FAQ
I am an existing PFI member or I just bought a PFI membership. How do I receive my registration access code?
Fill out our conference code request form.
Why does the registration price structure look different than in years past?
At the 2025 conference, we received many complaints and witnessed a lot of confusion around the need to purchase meal tickets separately, especially since some meal tickets were sold out. To improve everyone’s experience and improve clarity, we decided to update our structure to include meals (except Friday Dinner) with EVERYONE’S registration.
To make this change possible, we added a $35 per day charge for additional attendees on a member’s ticket to help cover the cost of food at the conference.
What meals are included with registration?
The following meals are included with registrations for each day:
- Short Course: Thursday Lunch
- Friday: Friday Lunch (Friday supper is an optional add-on for $20)
- Saturday: Breakfast and Lunch
Complimentary morning and afternoon snacks and continuous coffee are also provided!
In the past we have enjoyed having on-site childcare. Why are you no longer offering this?
Due to insurance requirements at the Iowa Events Center, PFI is not able to offer childcare for the 2026 Annual Conference. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. Instead of childcare, we will provide a Family Lounge. PFI will allow families to bring one additional adult (18+ grandparent, uncle, cousin, etc) to be with the child(ren) in the Family Lounge at all times. This childcare support ticket is complimentary. If parents are planning to split time in sessions and in the Family Lounge, we prefer that both parents register as conference attendees.
We are excited to offer the Youth Room for ages 8+. The youth room is come-and-go and registration for the conference is required. The room will have adult staff always present, but children in the youth room are allowed to come and go unsupervised. Children and youth are also welcome to attend all sessions.
What are the dates of the short course?
To better serve our attendees, we have moved our preconference short courses to take place only on Thursday instead of the previous split times between Thursday and Friday. This allows us to offer more short course and annual conference sessions throughout the three days.
Why did you change the pricing structure to have additional people on a Farm and Household registration be $35 per day instead of free?
This was a complex issue we thought about a lot. We want our conference to be affordable for farmers, families and employees to attend. And you’re correct – additional attendees used to be free, BUT you had to purchase meal tickets separately for those attendees. At the 2025 conference, we received many complaints and witnessed a lot of confusion around the need to purchase meal tickets, especially since some meal tickets were sold out. To improve everyone’s experience and improve clarity, we decided to update our structure to include meals with EVERYONE’S registration. However, in the past we have also had an issue of more people being registered for free and then not attending. We pride ourselves on purchasing products from our members and other local producers to serve during the conference, and to still make tickets affordable. The actual cost of meals (not including snacks) during the 2025 conference was $125 per person. Without selling meal tickets separately, we needed a way to recoup part of that cost for the conference to be possible. We hope you feel this is still an excellent value, and that your registration and attendee experience is improved by this change.
Will any of the sessions be recorded or livestreamed?
Unfortunately, we’ve found that the viewership of live-streamed sessions is very low compared to the expense, which is upwards of $1,000 per session. For similar reasons, we no longer record presentations to post online. We hope you can join us in-person for the conference, and if you can only attend virtual events, please check out our winter webinar series, Tuesdays at Noon beginning Jan. 20, 2026.
I am an existing PFI member or I just bought a PFI membership. How do I receive my registration access code?
On Oct. 21, every PFI member with a current membership expiring after Jan. 10, 2026 will have received an email titled “Your PFI Conference Registration Code” to the primary email address associated with your membership.
- If you cannot find this email, you can use the “resend my code” feature on the registration page to have it resent.
- If you purchased or renewed your membership after Oct. 20, your PFI Conference registration code is in the confirmation email from your membership transaction.
- Still need help? Please email info@practicalfarmers.org or call the PFI office at (515) 232-5661. We are here to help!
I’m considering a membership with Practical Farmers. How do I know which level is right for me?
PFI’s Individual level membership covers a single individual for $50 annually; the Access level membership is the same but discounted to $25 for current students, beginning or retired farmers, and anyone on a fixed income. The $75 Farm and Household membership extends member benefits, such as the discounts to our events, to all members of the household or employees of the farm; the Lifetime membership extends the same coverage but for a single payment. The Organization membership is for non-farming organizations and extends member benefits for up to five employees of the organization. Visit our member benefits page to learn more about membership benefits and levels.
You must first complete the transaction for your membership purchase, and then log in to receive your member discount to the conference.
As a member, can I bring my friend or family member who is a non-member, and can they receive my member discount?
If you have a Farm and Household or Lifetime membership, you can register an additional nine attendees for a discounted rate under your ticket only if they live in your household or are employed on your farm.
As an Individual or Access member, only you can receive your member discounted ticket.
You may call the office at ( if you’d like to upgrade to a Farm & Household membership and then register household or farm members under your membership.
I paid for a conference registration but I am unable to come. Can I request a refund?
Requests for a refund will be honored prior to our preregistration deadline of Dec. 23, minus an $8 processing fee. No refunds will be given after this date.
My friend is speaking at the conference. Do I have to pay to come watch their session?
Only ticketed attendees are permitted to watch sessions. We offer single-day passes for those who only wish to attend one day.
Do I need to register to visit the exhibitor hall? I don’t want to attend any sessions.
Only ticketed attendees are permitted to visit the exhibit hall.
Is parking free or is there a cost?
Unfortunately, the nearby lots, garages and street parking require payment. More info about nearby parking is on the logistics page. If you find a place to park free in Des Moines, check if you can get to the conference using the Dart Bus – Google Maps or Apple Maps are quite useful for navigating the bus system.
I have an electric vehicle. Are there charging stations nearby?
There are EV Charging stations located on the 1st and 3rd floor of the 5th and Keo Parking Garage. If you are staying at the Hilton, there is a charging station located near the front entrance lobby.
Where can I download a copy of the annual conference brochure that was mailed out?
You can download the brochure on our website. If you’d like a copy mailed to you, or multiple copies to share with friends, email your request with your mailing address to info@practicalfarmers.org or call us at (515) 232-5661.
I tried to book a room at the Hilton for the night before (or after) the conference and am not getting the block rate. What am I doing wrong?
Due to the arrangement of the hotel block, PFI is adding room nights up to 3 days before or after the conference on an as-needed basis with the Hilton. If you would like to book in that window, please contact Katie Aupperle at the PFI office: (515) 232-5661 or katie.aupperle(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org. She’ll get you sorted ASAP!
I tried calling the Hilton and wasn’t able to access the block rate even when I told them it was with the Practical Farmers of Iowa block. I’d prefer to book over the phone instead of using the link. Where can I call?
Sounds like you probably reached a corporate reservation line or third-party affiliate, which doesn’t handle the block rates. Use this number to reach the Hilton Downtown directly: (515) 241-1456.
What time should I arrive?
Did you register for a short course? If so, they will take place on Thursday, Jan. 8 beginning at 10 a.m.; you can arrive as early as 9 a.m. to check-in. Thursday lunch is included with each short course registration.
If you are only attending the annual conference on Friday and Saturday, you can arrive as early as Friday Jan. 9 at 9 a.m. to check in and visit with exhibitors. The first breakout session begins at 10 a.m. If attending Saturday only, breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and the business meeting begins at 8:15 a.m.
Who can I ask about dietary requests or allergies that I was not able to explain or ask about on my registration?
We may be able to accommodate some requests beyond what was listed on registration. Please call the PFI office at (515) 232-5661 and ask to speak with Katie Aupperle about a dietary request. In some cases, for example, a severe corn allergy, it may make more sense for us to set up an exception for you to bring your own food into the conference.