Field Days
Welcome to Practical Farmer of Iowa’s 2022 Field Day Season!
We can’t wait to get back on the farm this field day season – our first full, in-person season since 2019. With nearly 40 field days planned, there should be something for everyone.
Whether you’re new to PFI field days or a yearly attendee, you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere, a spirit of curiosity, a culture of mutual respect and farmers openly sharing their knowledge and experience. At PFI, we have a unique learning model: Our events are led by our farmer members – we know they are the experts on their specific farming systems. At PFI field days, farmers believe in sharing their knowledge, discoveries, mistakes and successes so you can learn and grow your own operation.
Please join us – we look forward to seeing you at a field day this season.
Read the Field day Guide (PDF)
Click here to see the 2022 field days!
COVID-19 Policy
At Practical Farmers of Iowa, the safety of our staff, members and communities are our top priority.
Special Instructions for Visiting Farms with Livestock
We ask that all attendees at field days where livestock are present – particularly birds and poultry – observe the following biosecurity practices.
2022 Field Day Season
June | July | August | September | October
June
June 6: Field Day Season Kick-Off Social at PFI Office
Host: Practical Farmers of Iowa | Ames
June 11: The Rookie Season of Roller-Crimping
Host: Fred & Vicki Abels | K & A Acres | Holland
June 16: Honeyberries and Other Perennial Berries
Hosts: Jeff & Deb Sindelar | Deb’s Berry Farm | Newhall
June 17: Pastured Pigs and Poultry at Okoboji Organics
Host: Kate Mendenhall | Okoboji Organics | Okoboji
June 20: Making USDA Programs Work for You
Hosts: Chad & Katie Hensley | Big Creek Farms | Lamoni
June 23: Summer Beginning Farmer Social With Des Moines Urban Farmers
Hosts: Monika Owczarski & Amy Joens | Sweet Tooth Farm & Chicory Grove Farm | Des Moines
June 24: On-Farm Poultry Processing & Licensing
Host: Jason & Hannah Grimm | Grimm Family Farm | North English
June 24: Farmland Owner Legacy Award Celebration
Host: Chris Henning | Prairie Skye Productions | Jefferson
June 25: Connecting Agriculture and Conservation
Host: Heath Stolee | Nutty Farmer Chestnuts | Radcliffe
June 26: A Little of Everything: Hydroponic Tomatoes, Farmers Markets & Agritourism
Hosts: Mike & Donna Brahms & family | 3 Bee Farms | Griswold
July
July 6: Getting Started With Lavender, Flowers and Berries
Hosts: Abby Barten, Nancy & John Brannaman | The Lavender Farm at Sutliff | Lisbon
July 7: Oat Production From Variety Selection and Seeding to Baling and Cleaning
Hosts: Dan & Susan Voss, Brian Voss, & Nicole Hepker | Voss Farm | Palo
July 9: Prairie Strips and Conservation on Big Spirit Lake
Hosts: Eric & Kelly Hoien | Orleans
July 15: Conservation Rotations and Cover Crops Following Small Grains
Hosts: Andy Linder & Don Linder | Easton, MN
July 16: Precision Farming With Cover Crops for Soil Health and Conservation
Hosts: Wisecup Family | Wisecup Family Farm and Museum | Missouri Valley
July 16: Biodiversity, Beneficial Insects and Building Resilience
Hosts: Angela Smith & Erik Tryggestad | Middle Fork Farm | Oronoco, MN
July 17: Flower Farming With a Long-Term View: Diversifying Plantings & Revenue Streams
Host: Meredith Nunnikhoven | Barnswallow Flowers & Produce | Oskaloosa
July 23: Conservation Practices in an Organic Farming System
Hosts: Sara & Bob Pearson | Prairie Sky Farm | Wesley
July 30: Cover Crops, Cattle and Conservation Projects Supporting Biodiversity
Hosts: John & Cindi Van Horn, Jane & Doug Cunningham, Robert & Mary Van Horn | Van Horn Farms | Glidden
August
August 2: Weed Control Strategies in Organic Corn and Soybeans With Buffalo Cultivators and Planters
Hosts: The Rosmann Family & Eric Madsen | Rosmann Family Farms & Madsen Stock Farm | Harlan
August 3: Whole-Farm Conservation Demonstration
Host: Ann Smeltzer Charitable Trust | Ann Smetzler Charitable Trust Learning Farm | Otho
August 4: Linking Cover Crops, Cattle and Neighbors
Hosts: Justin & Ellen Rahn | R & H Seed Solutions | Mount Carroll, IL
August 4: Conquering Cucurbits: Success With Melons and Cucumbers
Hosts: Nicole & Steve Jonas | Red Granite Farm | Boone
August 9: Flipping the Table on Soil Health With Silvopasture at Yellow Table Farm
Hosts: Eric & Courtney Jensen | Yellow Table Farm | Tripoli
August 9: Growing a Flower Farm
Hosts: Adam & Jenna Cook | Clovergold Flower Farm | Newell
August 12: Livestock on the Land Film Screening
Hosts: Tom & Maren Beard | Luna Valley Farm | Decorah
August 17: Tree Transition at a Mid-Size High-Density Apple Orchard
Hosts: David & Susan Differding | Timeless Prairie Orchard | Winthrop
August 17: Urban Farming How-Tos With We Arose Co-op
Host: DaQuan Campbell | We Arose Co-op | Waterloo
August 20: Establishing and Grazing Legume Covers and Small Grains in an Organic System
Hosts: Scott & Shannon Koether | Koether Family Farm | McGregor
August 23: Making Cover Crops Work: From Popcorn to Water Quality
Hosts: Mark Schleisman & Family | M & M Farms | Lake City
August 27: Bus Trip to Northfield, Minnesota: Raising Regenerative Tree-Range Poultry
Hosts: Reginaldo “Regi” Haslett-Marroquín & Wil Crombie | Salvatierra Farm & Regeneration Farm | Bus Trip to MN
August 27: Bringing Back the Edges With Precision Conservation
Hosts: Nathan & Sarah Anderson | Bobolink Prairie Farms | Cherokee
August 30: Visit PFI at the Farm Progress Show
Host: Practical Farmers of Iowa | Boone
September
EVENT CANCELLED – September 6: Growing and Marketing Salad and Microgreens at Cherry Lane Farm
Hosts: Krissy & Calvin Thiessen | Cherry Lane Farm & Prairie Home Delivery | Spirit Lake
September 9: Drones, Extended Rotations and Cover Crop Grazing in Bloomfield
Host: Tim Dotterer | Bloomfield
EVENT CANCELLED – September 10: Farm the Best, Leave the Rest
Host: Bill Gordon | Gordon Farms | Worthington, MN
September 11: Book Publication Celebration and Member Social, Featuring Angela Tedesco
Host: Nan Bonfils | Madrid
September 14: On-Farm Cover Crop Research Trials
Hosts: Will & Cassie Cannon | Cannon Family Farm | Prairie City
September 18: Risk Management and Disaster Recovery: A Come-Back Story at Pheasant Run Farm
Hosts: Ann & Eric Franzenburg, Calvin Franzenburg | Pheasant Run Farm | Van Horne
September 25: Growing Cultural Vegetables on Small Urban Plots With Cover Crops
Hosts: Marie Andre & Tika Bhandari | Global Greens Farm | Des Moines
October
October 5: Regenerative Grazing With Mobile Infrastructure and Livestock Guardian Dogs
Host: JR Jenkins | The Barn at Bunker Hill | Wilton
October 8: Creating a Diverse Silvopasture Farm on Former Row Crop Ground
Host: Tim Swinton | Thriving Farm | Clemons
Questions?
Contact the PFI office at info@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661.
Sponsors
A-Level Sponsors
B-Level Sponsors
