Savings Incentive Program Class of 2026

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

Shad Swanson

Why do you want to farm?

I want to feed people. I want to help create a more sustainable food system in Iowa and the Midwest.

What are you farming right now?

I farm about 20 different fruits and vegetables, as well as a dozen herbs and spices.

What’s your vision for your farm?

I want to expand my growing operation to feed more people across southwest Iowa. I’d like to expand to add a root cellar, wash and pack station and an on-farm store over the next two years. I also want to set up infrastructure and other tools to help support other local growers. A long-term goal is to be one of the bigger vegetable producers in Iowa over the next 10 years.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to take my business plan from my head to paper. I also look forward to using the savings to help expand my business.

Ryan Madison

Why do you want to farm?

Why do I want to farm? Honestly, it’s because farming feels like coming home. It’s where I’ve always found my peace. Even when we were chasing corporate careers, moving from place to place, there was this pull – a voice in the back of my head saying, “This isn’t it.” I didn’t know exactly what it meant back then, but I know now: I wanted to farm because I wanted something real.

For me, farming isn’t just about growing crops or raising animals; it’s about building something meaningful and lasting. It’s about creating a life where every seed we plant, every barn we restore, every piece of land we improve – it all matters. It’s about taking what we’ve been given and making it better, not just for us, but for anyone who crosses paths with this place.

When Jamie and I bought this farm, I knew we were taking on more than just land. We were taking on a dream. Farming is tough – long days, countless challenges and plenty of failures. But with every setback, there’s also the chance to learn, to grow and to try again. That’s what I love about it.

Mad Acre Farms is more than a business. It’s a legacy. It’s a place where we can connect people to the land, to fresh food and to experiences they’ll never forget. It’s where I get to blend hard work with creativity, tradition with innovation. And honestly, there’s nothing more fulfilling than looking out at a field we planted together or seeing someone light up when they visit our farm stand.

I farm because it’s my way of giving back – to the land, to my family and to the community. It’s hard work, but it’s also the best work I’ve ever done. And every day, I feel grateful to call this life ours.

What are you farming right now?

We grow specialty crops.

What’s your vision for your farm?

At Mad Acre Farms, our vision is to create a place where agriculture meets community, creativity and purpose. We’re transforming our small farm into a hub for fresh, sustainable food, unique experiences and lasting connections.

From cultivating specialty crops and raising pasture-raised poultry to restoring historical barns and building an agritourism destination, every effort we make is rooted in preserving the land, honoring our heritage and inspiring others to dream big. We want our farm to be more than just a place. It’s a legacy in the making, where hard work, innovation and love for the land come together to create something truly special.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

Mad Acre Farms wants to participate in SIP to gain valuable mentorship, expand our knowledge of sustainable farming practice, and refine our farm’s business operations.

As a small specialty crop farm focused on building an agritourism destination, we believe the Savings Incentive Program can provide us with the resources, guidance and community support needed to grow our farm’s impact and efficiency. By participating, we hope to enhance our sustainability efforts, strengthen our market strategies and contribute to Iowa’s thriving agricultural community.

April Clark & Parker Grimes

Why do you want to farm?

We are passionate about urban agriculture and foraging. Our local food system needs more small farms! We want to grow food for our community and showcase that small and regenerative farms are the future. We want to provide nutritious foods, in a sustainable way, while encouraging others to start or support urban farms in their neighborhoods.

What are you farming right now?

We raise ducks for eggs, keep bees for honey and grow several varieties of chemical-free heirloom vegetables. We also love to forage wild-harvested mushrooms and medicinal plants for teas.

What’s your vision for your farm?

To create a regenerative urban farm that is sustainable environmentally, economically and culturally. We envision a closed-loop system that helps the farm thrive while cultivating a comfortable living and supporting our local food system. Additionally, we would like to create a replicable farm system and offer education on urban ag and foraging practices.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We look forward to building a solid business plan with guidance from experts in this field. We also value the opportunity to connect with a mentor and glean any knowledge from those that came before us.

Catherine Schut

Why do you want to farm?

I love to grow beautiful flowers and highly nutritious foods, stay active outdoors and feel connected with nature.

What are you farming right now?

I am growing flowers using organically inspired methods – a selection of perennials, annuals and native flowering plants; raising free-range chickens for eggs; and tending beehives for honey and hive products.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My long-term vision for the flower farm and apiary is to cultivate both annual and perennial fields that supply flowers to central Iowa and give me space to conduct SARE farmer research projects. I envision an on-site floral workshop that will house a farm stand, a meeting space for up to 25 people, an office, a walk-in floral cooler and a commercial kitchen. This space will serve as a hub for my beekeeping and floral work, a gathering place for families and an educational center for aspiring growers.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I’m still in the beginning phases of running my farm as a business, and I feel I could learn a lot about functioning as a CEO for my farm – as well as managing the day-to-day operations.

Daniela Williams & Wes Hepker

Why do you want to farm?

We both shared an affinity for gardening long before we met. When our lives merged, we transformed our yard into an abundant growing space. After many years of cultivating our urban garden, we decided to move to the country to expand our growing potential and pursue larger-scale farming.

Farming allows us to continue our shared appetite for healthy, local food while addressing a vital need for fresh produce in our community. After moving to rural Mount Carroll, Illinois, two years ago, we saw firsthand the demand for fresh, locally grown food and knew we could make a difference. Farming is our way of contributing to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

What are you farming right now?

We currently grow a diverse range of vegetables, herbs, fruits and edible flowers using organic and regenerative practices. Alongside our crops, we raise chickens and ducks for eggs and have expanded into value-added products, such as preserves made with produce from our farm. Additionally, we are raising Kunekune pigs and plan to offer pastured pork in the future.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision is to grow Polsgrove Hill Diversified Farm into a thriving, sustainable operation that not only feeds our community but also fosters a deeper connection to local agriculture. We aim to expand our offerings, including pastured pork and year-round produce, while streamlining our operations with tools like a dedicated wash and pack station and cold storage. Long-term, we want to create a space where people can learn about market farming, celebrate local food and connect with the community.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

This program offers an incredible opportunity to learn from experts and connect with other farmers. It will provide the assistance to refine our business plan and marketing strategies, with the goal of expanding sales channels and improving operational efficiency. We’re particularly interested in exploring tools and techniques to support sustainable growth while maintaining the quality and care our customers have come to expect.

Ross Steinbronn

Why do you want to farm?

I want to provide fruits and vegetables grown without the use of chemicals. Raising four young children, I want them to be able to be with me and eat anything that we are producing without worrying what might have been sprayed on the produce. I believe there are more like-minded people out there that I’d love to connect with. Learning animal husbandry has been challenging but worthwhile. I have transitioned from cattle to sheep because I want to improve our soil while reducing inputs through rotational grazing.

What are you farming right now?

We just completed our first season growing under the cover of our 30-by-100-foot high tunnel, where we grew fruits and heirloom vegetables in an organic manner, including strawberries and raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, kale, lettuce and green beans. Outside of the tunnel, we grew garlic and potatoes. This year, we have transitioned from finishing cattle to rotationally grazing Katahdin sheep. In addition to the sheep, we raise hens for egg production along with Muscovy ducks.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision for the farm is to provide our community with healthy produce grown without the use of chemicals. The high tunnel will help us extend our growing season and offer greens in the late fall and winter. Rotationally grazing our Katahdin sheep will allow us to improve the soil while offering a grass-fed lamb option to local consumers.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I wanted to participate in this program to network with other beginning farmers that are in a similar place as I. The coaching this program offers will help me dial in my finances, develop a marketing strategy and leave with a business plan that will help us grow this farm business.

Tyler & Beth Bird

Why do you want to farm?

We farm because we believe it is a tangible way to support the life we want to build for our family while meaningfully contributing to our local community.

What are you farming right now?

We are currently growing our market garden (fresh vegetables and produce), cut flower garden, pastured poultry (eggs and meat) and wool (alpaca and sheep) operations.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision is to reach financial viability, allowing us to run a profitable and efficient farming operation that meaningfully contributes to our household income, allowing one or both of us to work full-time on the farm. Our dream is to provide wholesome, nourishing produce and food to our family and to our community – connecting those in our food-shed with sustainable, affordable, accessible, locally grown organic food: from our family, to yours.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We want to grow and scale our operation in smart, educated and sustainable ways. We are new to farming (first generation) and to small-business ownership, so we are excited to learn about the financial, business and agricultural practices that will best set us up for long-term success.

Leah & Curtis Maeder

Why do you want to farm?

We love access to fresh, locally grown food and farm goods and want to provide farm products for our community. Farming has always been a passion for us, from when we were kids helping our parents on small family farms in Iowa to later going on for further education in agriculture. Now having children of our own, we want our kids to learn about farming and to experience farming by actually living it.

What are you farming right now?

Our current farming activities include a market garden, cut flowers, pumpkins, apples and seed tomatoes.

What’s your vision for your farm?

We are planning to grow our farm business by raising beef cattle (cow-calf operation) and by selling produce on-site as well as at local farmers markets and to businesses in the area. Our goal is to expand the flowers and pumpkins on our farm for a pick-your-own experience called Indianola Bloom. We envision working toward diversifying the products we offer with a greenhouse to support the produce business and raising goats, chickens and ducks.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We are looking forward to this program helping us with our business plan, networking, the mentoring, planning for the future and helping us focus on how to meet our goals.

Tyler & Morgan Bruck

Why do you want to farm?

Farming aligns with our interests and values. We enjoy working outside and carrying out the duties that lead to the harvest of our crops. Farming is also a family thing – something we can do together – and the duties teach important life skills, such as working hard and responsibility. It’s fulfilling and enjoyable that through our U-pick farming operation, we can provide fun, active and meaningful experiences, along with healthy and locally grown food, for the people in our local and surrounding communities.

What are you farming right now?

We are currently farming strawberries, sweet corn and pumpkins.

What’s your vision for your farm?

We envision our farm having a perfected crop rotation that enhances soil health and produces nutritious and delicious food. We appreciate the concept of organic and plan to manage our farm with little to no commercial fertilizers and chemicals. We really enjoy the experience our U-pick operation provides and would like to expand our U-pick offerings (we are interested in blueberries and raspberries)

Honeybees are an important piece in the pollination of our berries. We’d like to have our own bees, using them for both their ability to pollinate berries and produce honey. We have a great interest in pastured livestock, which would be a beneficial piece in our crop rotation, and we would also love to provide a healthy, locally grown product for our family and our local and surrounding communities.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We have so many important and exciting goals for our farm. This program will help us organize and prioritize our visions and goals into a realistic timeline through its business planning and financial planning. We are also very excited for the mentorship. It will be great to have an experienced farmer to collaborate with to help improve our growing practices.

Hannah Scates Kettler

Why do you want to farm?

We farm for many reasons: to reconnect with lost family legacies of farming, to raise children who understand where food comes from and the labor it takes to feed a family, to grow crops in a way that respects and considers the earth, and to share our space with our community.

What are you farming right now?

Fresh flowers, herbs and pumpkins. We also have our own kitchen garden where we grow greens and veggies.

What’s your vision for your farm?

The farm is a community space as much as it is a flower farm. It marries small-scale farming and targeted education for new farmers (like us) and working with the USDA system. The farm is also a place to reconnect with Iowa’s natural habitat and the role of Indigenous ways of farming – i.e. regenerative agriculture.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I’m hopeful the program will help with finding balance between current income and growth. I am particularly excited for the financial assistance and one-on-one consultation, and mentorship components of SIP.

Justin Jackson

Why do you want to farm?

It is a special opportunity and responsibility to have a role in growing crops and livestock that bring life to others through nourishment of those crops and livestock. It is very rewarding to know someone is really enjoying one of my products and they have a connection to its origins. Being part of the natural cycle, working with my hands in the dirt and watching livestock grow and flourish brings me great enjoyment and fulfillment.

What are you farming right now?

I am currently farming rotational grains (corn and soy), have a cow-calf operation, raise forage and dabble in poultry meat and egg production.

What’s your vision for your farm?

A sustainable, complete farm that is self-sufficient using animals and the land to complete a farm circle. A three-crop rotation (corn, soybean, small grain) using cover crops to work in harmony and supporting my cow-calf operation on a small scale for direct-to-consumer meat sales.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

To make more profitable operation decisions utilizing the vast resources provided by the PFI network of farmers and educational resources. I also want to increase my marketing knowledge for grain and livestock sales and improve my stewardship of land through improved practices.

Chie Awumah

Why do you want to farm?

I like to farm because farming connects me to the land and community. I am passionate about sustainable practices, improving food access, supporting the local economy, personal fulfillment and continuous learning. These reasons drive my dedication to farming and motivate me to grow AGCRUNCH LLC.

What are you farming right now?

I currently farm specialty vegetables including, but not limited to, okra, peppers, bitter leaves and water leaves, as well as common (global) vegetables.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My vision for AGCRUNCH LLC is to create a sustainable and thriving vegetable farming operation that supports my family and also contributes to the local community. I aim to grow diverse vegetables and sell them to local consumers through farmers markets, CSA programs and grocery stores. Starting with a small- to medium-sized operation, I plan to expand as the farm grows. In the long run, I also plan to venture into transformation and processing

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate in the Savings Incentive Program to gain much needed financial support and mentorship that will help me overcome the barriers I face as a disadvantaged farmer. The program will provide me with the resources and guidance needed to improve my farming practices and expand my market reach. Additionally, the opportunity to connect with experienced mentors and other farmers will help me build a strong network and gain insights that will contribute to the long-term success and sustainability of AGCRUNCH LLC.