Sessions
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
General Sessions
General sessions are webinar-style sessions with a presentation by one or several speakers or panelists. Q&A will be facilitated through a chat box, similar to PFI’s farminars. All general sessions will be recorded and available on the platform for later viewing.
Spanish Interpretation / Interpretación en español
In addition to two sessions presented bilingually, a selection of sessions will be offered with Spanish interpretation.
Además de dos sesiones presentadas en un forma bilingüe, se ofrecerá una selección de sesiones con interpretación en español.
Farmer-to-Farmer Conversations
During farmer-to-farmer conversations, two farmers will spend 40 minutes conversing together on selected topics or shared experiences, and then take questions from the audience via the chat box. This format is similar to a podcast, but with the benefit of a video component and live Q&A.
Roundtables
Roundtables are facilitated conversations on a specified topic, where attendees are able to interact with one another in a live video meeting. Rooms are capped at 30 participants to allow for deeper attendee engagement. Depending on content and structure, some roundtables will be recorded for later viewing, others will not.
Lightning Talks
Lightning is powerful, focused, illuminating – and over quickly. This conference, we are introducing lightning talks to our session offerings. As the name suggests, lightning talks are short, focused and hopefully exciting to watch. We know many farmers are evaluating new practices or have figured out a process that would be useful to share with others. Each lightning talk round will feature six talks, each 8 minutes long, prepared and presented by farmers.
Youth Sessions
PFI is excited to offer Saturday morning sessions tailored to PFI’s younger audience. Sessions for younger children will be led by Blue Morningsnow, known as “Miss Blue” in her role as lead preschool teacher and director of Prairie Flower Children’s Center in Ames. Sessions for older youth and teens will feature a virtual show-and-tell of independent, on-farm 4-H and National FFA Organization projects.
Building Community Around Wool
General Session | Regina Frahm
Wool production can be a profitable enterprise with certain niche markets. In this session, Regina Frahm will share how her new business, Esther & Company, is more than just a place to sell wool from her farm – it’s also a place where she finds community. While raising sheep and selling their wool, Regina has found joy in processing and dyeing these fibers to share with others. Learn about this modern-day mercantile and hear how Regina has found community in connecting her farm to consumers.
Two for One: Cover Crop Seeding Equipment to Save Passes
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Max Pitt, Ray McCormick & Ryan Corrie
Coupling cover crop seeding with another equipment pass offers a promising way to cut application costs and scale up acres. Learn from these panelists about the innovative ways they are modifying their machinery: an air seeder mounted onto a vertical tillage implement, a Gandy box mounted on a combine head and the Drill Combine.
Using Precision Ag to Find Opportunities for Wildlife Habitat
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Joshua Divan
Precision agriculture technology is used to make a variety of management decisions on farms, such as identifying underperforming acres. In these low-yielding areas, conservation can improve profitability and result in increased return on investment. Tune in to this session to learn more about precision agriculture and conservation opportunities to improve wildlife habitat, build soil health, increase water quality and improve sustainability.
A Fresh Vision for Ecker’s Apple Farm
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Sara Ecker & Jess Ecker
Returning to the family orchard after working away from agriculture, sisters Sara and Jess Ecker brought a new passion for local food and customer engagement to Ecker’s Apple Farm. During this session, they will discuss their experiences of coming home to the farm, designing their business for the next generation and what they’re learning along the way.
Stock Cropping: Raising Crops and Livestock Simultaneously in the Same Field
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Zack Smith
Stock cropping is a regenerative agricultural system that raises row crops with livestock simultaneously in the field. In this session, you’ll learn how Zack Smith raises pigs, sheep and goats in a mobile, autonomous barn that has unique attributes, including catching rainwater for animal use. The barn moves through 20- foot strips of cover crops planted between rows of corn and soybeans, followed by a flock of poultry. The following year, row crops are planted where the livestock grazed.
Facilitating Farm Transition With the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Joseph Klingelhutz, Lyle Luzum, Will Lorentzen and Adrian White
Interpretation available: This session will be presented in English with a live interpretation available in Spanish.
This session focuses on a dual need: Iowa landowners and farmers need savvy strategies for transferring their farms, while new and beginning farmers require access to affordable acres for regenerative farming. Landowner Lyle Luzum and farmers Will Lorentzen and Adrian White will describe their farm transfer experiences with the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust, a nonprofit intended to keep land in affordable, sustainable food production in perpetuity. Joe Klingelhutz, SILT farm specialist, will moderate the session.
Interpretación disponible: Esta sesión se presentará en inglés con interpretación en vivo disponible en español.
F2F: Kevin Dietzel & Lois Reichert
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | Kevin Dietzel, Lois Reichert
Listen in to some cheesy chatter! Kevin Dietzel of Lost Lake Farm in Jewell, Iowa, and Lois Reichert of Reichert’s Dairy Air in Knoxville, Iowa, will jump into a conversation about their cheese-making experiences. The artisans’ exchange is sure to be a delight for foodies and farmers alike!
Assess and Plan for Success: Uplifting Farm and Food Enterprises
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Victor Oyervides, Berenice Valderrabano, Daisy Valderrabano
“Nothing is more critical to a food and farm business than a good business plan. Victor Oyervides will share how using a business model canvas tool can help you to better visualize your business plan, focus on the key elements and understand how business concepts can create a return on investment. Daisy and Berenice Valderrabano, owners of taqueria Mr. Burrito in Ames, Iowa, will share how working with Victor for a year to implement the first three phases of the canvas tool increased business sales by 20%. Learn from Victor, Daisy and Berenice about how to implement this tool for your farm business.
Note: This session will be hosted bilingually in English and Spanish.
Evaluar y Planificar Para el Éxito: Mejorar las Empresas Agrícolas y Alimentarias
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Victor Oyervides, Berenice Valderrabano, Daisy Valderrabano
Nada es más critico para un negocio agrícola y de alimentos que un buen plan de negocios. Victor, compartirá cómo la herramienta Business Model Canvas proporciona un camino para comprender cómo su concepto comercial creará valor por valor a cambio. Daisy y Berenice, propietarias de la taquería Mr.Burrito en Ames compartirán cómo después de un año de trabajar con Víctor han implementado con éxito las tres primeras fases de la herramienta Canvas, lo que ha resultado en un aumento del 20% en las ventas de sus negocios. Aprenda de Victor, Daisy y Berenice sobre cómo puedes implementar esta herramienta para su negocio agrícola.”
Challenges to Processing Poultry in Iowa
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Ryan Marquardt
For small- to mid-sized poultry farmers in Iowa, finding a plant to process their broilers is a significant challenge. Meeting the processing need is difficult, as small processing plants face barriers such as labor and regulations. This roundtable discussion aims to spark a conversation about processing barriers and possible solutions. Join this session to share experiences and ideas.
Nitrogen Management With Cover Crops
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Eileen Kladivko
Understanding basics of the nitrogen cycle can help address questions surrounding fertilizer management in cover cropped systems. In this session, Eileen Kladivko will highlight how the decomposition of various cover crop species alters nitrogen availability and what that means for fertilizer applications in the following cash crop. Eileen will also discuss how cover crops reduce nitrate leaching to drainage waters and recycle the nitrogen within your soil.
Growing the Next Generation of Farmers Through Grazing Cover Crops
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Robert Jewell
Robert Jewell has been farming alongside his dad his whole life, and is now implementing new ideas on the family farm. Inspired by YouTube videos, Robert decided to start strip-grazing cover crops three years ago and quickly realized the economic benefits. He’s planning to custom graze cover crops on other local farms using the Midwest Grazing Exchange website to locate additional acres. Robert is also a videographer and will show drone footage of moving cattle through cover crops with temporary fencing. Join this session to learn how Robert is improving his farming career – and the farm – through innovation.
Insuring Specialty Crop Production
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Emma Johnson
Crop insurance policies that are affordable and cost-effective, even Whole Farm Revenue Protection policies designed to benefit diverse growers, can be very difficult for producers to procure. Join this audience-driven roundtable discussion about insuring specialty crop operations to share your experiences with WFRP and other programs, and to learn more about risk management options on diverse farms.
Community-Engaged Seed Keeping and the Praxis of Sankofa
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Ty Holmberg
Interpretation available: This session will be presented in English with a live interpretation available in Spanish.
To develop an African focus for the core purpose of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden, co-directors Chris Bolden-Newsome and Ty Holmberg have engaged in many conversations with the community gardeners, student interns and local leaders. That farm is committed to living the praxis of Sankofa, a West African concept that teaches we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. Through this constant “remembering,” individuals are nourished by active engagement with the shared African-American narratives in America. Part of this engagement is a community practice of seed keeping. During this session, Ty will share their process and experiences with community engagement, and will discuss ways white people can meaningfully engage with communities of color on agricultural topics.
Interpretación disponible: Esta sesión se presentará en inglés con interpretación en vivo disponible en español.
F2F: John Hogeland & Martha McFarland
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | Martha McFarland, John Hogeland
Martha McFarland, a bison and cattle farmer near Fredericksburg, Iowa, and John Hogeland a cattle farmer near Lovilia, Iowa, both left Iowa to follow careers in education and the culinary arts, respectively. After years away, Martha and John each returned to Iowa to take over their family farms. During this session, Martha and John will share a candid conversation about coming home and navigating the challenges of taking over.
F2F: Laura Krouse and Margaret Smith
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | Laura Krouse, Margaret Smith
Laura Krouse and Margaret Smith have known each other since college, where they met in the hall of the ISU Agronomy building. Despite their conventional education, both were drawn to sustainable and regenerative agricultural systems. Join them for a discussion about the evolution of their conservation ethic and how that influences their current roles and decisions on their farms.
Interseeding Covers: Weed Management Considerations in Narrow- and Wide-Row Corn
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | John Wallace
On-farm field trials in the northeastern U.S. have resulted in inconsistent performance of interseeded cover crops in field corn. In many areas, interseeded cover crops establish but fail to persist through the growing season, resulting in a poor return on investment. This presentation will highlight ongoing research that evaluates the effects of corn row spacing (30-inch vs. 60-inch), corn hybrids and interseeding timing on cover crop performance. Potential herbicide management strategies for interseeding will also be highlighted.
Global Threats to Pollinators: Climate Change and Pesticides
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Scott Hoffman Black
Pollinators face many threats, both local and global. Join noted conservationist Scott Hoffman Black to learn more about current and future threats to pollinators, including pesticide use and climate change. Scott will discuss projects he and the Xerces Society are working on in agricultural and urban landscapes to protect and restore pollinator populations across the U.S.
REKO Rings: A Direct-Market Model from Scandinavia
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Rebekka Bond
Interpretation available: This session will be presented in English with a live interpretation available in Spanish.
REKO rings were first developed in Finland in 2013. Using closed Facebook groups, producers and customers in a REKO ring can communicate for weekly orders, with a shared pick-up location and time. During this session, Rebekka Bond will give an overview of REKO rings in Scandinavia, provide an in-depth look at the operations of REKO rings she administers and explain how marketing works through a REKO ring.
Interpretación disponible: Esta sesión se presentará en inglés con interpretación en vivo disponible en español.
Rethinking Farmland Leasing: Payment Structures and Conservation Provisions
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Mike Downey
The majority of farmland in Iowa is farmed under lease. These farmland leases can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and are critical to building successful relationships between landowners and farmers. In this session, learn more about the pros and cons of different farmland lease payment structures (cash, crop share, flex), common conservation provisions and how to build an equitable lease that benefits both parties.
Developing a Pasture-Raised, Iowa-Based Meat Company
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Matt LeRoux, Caleb Baker, Wendy Johnson, Nick Wallace
Seeking farmer input! Three market-savvy livestock farmers are creating 99 Counties – an Iowa-based meat company focused on pasture-raised meats. Join Matt LeRoux, meat marketing specialist, and three farmer entrepreneurs at the roundtable. This session aims to foster collaboration between livestock producers to guide the business development and product procurement process for 99 Counties.
Reframing Food and Farming Narratives
General Session | Julie Sweetland, Sue Futrell, Michael Rozyne
Resilient food and farm systems provide widespread benefits for all. And effective communication can create social change that makes good farming practices more possible, more profitable, better understood and more widespread. The Food and Farming Narrative Project aims to create a narrative that advances public understanding of food and farming practices, leading to more sustainable food systems. Learn about the research this multi-year project has unearthed, as well as tools to frame conversations toward positive change.
F2F: Danelle Myer and Jordan Scheibel
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | Danelle Myer, Jordan Scheibel
Starting a farm anywhere is difficult process, but finding your customer base in a rural area can be an added challenge. In this session, Jordan Scheibel and Danelle Myer will have an open conversation about their journeys towards building robust customer networks, as well as some of the challenges that face direct-marketing farmers.
Lightning Talks Session 1
We are introducing lightning talks to our session offerings! Read more about how they work at the top of the page.
Pastured pigs with the wagon wheel model with Dayna Burtness
What is popcorn? with Jim Fitkin
Lessons learned growing hops with Keri Byrum
Eradicating Canadian thistle in apple orchards with Chris Mcguire
Spring tine cultivator in row crops with Nelson Smith
Farm jokes! with Mary Swander
Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: Worker Rights and Experiences
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Andrea Rasmussen, Melissa Garcia, Stacey Robles
Migrant and seasonal farmworkers serve as an essential labor force on Iowa farms. As farmworkers navigate through contracts, they prefer working directly with an employer rather than with a farm labor contractor. Hear Melissa discuss how farmers can employ migrant and seasonal workers through the Agricultural Recruitment System. Stacy will share experiences and perspectives from those who work on Iowa farms. Andrea will provide an overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Protection Act.
Increase Income through Diversification
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Lisa Kivirist
Interpretation available: This session will be presented in English with a live interpretation available in Spanish.
Aspiring to bring agritourism to your farm, or looking for another enterprise to broaden your operation’s cash flow? Lisa Kivirist will share how her family successfully uses diversification through Inn Serendipity, a bed and breakfast. The inn provides a market for value-added food products and other revenue streams, such as on-farm food service. Lisa will share best practices and planning strategies to positively support your bottom line with a diversified enterprise.
Interpretación disponible: Esta sesión se presentará en inglés con interpretación en vivo disponible en español.
Choosing the Right Oat Varieties – Breeding to Buying
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Melanie Caffe, Chad Ingels, Mac Ehrhardt
Want to get serious about your oat crop? If so, it’s time learn about variety selection. Join farmer Chad Ingels, seed seller Mac Ehrhardt and breeder Melanie Caffe as they discuss the ins and outs of choosing the right oat variety for your farming operation and end market.
Working Lands Conservation Programs Tips & Tricks
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Chad Hensley, Bruce Carney
Working lands conservation programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are powerful tools farmers and landowners can use to implement conservation on their farms. Join this audience-driven roundtable session to discuss working lands conservation programs with other farmers and landowners, pick up some tips and tricks – and identify potential pitfalls you might encounter.
COVID-19 Impact: Farm Changes You’re Keeping
Roundtable
For direct-market producers, COVID-19 forced changes to markets, sales platforms, customer interactions and on-farm practices. Surprisingly, some farmers have found silver linings and unexpected benefits in this difficult situation. Join this roundtable to share a change you were forced to make that worked so well
you’ve decided to keep it. You may also glean more “keeper” practices from other farmers who have discovered new techniques that have worked during this unusual time!
Carbon on the Farm
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Dave Schmidt, Jasmine Dillon
Join Jasmine Dillon, an animal science professor and researcher, and Dave Schmidt, a beef and sheep grazier while they talk carbon. They’ll discuss what is happening with carbon on Dave’s farm and how that plays into bigger carbon cycles, stable versus unstable carbon in the soil, how grazing management contributes to carbon sequestration, and if carbon can be quantified.
Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments: Agronomics and Environmental Impacts
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Matt O’Neal, Dick Sloan
Most conventional soybean seed in Iowa, and almost all conventional corn seed, is sold with neonicotinoid seed coatings. Many farmers are concerned about the environmental impacts of neonic treatments and are questioning whether they improve yields. In this session, learn about on-farm research conducted by PFI lifetime member Dick Sloan, and hear from Matt O’Neal about pest management and the environmental impacts of neonics.
Iowa’s Diverse Farming History – Sac and Fox Tribe
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Johnathan Buffalo
Iowa’s agricultural history is a long one: Native Americans began farming in Iowa 3,000 years ago. The
Meskwaki Nation Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi have been farming in Iowa since they arrived in the early 1700s, and are the only remaining federally recognized Native American tribe in Iowa today. Johnathan Buffalo will share the story of the Sac and Fox Tribe’s farming history through the centuries.
F2F: Bart VerEllen & Adam Ledvina
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | Adam Ledvina, Bart VerEllen
Sheep! Goats! These small ruminants are a great way to get started for beginning livestock farmers. Southeast Iowa sheep farmer Bart VerEllen and north-central Iowa goat farmer Adam Ledvina will wander through a conversation that touches on the benefits of each when starting to farm and corresponding management and market considerations.
Lightning Talks (Session 2)
We are introducing lightning talks to our session offerings! Read more about how they work at the top of the page.
Pasture-raised turkeys for beginners with Tammy Faux
Filling nooks and crannies with annual pollinator habitat with Rob Faux
Crop Washer with T.D. Holub
Experimenting with no-till vegetable production with Jordan Scheibel, Emily Fagan and Hannah Breckbill
Food box meal kit pilot with Jan Libbey
The role of PFI’s farmer network in conservation practice adoption with Lauren Asprooth
Mapping our Special Places in Nature (ages 4-7)
Kids | Blue Morningsnow
In these sessions, the director and forest school preschool teacher at Prairie Flower Children’s Center, Blueberry Morningsnow (known as “Miss Blue” to her students), will share names, maps, stories, poems and photos of some of the special and joyful woodland, creek and riverside areas where the students at Prairie Flower love to play. Children attending the session are encouraged to share a photo or piece of nature from their own beloved nature place (this could be a leaf, shell, stick, anything). Some map templates will be provided for printing out, and children will have time to start drawing a map of a place in nature that is special to them. At the end, we will share these map drawings as time allows.
Materials needed include: a blank map printout; crayons, markers or colored pencils for drawing; and an object from a special nature place, or representing that special place.
Start Shepherding from Scratch
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Hannah Bernhardt
Raising sheep can be an ideal way for beginning farmers to get started on land with little to no infrastructure. Hannah Bernhardt will share how Medicine Creek Farm began raising sheep with temporary fencing and minimal equipment on raw land. Learn how Hannah used her passion for marketing to build a customer base, and hear what lessons she has for other beginners who are starting from scratch.
Tools for Accessing Land
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Michael Parker, Celize Christy
Interpretation available: This session will be presented in English with a live interpretation available in Spanish.
Accessing land is a challenge. There are a range of tools to help determine if you can afford land and help find the right property to meet your goals. This session will showcase three tools to assist in the pursuit: the Finding Farmland Calculator, the online Finding Farmland Course and the Find A Farmer site.
Interpretación disponible: Esta sesión se presentará en inglés con interpretación en vivo disponible en español.
Relay-cropping Rye and Soybeans
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Alec Amundson, Michael Vittetoe
Curious about combining a small-grain crop and soybeans on the same acres? Join Michael Vittetoe and Alec Amundson as they share their experiences with relay cropping. They’ll walk through what’s worked, what hasn’t and some of the considerations for putting this practice into action.
Making Space for Beneficial Insects on Farms
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Jake Kundert, Sarah Foltz Jordan, Sarah Nizzi
Only about 2% of insects are pests. The rest are beneficial insects that are critical for healthy farms and ecosystems by preying on crop pests, eating weed seeds, recycling nutrients, aerating and improving soils and supporting other wildlife in vast food webs. During this session, hear from PFI member and farmer Jake Kundert and biologists from the Xerces Society about creating native beneficial insect habitat like beetle banks.
Conceptualizing Large-Scale Livestock and Perennial Plant Integration
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Adam Janke, Omar de Kok-Mercado
What will it take for large-scale integration of livestock and perennials across our landscape? Bring your big ideas to this roundtable session hosted by the Iowa State University Consortium for Cultivating Human and Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-Change). Omar de Kok-Mercado and Adam Janke will host the session.
They want to hear your ideas and feedback on using perennial corridors to connect agricultural lands and habitat; collective land and livestock management and ownership; developing markets for regenerative products; and how to break down the barriers to adoption of these sizable concepts.
Employee Cultivation for Scaling Up a Vegetable Farm
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Tracy Whitehead
Building a successful farm team is about more than finding and keeping skilled people (though keeping them is important!). During this session, Tracy Whitehead will share strategies he uses to build a strong employee culture of engagement, and how he adapts JBG’s farm systems to make the most of his employees’ skills. Over the years, his efforts in this area have improved employee retention and promotion, and have allowed the farm to work with, and for, a wider range of people.
Land Ownership Legal Structures
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Kitt Tovar
Choosing a legal structure for a farm business or for land ownership can seem overwhelming to both landowners and farmers. In this session, you will learn about the pros and cons of different land ownership and farm business legal structures.
Carbon Markets: Exploring the Realities and Asking the Right Questions
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Cristel Zoebisch, Michelle Wander
Farmers and others are increasingly interested in agricultural solutions to climate mitigation and carbon sequestration. Carbon markets – the buying, selling and trading of carbon sequestration credits – are at the forefront of this burgeoning sector. Join this session to learn more about the latest science and policies related to carbon markets, as well as what questions you should be asking about carbon markets as they relate to your farm.
F2F: Wade Dooley and James Holz
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | James Holz, Wade Dooley
In addition to the numerous environmental benefits cover crops offer farmers, they can also be a business opportunity. Join Wade Dooley and James Holz for a lively discussion about starting a cover crop seed business and how their businesses improve farm profitability.
Cover Crop-Based Organic No-Till Systems
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Yichao Rui
Researchers in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Iowa are investigating different no-till methods to terminate winter cover crops like cereal rye and hairy vetch. These no-till methods include a Rodale roller-crimper, a Dawn roller, a flame weeder, a flail mower and a haybine mower with a tedder. In this session, learn how these no-till methods compare with using tillage for cover crop termination, weed control and grain (soybean and corn) yield.
Navigating Land Access
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Virgil Tworek- Hofstetter, Justino Borja, Lucia Shulz
One of the main hurdles beginning farmers face is accessing land. Beyond the high cost of land and lack of access to financial capital, discriminatory lending and difficulty finding small parcels of land for farmers
who wish to operate at a smaller scale can add additional burdens to the land access challenge. In this session, learn how Justino Borja navigated through the land access process and built a relationship with Virgil Tworek-Hofstetter, the landowner Justino now leases from.
Note: Justino Borja is a native-Spanish speaker so this session will be conducting bilingually. Lucia Schultz will help with interpretation.
Navegando el Acceso Agrario
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Virgil Tworek- Hofstetter, Justino Borja, Lucia Shulz
Para los agricultores principiantes, uno de los obstáculos principales que enfrentan comenzando empresas agrícolas es el acceso a la tierra. El obstáculo en la búsqueda de tierras es aún más difícil debido a los préstamos discriminatorios, la falta de capital financiero y el deseo de operar en pequeñas parcelas de tierra. Escuche cómo Justino Borja navegó a través de su proceso de acceso a la tierra y construyó una relación con un terrateniente, Virgil (apellido) al que actualmente alquila.
Justino Borja es un hablante nativo de español, por lo que organizaremos esta sesión de forma bilingüe. Lucia Schultz ayudará con la interpretación.
Diversifying Farms With Integrated Agroforestry
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Jonathan Hendricks, Jacob Marty, Jacob Grace
Farm-scale agroforestry and silvopasture are gaining attention in the Midwest as a way to diversify feed and income sources. While agroforestry can benefit the soil, habitat biodiversity and water quality, successfully adding agroforestry into existing farm operations can be a challenge. Join this session to hear from Jacob Grace and Jonathan Hendricks on various ways to incorporate agroforestry on your land. Jacob Marty will share how he has begun to integrate agroforestry practices with his livestock enterprises.
Winter Production in the Hoop House
General Session | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Bill Warner
At Snug Haven Farm, the growing season starts in September. Spinach, carrots and turnips are seeded in the ground and kale, collards and chard are transplanted into hoop houses. The crops are harvested through the winter, revealing their frost-kissed tenderness. During this session, Bill will share winter hoop house techniques that keep his crops and soil productive and healthy through the Wisconsin winters.
Conservation & Collaboration
Roundtable | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Chris Henning, Carole Reichardt, Clark Porter, Maggie McQuown, Lee Tesdell
Join several PFI landowners for a discussion about conservation on rented or custom operated farmland. Topics will range from navigating conservation cost-share programs, to working with farmland tenants, to cooperating with neighbors on events and field days. Bring your ideas and questions for this audience- driven discussion.
Getting Creative in Order to Integrate Crops and Cattle
Farmer-to-Farmer Interview | CCAs: 1.0 CEU credit approved | Zak Kennedy, Bronson Allred
As a field crop farmer, how can you use the resources you have to integrate livestock into your system?
This is the question Bronson Allred will explore with Zak Kennedy. Bronson raises row crops and wants to plant diverse cover crops so he can add cattle to his operation. Zak, an experienced cattle and crop farmer, will answer Bronson’s questions while they explore the possibility of backgrounding cattle from November to April on cover crops.
Lead The Way: An Independent Farm Project Virtual Show-and-Tell (Ages 12-16)
Kids | Elizabeth Findling, Regan Peters, Conner Allender, Rachel Findling, Mattie Tucker
Providing opportunities for youth to conduct their own farm project gives them a chance to learn about budgeting, how to implement farming practices and how to navigate caring for livestock and crops. As future agricultural educators, both Mattie and Rachel will be moderating for our young farmer friends Conner Allender, Elizabeth Findling and Regan Peters while they show and tell their current farm projects.
Mapping our Special Places in Nature (ages 8 -11)
Kids | Blue Morningsnow
In these sessions, the director and forest school preschool teacher at Prairie Flower Children’s Center, Blueberry Morningsnow (known as “Miss Blue” to her students), will share names, maps, stories, poems and photos of some of the special and joyful woodland, creek and riverside areas where the students at Prairie Flower love to play. Children attending the session are encouraged to share a photo or piece of nature from their own beloved nature place (this could be a leaf, shell, stick, anything). Some map templates will be provided for printing out, and children will have time to start drawing a map of a place in nature that is special to them. At the end, we will share these map drawings as time allows.
Materials needed include: a blank map printout; crayons, markers or colored pencils for drawing; and an object from a special nature place, or representing that special place.
DonnaLonna Kitchen Live
General Session | Lonna Nachtigal, Donna Prizgintas
Come into the house chef Donna Prizgintas and farmer Lonna Nachtigal, pull up a chair and join them as they do a live radio show. Dinner table conversation for the PFI annual conference show will include delicious preparations using all bits of whole-animal-harvest recipes, with an appreciation of farmer-to- consumer local meat production. Consider liver pate, the beauty of a rich stock and how to enjoy tongue or heart meat! The DonnaLonna Kitchen radio show is broadcast live every Tuesday at noon (repeated Tuesday at 7 p.m.) on KHOI-FM 89.1, a Pacifica radio network station based in Ames, Iowa.