Savings Incentive Program Class of 2025

The Savings Incentive Program is a two-year program that pairs beginning and aspiring farmers with experienced farmer mentors; provides targeted learning and peer networking opportunities; and offers business planning support and guidance.

Meet the Class

Jacob Chambers

Why do you want to farm?

I enjoy watching things grow. There is immense joy and satisfaction in watching a calf grow to market weight, or a seed sprout and become a mature plant.

What are you farming?

Grass-fed cattle, goats, hay and organic grains.

What’s your vision for your farm?

I’d like to build a farm that supplies organic food-grade grains for local consumption. I’d love to get to the point where I can grow a myriad of different grains for smaller-scale consumers – a small mill or bakery needing a tote bag of grain every week or so. In addition, I want to continue to integrate livestock in my rotation using them to build fertility.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I am a part of SIP because it gives practical business and financial training based around farmers. That in and of itself is invaluable.

Andie Donnan & Ashley Neises

Why do you want to farm?

Our drive for being vegetable growers stems from the desire to provide our family, friends and community with fresh produce. We grow the way we do because we have hope for the future. Our techniques and approach to producing food allows for a more intimate connection to the Earth. It is important to us to be reliable and resilient growers for our community. Our farm is a portrait of ourselves.

What are you farming?

We grow over 40 different crops of certified organic annual vegetables.

What’s your vision for your farm?

We currently rent land but are searching for a farm of our own to not only establish our roots for ourselves and our family, but to expand on our current growing operations. We’d like to grow perennials such as rhubarb, berries, asparagus, currants and more. This new farm includes a larger greenhouse and multiple high tunnels to extend our growing season and to better equip our crops during this changing climate. We’d like to increase our plant sales and add events and opportunities for customers to shop for these items at our farm.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

This program offers insight and education about expanding our business plan and understanding our financial well-being. We felt it was an important opportunity to grow our business. Fellow farmers suggested this program as well.

Tricia Engelbrecht

Why do you want to farm?

We started as hobby farmers who just like being outside and growing things. There is something about being outside and working with your hands that’s good for you. But it’s also being able to provide local flowers and produce to our community that makes us want to farm.

What are you farming?

We are growing specialty cut flowers and a few different vegetables, but our main crop is the flowers.

What’s your vision for your farm?

We enjoy having people to our farm and plan to have more agritourism opportunities along with offering more workshops on the farm. We want the farm to be a place where people can enjoy the outdoors with their families.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I wanted to dig deeper into running a profitable farm and make sure I was making decisions that made sense for the business. I also wanted to make more connections with PFI and other farmers.

Calvin Franzenburg

Why do you want to farm?

I am currently the fourth generation in my family to farm, so taking proper care of the land and making sure that there is something to pass onto the next generation is very important to me. Each season also presents new challenges and problems that make them unique and fun. I also believe in the value of offering high-quality and sustainably grown cut flowers to local florists and community members as an alternative to the heavily sprayed and processed imported flowers.

What are you farming?

Currently, I grow specialty cut flowers that are sold directly to florists around the state and at the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids farmers markets. The majority are grown in four greenhouses and a caterpillar tunnel.

What’s your vision for your farm?

I would like to add at least two more caterpillar tunnels and possibly one more greenhouse to my operation, as well as establish woody ornamentals to sell during the late fall and winter.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I wanted to learn more about business planning and how to scale and expand over the coming years. I’ve also found that success is much easier when I surround myself with people who are smarter than me, and this has been a great way to find them!

Matt Johnson

Why do you want to farm?

If my family had owed land when I was growing up, I would have been a farmer a long time ago, but that wasn’t the case. Tiffiny and I wanted to move out of the city, so we bought a farm and jumped right in. As things progressed, it became clear that there is a need for locally produced food and naturally produced food. The current big agricultural model is not sustainable and creates great risk for all of us. We are farming to provide locally produced, naturally produced food to our community and to provide a different option for those that care about similar things.

What are you farming?

We are a mixed-vegetable, specialty crop farm.

What’s your vision for your farm?

To be an organic farm that produces food as close to 12 months out of the year as possible to provide a local food option for our community and meaningful work opportunities to our employees. This means becoming more efficient farmers in order to increase production and output in the ground we have access to, and developing our local markets to expand demand and access to locally produced food.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

Networking and continued education in areas that are adjacent to farming and required to create a financially sustainable farm.

Noah McMurrin

What are you farming?

Small grains, squash, melons and hay or forage

What’s your vision for your farm?

Long-term, I’d like to rotate between small grains, various fruits and vegetables and forage and hay crops that suit my soil types. I also aim to incorporate regenerative farming practices like no-till, cover cropping, diverse rotations and incorporating livestock.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I mainly want to participate to gain experience, set realistic goals, expand my network and farming knowledge and be able to better financially manage my farm. The dollar savings match is a good incentive, but I am more worried about all the before-mentioned reasons to participate.

Darius Nupolu

Why do you want to farm?

I want to farm because food security is a global concern looking at the world population. Moreover, my first career is in agriculture. I have some basic knowledge of the various areas of farming: soil science, plant pathology, soil fertility, plant physiology, etc.

What are you farming?

I am right now doing mixed vegetable farming.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My vision for my farm is to obtain a bigger farm space or land to expand my production. From my [knowledge] of the community, I have [the sense] that there is a huge demand for what I grow and there are some people who need what I grow. But to some extent, some people don’t have money to buy. So I want to extend a gift to some people who are not able to buy.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate because I need some form of networking and collaborative efforts.

Olivia Pacha

Why do you want to farm?

I’d like to farm to provide food and steward the land in a sustainable way.

What are you farming?

Cattle, sheep, goats, corn and soybeans

What’s your vision for your farm?

I’d like my farm to incorporate all my animals in a system for healthier pastures and crop ground. I plan to graze my animals year-round using sound grazing practices and cover crops.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I’d like to participate in SIP to network with others, learn from experienced farmers and gain valuable skills for my farm business.

Krishna Rai

Why do you want to farm?

I was raised on a farm in Butan, and the food we grew was able to feed all 10 of our family members. Once in the U.S. I decided to apply the skills I brought with me and also learn the specific techniques to grow food in Iowa. Now that I have my own land, it motivates me to grow food in a sustainable way and I can also see the opportunity to grow a business as well.

What are you farming?

I am farming produce that my community (Nepali) has asked for and that I can also sell at the Global Greens CSA, like potatoes, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. I am also growing things that are more specific to my community, like Dalle Khursani hot peppers, and a specific variety of yellow corn that brings fond memories to the people that grew up with it. I am also growing a couple of other things, like long beans and pumpkins, and planning to grow winter squash later in the season.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My long-term vision for my farm is to be fully financially sustainable and able to quit my job. I want to continue to increase the products I sell based on demand while I improve customer relationships.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate in the program because I want to learn more about growing produce in Iowa by participating in field days and events. I like that I will be able to invest in equipment for my farm through the savings match, and that it will help me to make the vision for my farm as a business much clearer.

Paul & Miriam Skrade

Why do you want to farm?

Paul has wanted to farm ever since he was little but this is a newer desire for Miriam. We kept chickens and ducks and sold eggs to friends and neighbors while living in Ames for graduate school, and later in Decorah, but now we have the opportunity to scale up. After years of working with vets and ranchers, we can now finally have our own livestock.

What are you farming?

We have increased our chicken flock to take our egg sales to the next level and are raising Kiko goats for habitat management. This first summer the goats are grazing remnant prairies in northeastern Iowa on public land.

What’s your vision for your farm?

It’s easy to say that our vision is a farm that is truly regenerative, where we see measurable improvements in soil health and water quality while still being productive – but it’s hard to do. We have been taking steps towards these things by converting lawn and pasture to native perennials, working to reduce stream bank erosion and planting native trees and shrubs but these things take time and money.

Our farm will always be a place where all are welcome – to learn, to teach and to experiment. Students from neighboring Upper Iowa University and other schools will feel welcome to come and get their hands dirty, but also snuggle baby goats and chicks.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We are definitely still beginning farmers, and the mentorship and business advice that come from being part of the Savings Incentive Program are huge. It’s really meaningful to be a part of a cohort of farmers at all different stages in their careers, but we’re learning from each other. This is also a great way to become more involved in PFI!

Sara Ziehr

Why do you want to farm?

Farming connects me to the land, seasons and my community. It allows me to grow nutritious local food for my community while working close to the land.

What are you farming?

I grow a variety of vegetables and herbs and raise layers and broilers.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision is to bring quality food to our community and educate people on the benefits of eating locally and seasonally. We want to strengthen our local economy and create a more resilient community through local foods. Our goal is to build an appreciation for our land and the abundance it produces.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

The program is an opportunity to acquire the tools I need to run a successful business. To make our vision a reality, I need to strengthen my knowledge in marketing, bookkeeping and business planning. The knowledge gleaned from SIP resources, my mentor and other farmers will help me create a clear and thoughtful path to move forward and grow our business.