Field Crops
Field-crop farmers are the largest membership contingency at Practical Farmers. Learn about our work with these farmers to improve their profitability, stewardship and farmer-to-farmer community.
Practical Farmers of Iowa works with farmers raising corn, soybeans, small grains, alfalfa, red clover and other perennials. Their systems range from conventional to organic production, no-till, ridge-till, strip-till or low-input. Many of these farmers integrate livestock and cover crops into their production systems. Cover crops, small grains and soil health have been identified as priorities in recent years.
N Rate Risk Protection Program
With input costs rising and cutting into your farm’s profits, it’s time to look at reducing reliance on purchased inputs. With agronomic consulting from PFI staff and a risk protection, PFI can help you reduce nitrogen applications on your farm – saving you money and increasing your farm’s resiliency.
Farmers who are new to cutting inputs and farmers who’ve reduced nitrogen rates previously are both eligible for the program.
Corn and Soybeans
Where can I buy Neonicotinoid-free seed?
Cover crops
Practical Farmers provides farmers and agency personnel with information, anecdotes and research about adding cover crop to current conventional, organic or other farming systems.
Small Grains
Small grains crops like oats, wheat, barley, rye and triticale are seeing renewed interest by farmers in Iowa. Practical farmers members and others are generating information about how to source see, plant, manage and harvest these crops.
U.S. Testing Network
Practical Farmers works with corn breeders and seed companies to combat the lack of choice of corn genetics in the marketplace. The US Testing Network (USTN) is a group of independent seed companies, public corn breeders and private corn breeders who work with PFI’s Breeding Corn for Sustainable Ag network to test non-GMO corn hybrids across the eastern US. Their goal is to improve the quality and quantity of non-GMO corn hybrids available in the marketplace.U.S. Testing Network