2025 Field Days

Welcome to Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2025 Field Day Season!

This year, in our biggest field day season yet, nearly 60 farms across Iowa, as well as Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin, are opening their farm gates for another season of farmer-to-farmer learning.

RSVPs are appreciated for PFI field days. To RSVP, click the links in the list of field day events below or call our office at (515) 232-5661.

Review special instructions for visiting farms with livestock and what to bring (or not bring).

In addition to the support from our field day sponsors, there are numerous organizations and grantors make this field day season possible.

Please join us – we look forward to seeing you at a field day this season!

Schedule

June

Tuesday, June 10 | Arion, IA
Exploring Alternative Practices: Successes and Challenges in Pursuit of Sustainability
Host: Eric Mahaney, BioCovered

Wednesday, June 11 | Crofton, NE
Cover Crops and Compost in Nebraska
Host: Doug & Traci Steffen

Wednesday, June 11 | Guttenberg, IA
Automated Season Extension and Diverse Production at Phelps Farm
Host: Andrew & Amy Phelps, Phelps Farm

Saturday, June 14 | Keota, IA
From Field Crops to Organic Cherries: Farming for Soil Health and Diversity
Host: Levi Lyle

Sunday, June 15 | Northfield, MN
Beginning Beef: First-Generation Experiences
Hosts: Tessa & Wyatt Parks, W.T. Farms

Monday, June 16 | Iowa City, IA
Raw Milk: Easily and Safely
Host: Susan Young, Lucky Star Farm

Tuesday, June 17 | Leon, IA
Stewarding Soil Through Relay Cropping Small Grains and Soybeans
Hosts: Laban & Lori Miller

Wednesday, June 18 | Walnut, IA
Time Management and Nitrogen Reduction for Cover Crop Success
Hosts: Grant & Aubrey Stuart

Thursday, June 19 | Sperry, IA
Cover Crops, Carbon and Conservation: Balancing Farm Productivity With Soil Health Practices
Host: Michael Fosdick

Friday, June 20 | Newton, IA
Binding Off: The Intentional Transition of a Sheep Farm
Hosts: Regina & Tessa Frahm

Friday, June 20 | Sleepy Eye, MN
Economically Working With Nature at Sleepy Bison Acres
Hosts: Craig & Elizabeth Fischer

Saturday, June 21 | Dunnell, MN
Mindful Change for a Row Crop Farm: Cover Cropping, Crimping and Composting
Hosts: Bailey & Mike Hobbs

Tuesday, June 24 | Boone, IA
Covering All Enterprises: Cover Crops for Corn, Soy and Pumpkins
Host: Jeremy Gustafson

Wednesday, June 25 | Altura, MN
Bringing Cattle Back to Crops, and Other Pasture Ideas
Hosts: Eric & Michelle Heins

Thursday, June 26 | Holland, IA
From Field to Wetland: Protecting Soil, Water and Wildlife
Hosts: Fred & Vicki Abels

Thursday, June 26 | Linn Grove, IA
Farm Synergy: Partnering To Diversify Rotations, Build Resilience and Improve Efficiency
Hosts: Nick Sennert, Jessob Steffen and Neil Krummen

July

Tuesday, July 1 | Durant, IA
Evolving Cover Crop Management in a Row Crop and Cow-Calf Operation
Host: Wayne Braun, 3 B Ag Solutions

Monday, July 7 | Monticello, IA
Researching Relay Crops and Nutrient Management + Renewable Energy With Hog Production
Host: Jason & Sarah Russell, Big Boulder Farms

Thursday, July 10 | Conesville, IA
Melon Production and Marketing at Scale
Hosts: Jordan Lyon and Rich & Irene Buser, Buser’s Produce

Thursday, July 10 | Ridgeway, WI
From Field to Flour: Growing, Milling and Marketing Food-Grade Grains
Hosts: John & Halee Wepking, Meadowlark Farm & Mill

Friday, July 11 | Keosauqua, IA
A Medley of Cover Crop Management: Seed Mixes, Drones and Roller-Crimping
Hosts: Ryan Wolf, Iowa Missouri Seed

Thursday, July 17 | Monroe City, MO
Building Farm Resilience With Summer Annuals and Native Prairie
Hosts: Kody & Dahrea Karr, Karr Family Farm

Tuesday, July 22 | Elliott, IA
Health and Happiness With Pastured Farrowing
Hosts: Ron, Denise & Michael Mardesen

Wednesday, July 23 | Grundy Center, IA
Grundy County Workshop: Crop and Pest Management
Hosts: Fred Abels and Megan Koch

Wednesday, July 23 | Latimer, IA
RAGBRAI at the Plagge Farm
Hosts: Landon & Anne Plagge, Plagge Farms Inc.

Thursday, July 24 | Postville, IA
Making the Most of Cover Crops With Fall Grazing and Beyond
Hosts: Eric & Tina Meyer and Conner Meyer

Friday, July 25 | Oxford, IA
Elderberries To Nourish People and the Land
Host: Anna Geyer, Land Alliance: Farm, Folk School & Retreats

Saturday, July 26 | Virtual
Virtual Field Day: The Business of Raising Turkeys for the Direct-to-Consumer Market, Part 1
Hosts: Anna & Shae Pesek, Over the Moon Farm

Sunday, July 27 | Kalona, IA
Processing, Storing and Aggregating Local Vegetables for Schools
Host: James Nisly, Organic Greens

Tuesday, July 29 | Walnut, IL
Using On-Farm Research To Guide Nutrient Reduction and Soil Health Strategies
Hosts: Chris & Julie Von Holten, Von Holten Farms

Tuesday, July 29 | Fort Dodge, IA
Jumping In With Both Feet at The Community Orchard
Hosts: Denny & Emily Stucky, The Community Orchard

Wednesday, July 30 | Orange City, IA
Reducing Inputs and Increasing Resilience Through Cover Crops and Building Soil Health
Hosts: Dave & Jon Kiel, A.C.E. Farms

Thursday, July 31 | Harlan, IA
Operating a Cover Crop Business: The Do’s and Don’ts of Application and Seeding Rates
Host: Dan Miller, Millermatic Seeds

August

Saturday, Aug. 2 | Washington, IA
Cultivating Pollinators and Produce: Establishing Beneficial Insect Habitat + Local Food in a Community Garden
Host: Kerrie Willis

Tuesday, Aug. 5 | Virtual
Virtual Cover Crop Workshop
Host: Practical Farmers of Iowa

Tuesday, Aug. 5 | Waverly, IA
Supporting Beneficial Insects on a U-Pick Farm by Installing Native Plugs
Hosts: Seth & Tricia Engelbrecht, Engelbrecht Farms

Thursday, Aug. 7 | Avoca, NE
Why Plant Rye? Benefits of Adding Rye To Your Rotation
Host: Lee Buchholz

Thursday, Aug. 7 | Albion, IA
Adding Horticulture To a Cover Crop Enterprise at Glenwood Century Farm
Hosts: Wade & Jenna Dooley, Glenwood Century Farms

Tuesday, Aug. 12 | Manning, IA
Diversifying an Organic Farm: Row Crops, Small Grains and Holstein Heifers
Host: Bryce Irlbeck, B&B Irlbeck Farms

Thursday, Aug. 14 | Monroe City, MO
Fitting Cover Crops Into a Northeast Missouri Farm
Host: Tim Gottman, TJT Gottman Inc.

Saturday, Aug. 16 | Churdan, IA
Owls, Oxbows and Oaks: Water Quality, Wildlife and Habitat Restoration on a Central Iowa Farm
Host: Jeff Pudenz

Tuesday, Aug. 19 | Cylinder, IA
Farming for Bushels, Bees and Birds: Profitably Integrating Cropland and Habitat
Hosts: Ritch & Cynthia Berkland

Tuesday, Aug. 19 | Hopkinton, IA
Transitioning Lango Dairy To the Next Generation
Hosts: Tim Goedken and Sarah, Tara & Courtney Goedken, Lango Dairy

Wednesday, Aug. 20 | Ames, IA
Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day
Hosts: Glacial Drift Enterprises and The Land Connection in partnership with Iowa State University

Monday, Aug. 25 | Montezuma, IA
Drones, Management-Intensive Grazing and Cover Crops in Southeast Iowa
Hosts: Ben & Katherine De Boef

Thursday, Aug. 28 | Mt. Vernon, IA
Dialing-In on No-Till and Conservation Practices With Precision Technology
Host: Robert Broulik Family

Saturday, Aug. 30 | Martensdale, IA
Enhancing Cover Crops Through Technology
Hosts: Devin Davis & Shanon Jamison

September

Wednesday, Sept. 3 | Coon Rapids, IA
Small Grains, Diverse Cover Crops + Livestock at Whiterock Conservancy
Host: Tyler Bruck, Whiterock Conservancy

Thursday, Sept. 4 | Clarinda, IA
Planting Trees and Grazing for the Future
Host: Seth Watkins, Pinhook Farm

Saturday, Sept. 6 | Quincy, IL
Underneath the Canopy: Exploring Interseeding, Cover Crop Mixes and Soil Health
Hosts: Aleen Mittelberg, David & Dean Dedert, Mike Rice

Tuesday, Sept. 9 | Garwin, IA
Organic Management Strategies for Flourishing Fields and Nutritious Crops
Hosts: Daniel & Emily Sheetz and Family, Barred Owl Organics

Wednesday, Sept. 10 | Sanborn, IA
Partnering To Graze Cover Crops and Improve Soil Health
Hosts: Aaron Alons & Andy Getting

Thursday, Sept. 11 | Redfield, IA
Integrating Wildlife and Agriculture: Creating Sustainable Habitat on Working Farms
Host: Robert Harvey

Saturday, Sept. 13 | Bellevue, IA
Observing Cattle and Forage for Success
Host: Jamie Hostetler

Saturday, Sept. 13 | Albert Lea, MN
All Things Oats + Oat Mill Site Tour
Hosts: Anne & Landon Plagge and Amanda & Knute Severson

Tuesday, Sept. 16 | Redfield, IA
Strength in Straw: Making the Most of a Rye Crop
Hosts: Tom & Robin Cummings, TRC Farms

Tuesday, Sept. 16 | Clear Lake, IA
Lard-Based Value-Added Products
Host: Laura Tidrick, Mossycup Farms

Thursday, Sept. 18 | Reinbeck, IA
Layering Land Management: Combining In-Field and Edge-of-Field Practices for Water Quality and Soil Health
Host: Clark Porter, Porter Family Farms

Thursday, Sept. 18 | Council Bluffs, IA
Agritourism, Infrastructure and Collaboration at Long Walk Farm
Hosts: Tiffiny Clifton & Matt Johnson, Long Walk Farm

Tuesday, Sept. 23 | Polk City, IA
Conservation Practices To Create and Steward Critical Bird Habitat
Host: Aaron Lehman, Lehman Farms

Saturday, Sept. 27 | Virtual
Virtual Field Day: The Business of Raising Turkeys for the Direct-to-Consumer Market, Part 2
Host: Anna & Shae Pesek, Over the Moon Farm

Sunday, Sept. 28 | Ames, IA
Hands-On Irrigation: Building a Low-Flow System That Can Adapt to Your Rotation
Host: Kate Solko & Kyle Maxwell, Root to Rise Farm

October

Tuesday, Oct. 7 | Winona, MN
Making Grass Work
Host: Cindy Wolf and Haley, Hanna, Harper & Kelley O’Neill

November

Tuesday, Nov. 4 | Walcott, IA
Roles of Rye in Seed Production and Manure Management
Host: Mike Paustian, Paustian Enterprises

Thursday, Nov. 13 | Sioux Center, IA
Year-Round Production of Leafy Greens and More
Host: John & Janna Wesselius, The Cornucopia

Acknowledgements

Builders Initiative
Chef Ann Foundation
Foundation for Food & Agriculture
Iowa Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
McKnight Foundation
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from NRCS, Cargill, Inc, and Nestle USA
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the USDA through a subaward from the National Audubon Society
North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Roger Ross Gipple on behalf of BeWildReWild and BIG RIVER CONNECTIVITY: bewildrewild.org
Stranahan Foundation
PepsiCo
Cargill
Unilever
Lifeline
Walmart Foundation
Vere Initiatives
Cedar Tree
Walton Family Foundation
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) grant no. F9000315202081 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.”
Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under number 2004.22.075401 and agreement number 75401
NRCS CIG through a subaward with Pheasants Forever under agreement number NR223A750013G028
U.S. Department of Agriculture, through a subaward with ADM re:generations, under agreement number NR233A750004G053
U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, under grant ID 2004.22.075401 and agreement number 75401
U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR226114XXXXG003
U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR236114XXXXG003

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

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