Make a year-end donation to help us continue building resilient farms in 2025.
Lifetime Membership
A lifetime membership with Practical Farmers of Iowa gives you the same benefits as a yearly membership, but it is a one- time payment of $1,200 and ensures your membership never lapses.
What is a lifetime membership?
What are the benefits of a lifetime membership?
- No renewal notices
- No membership rate increases
- Receive special recognition and a framed certificate
- Weigh-in on decisions
- Never miss an issue of the “the Practical Farmer”
- Be a long-time supporter of our mission to strengthen farms and communities through farmer-led investigation and information sharing
How do I become a lifetime member?
- Call the office at (515) 232-5661
- Email debra.boekholder(at)practicalfarmers(dot)org
Who can become a lifetime member?
Anyone! It is not a requirement to become a member before committing to a lifetime membership. We do limit lifetime memberships to the purchasing household and their generation within that household. Businesses interested in a lifetime commitment should remain as organizational members. Lifetime memberships are ideal for families, farms, and households. See what some of our lifetime members have said about their commitment to Practical Farmers of Iowa.
Testimonies from Lifetime Members
A lifetime membership in PFI seemed like a worthy “pay it forward” of dues as an investment in an organization (or should I call it family) that has nurtured me and many other members and will hopefully nurture many more in the future.
– Angela Tedesco
Johnston, IA
I chose to become a lifetime member of PFI for four reasons: I wanted to show that I am fully vested in the mission and vision of PFI; I am all in. I wanted to demonstrate my commitment to all the work PFI does to advance sustainable agriculture in Iowa. I wanted to always be able to proudly state that I am a member in good standing of PFI. Since my annual dues are paid, I can direct my future contributions to initiatives most important to me.
-Dick Schwab
Solon, IA
I became a lifetime member because I owe a lot of where I am today to PFI. I started out with the Savings Incentive Program which gave me mentorship, a solid business plan, and helped me buy equipment to get my business off to a good start. I continued to build great networking relationships by attending field days and the annual conference. I love seeing people from all walks of life learn something new through a wide variety of events. The staff is amazing and I am all for supporting PFI as much as I can.
– Adam Ledvina
Toledo, IA
I am a strong believer and supporter of PFI’s mission to foster a more sustainable and conservation-friendly regime of farming, and also its mission to rebuild rural community. As one who remembers the rural Midwest of the 1940s and 1950s, I believe today’s mainstream agriculture could learn some valuable lessons from the recent past. There are values beyond the bottom line, and we are poorer by far when we do not honor them.
-Anonymous
“…I did the lifetime membership because I hate renewal notices, it looked like a good way to support an organization that is doing good work, and it’s a small return on how generous the Iowa land has been to me.”
-Dirk Mol
Champaign, IL
I am a Laotian who came to the United States in 1984. In 2010, I bought a small property with eleven acres in Milo, Iowa. The first couple years I joined PFI, and later on I decided to become a lifetime member. I have been working a full- time job at Citigroup and keep farming on the weekends. Each year I forget to renew my membership because I was too busy. I love to farm, enjoy nature and have good time all the time. I asked myself why don’t I become a lifetime member? I thought $1000.00 was big money, but I think I can meet more farmer friends, get together and learn from them. Sometimes I feel that I am very lucky to do this because without PFI staff, Iowan farmers, and field days, I will not be able to learn and get more experience. So I decided to get in there and have good time!
-Phrakhounmany “Air “Philavanh
Milo, IA
We became lifetime members because we strongly believe that locally-grown food can have a positive impact in many areas: creating strong small-town communities, providing fresh food with little shipping, and minimizing the influence of industrial agriculture. Our current reliance on corn and beans has created a system at great risk. We need variety in what we grow; we need farmers who want to diversify. From what Gail has told us, members of PFI care deeply about their land and their livestock. I have been impressed with the growth in PFI’s membership and attendance at events. You are doing good work that I wish could be replicated in every state!
–Liz and Larry Bredeson
West Des Moines, IA
We decided to become lifetime members because PFI has been a great resource for all of our family. We are hoping that PFI will be around for several years and be a great group for our children to be involved with. PFI helped influence some of our landlords that, weren’t landlords at the time, to search for someone like us to farm their farm. We did rent their farm for so many years and now have been able to purchase it from them. So we are very grateful for such a great organization as PFI, so this is our way of saying THANK YOU!
-James and Julie Petersen
Lifetime Members
Marilyn Adam and Ralph Tauke – Viroqua, WI
Ron and Mary Barber – Stewartville, MN
Don Adams and Nan Bonfils – Madrid, IA
Doug Alert and Margaret Smith – Hampton, IA
Nathan and Sarah Anderson – Aurelia, IA
Claire Andreasen and Steve Pecenka – Ames, IA
Jon Bakehouse, Maple Edge Farm – Hastings, IA
Bryan and Ashley Beachy – Leon, IA
Lisa and Andy Bean – Waukee, IA
Dan and Bonnie Beard – Decorah, IA
Steve Beaumont – Garber, IA
Charles Benbrook – Port Orchard, WA
Cory Bennett – Galva, IA
Dennis Berger and Son, Inc – Daytonville, IA
Jake and Crystal Bigelow – Winterset, IA
AJ and Kellie Blair – Dayton, IA
John Blake – Waukon, IA
Carol Bouska – Minneapolis, MN
Peg Bouska – Iowa City, IA
Jack and Marion Boyer, J. Boyer Farms, Inc – Reinbeck, IA
Russ and Phyllis Brandes – Hancock, IA
Liz and Larry Bredeson – West Des Moines, IA
Hannah Breckbill and Emily Fagan- Decorah, IA
Dave and Amy Breese – Des Moines, IA
Jay Brown – Providence, RI
Sarah Bull Delati, Tony Bull, Kathy Bull – Morrison, IL
Steve and Paula Buxton – Sullivan, IL
Sarah Carlson and Oscar Terrazas – Pleasant Hill, IA
Bruce and Connie Carney – Maxwell, IA
Steve and Michelle Cassabaum – Nevada, IA
Margaret and Eric Chamas – Smithville, MO
Kelly and Keaton Cheesewright – Chrisman, IL
Scott and Cindy Christenson – Goldfield, IA
Ann and Chris Cromwell – Williamsburg, IA
Aaron and Marisa Dahlstrom – Albert City, IA
Tim and Maureen Daley – New Hartford, IA
Kevin and Ranae Dietzel – Jewell, IA
Wade Dooley – Albion, IA
Monty Douglas – Lenox, IA
Arthur and Colette Dunham – Hopkinton, IA
Herb and Kathy Eckhouse – Norwalk, IA
Kamyar Enshayan and Laura Jackson – Cedar Falls, IA
Suzan Erem and Paul Durrenberger – West Branch, IA
Sondra Feldstein – Bondurant, IA
Fish Family Farms – Minnetonka, MN
Robert and Susan Fleming – Philadephia, PA
Darren and Nora Fehr – Mallard, IA
Meghan Filbert and Omar de Kok-Mercado – Pilot Mound, IA
Abram and Jessica Frank – West Bend, IA
Jess and Michelle Frantzen – Owatonna, MN
James Frantzen – Elma, IA
Tom and Irene Frantzen – New Hampton, IA
Eric and Ann Franzenburg – Van Horne, IA
Tyler Franzenburg – Dysart, IA
Joan Fumetti and Tim Mlsna – Windson Heights, IA
Gary and Carol Gadbury – Manhattan, KS
Sarah Garst – West Des Moines, IA
Mark Gee and Family – Johnston, IA
Steve and Jean Gingerich – Parnell, IA
David and Linda Gobberdiel – West Des Moines, IA
Grain Millers, Inc – Eden Prairie, MN
Luke Gran – Nevada, IA
Green Cover Seed – Bladen, NE
Helen Gunderson – Ames, IA
Jeremy and Kelly Gustafson – Boone, IA
Steven and Lisa Gustafson – Boone, IA
Gary A.T Guthrie and Nancy J.T. Guthrie – Nevada, IA
Jeanne and Jay Hansen, Hansen’s Dairy – Hudson, IA
Sarah Hargreaves and Drake Larsen – Aylmer, Ontario, Canada
Robert and Ruth Harvey – Redfield, IA
Marc Hemmes – Estes Park, CO
Barbara and Michael Henning – Waterloo, IA
Paul Hertz – Ames, IA
Gail Hickenbottom – West Des Moines, IA
Steve and Ann Hitt – Clarinda, IA
Paul Hoffman – Earlville, IL
John Hogeland and Beth Hoffman – Lovilia, IA
Kevin Holl – Conrad, IA
Diane Horn – Seattle, WA
Kathleen Hunt and Steve Davis – Port Angeles, WA
Cathy Irvine – Dysart, IA
Kristine and Ryan Jepsen – Dorchester, IA
Patricia and Paul Johnson – Decorah, IA
Wendy Johnson and John Rafkin – Charles City, IA
Glen and Stephanie Kadelbach – Hutchinson, MN
David and Lois Kail – Concord, CA
Dennis and Karen Kasparbauer – Manning, IA
David Kennis – Ames, IA
Peter Kerns and Natasha Hegmann – Elkport, IA
Hannah Scates Kettler and Kurtis Kettler – State Center, IA
Jack Knight – Luana, IA
Elizabeth Kolbe – Ames, IA
Kevin and Susan Kolbe – Grinnell, IA
Patrick Kooima – Rock Valley, IA
Ted and Linda Krauskopf – Highland, IL
Tim Landgraf and Jan Libbey – Kanawha, IA
Kristine and Bret Lang – Brookings, SD
Randy and Beth Larabee – Ames, IA
Brent and Christine Larson – Fort Dodge, IA
Adam Ledvina – Toledo, IA
Mart Lenns – Cedar Rapids, IA
Matt Liebman and Laura Merrick – Ames, IA
Greg Lipes – West Branch, IA
Ryan and Janice Marquardt – Van Meter, IA
Linda Marshall – Malvern, IA
Sandy McAntire – Toledo, IA
Kate Mendenhall and Zachary Borus – Okoboji, IA
Amy Miller – West Des Moines, IA
Ron Miller – Portsmouth, IA
Dirk Mol – Champaign, IL
Eric Morris – Bondurant, IA
Kent and Kathryn Morris – Atlantic, IA
Dewey Murken – Grinnell, IA
Bonita Neff and Rita Dostal – Toledo, IA
Larry and Ruth Neppl – Marion, IA
Gina Nichols – Paonia, CO
John and Jackie Norris – Des Moines, IA
Bill and Julie Ohde – Decorah, IA
Nick Ohde – Ames, IA
Byron Olson – Boone, IA
Jeff and Gayle Olson – Winfield, IA
John and Jenny Olson – Kelley, IA
Joseph and Judy Olsen – Independence, IA
Teresa Opheim and Rich Schuler – Minneapolis, MN
Karl and Carissa Palmberg – Larchwood, IA
Rachel Perry – Geneva, IL
Nolan Patterson – Stratford, IA
James and Julie Petersen, Petersen family Farms – Knoxville, IA
Doug Peterson – Ridgeway, MO
Mark and Melanie Peterson – Stanton, IA
Phrakhounmany “Air” Philavanh – Milo, IA
Kyle and Kristin Poppens – Parkersburg, IA
Jeremy and Amber Prochnow – Glenwood, IA
Justin and Ellen Rahn – Mount Carroll, IL
Cory and Kennedy Raisbeck – Bagley, WI
Mark and Sharon Rasmussen – Ames, IA
Rod and Cindy Richardson – Tama, IA
Mike and Rosemary Roelf – Iowa City, IA
David Rosmann and Dr. Rebecka Thompkins-Rosmann – Avoca, IA
Ron and Maria Rosmann – Harlan, IA
Tom and Jayne Rowles – Oxford, IA
Sophie Ryan – Lamoni, IA
Jeff and Vee Sage – Waverly, IA
Neal and Lucie Sawyer – Princeton, IA
Laura Sayre – Iowa City, IA
James Sayers – Humboldt, IA
John Scanlan – Lost Nation, IA
TJ and Jolene Schaefer – Jewell, IA
Evelyn Schelm Shawver – Des Moines, IA
Mark Quee and Jennifer Schmidt – West Branch, IA
Lisa Schulte Moore and Peter Moore – Ames, IA
Dick Schwab – Solon, IA
David Scott – Muscatine, IA
Mikol Sesker – Henderson, NV
Caleb and Jaqueline Shinn – Osceola, IA
Tim and Ethel Sieren – Keota, IA
Jessie Singerman – Iowa City, IA
Dick and Diana Sloan – Rowley, IA
Dan Specht (Donated in memoriam by James West)
Christina Sporer – Guernsey, IA
Jennifer and Chuck Steffen – Birmingham, IA
Dave and Paula Stevenson – Waverly, IA
Muriel Strand – Sacramento, CA
Mary Swander – Kalona, IA
Kelly and Angie Tagtow – Elkhart, IA
John and Angela Tedesco – Johnston, IA
Mark Thompson – Fort Dodge, IA
Tony Thompson – Elkhart, IA
Sharon Tinker – Ankeny, IA
Mark and Connie Tjelmeland – McCallsburg, IA
Laurel and Joe Tuggle Lacina – Grinnell, IA
Diane VanDuzen – Burlington, IA
John and Cindi Van Horn – Glidden, IA
Kurt and Teresa Van Hulzen – Sac City, IA
Kevin Veenstra – Grinnell, IA
Ron and Nancy Vos – Ireton, IA
Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice – Wapello, IA
Bob and Kristy Walker – Iowa City, IA
Kent Walker – Ottumwa, IA
Nick Wallace – Keystone, IA
Seth Watkins – Clarinda, IA
Steve and June Weis – Osage, IA
Ann Werner – Walcott, IA
James and Mary West – Ames, IA
Don Whittaker – Jersey City, NJ
Mary and Glenn Wiedenhoeft – Ames, IA
Torray and Erin Wilson – Paullina, IA
Tom and Sue Wind – Jamaica, IA
Dale Winkowitsch – George, IA
Bonnie Winslow-Garvin – North Liberty, IA
Benjamin and Megan Wise – Ipswich, MA
Sally and Chris Worley – Grimes, IA
Linda Wormley – Newton, IA
Steve and Megan Wright – New Market, IA
Melissa Wubben – Norwalk, IA
Tim and Mandy Youngquist – Zearing, IA
Mike and Kim Zabel – Plainview, MN
Robert and Kaitlyn Zauche – Peosta, IA
Christine and Evan Zrostlik – Des Moines, IA