginners share and learn from each other, as well as select experienced farmer speakers. Farm knowledge, food and friendship are freely shared.