Savings Incentive Program 

Why do you want to farm?

I grew up on a row crop farm and was actively involved in 4-H and FFA. After college I met my husband, who now also farms full time with both row crops and cattle. I was interested in adding our flower farm to the operation because of my love for learning and connecting with others through our wholesale and retail outlets. Farming at both a large and small scale have unique challenges that keep you on your toes!

What are you farming right now?

Fresh cut flowers.

What’s your vision for your farm?

To become really strategic with what we do well and do it at 100%. Continue find our niche and stop doing what the customer isn't searching for or leaning into – especially after becoming a mom last year.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

To lean into a mentor and ask them the hard questions and reflect with them on what's worked and what hasn't. I'm also very interested in either opening up a self-serve stand and exploring that or purchasing a side-by-side to reduce labor efforts. Both of those have large costs tied to them, so I’m looking forward to the cost-savings help [through the matched dollars].

Why do you want to farm?

I could write an essay. But in a sentence, I want to farm because everybody needs to eat, we have a lack of young farmers and we need to figure out how to produce food in a way that doesn't degrade the land's productive capacity.

What are you farming right now?

Hickory nut oil.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My vision is for everyone to have access to somewhere where they can pick up hickory nuts and for them to be able to bring them to me to press for oil. That way, anyone who's willing to pick up nuts will have food. I'll take half the oil and sell it to wealthy people at a premium, so I can pay myself for my time. It will be a Robin Hood kind of operation.

To get that many trees, I'm going to have to plant a bunch. So I'm starting a program where I plant free trees for whoever wants them.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate in this program because I could use some business coaching, especially navigating food laws and proper accounting and tax filing. Also for the [match] money, of course.

Why do you want to farm?

I want to farm because I can provide food to my family and community. And that's helped me to see a power of God to be a creator.

What are you farming right now?

Right now, I'm farming African vegetables, tomatoes and roselle, pumpkin and more.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My vision is to be a big farmer, produce specialty tropical vegetables and add value – and show everyone the benefits.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I would like to participate in this program because I need to enhance my faming knowledge and experience farmers through mentorship. This program will help me to reach my goal.

Why do you want to farm? At the core, farming gives me a sense of purpose. It’s real work with real results – I plant something, I care for it and I watch it grow into food that can help people. That kind of mission matters, especially when you want your life to be built around integrity, service and doing something that makes a difference in your community.

I also want to farm because it brings me peace and focus. Gardening and soil work are things I feel confident in, and they’re topics I am passionate about. Farming gives me a safe environment where I can think clearly, stay grounded and use my knowledge in a way that feels natural. Even when life feels loud or stressful, working with plants, animals and the land gives me something steady to hold onto. I want to farm because I want to build something of my own to pass onto my children, and to be the next stewards of the soil. It’s not just a job – it’s a future.

What are you farming right now?

I’m just starting up with vegetables, poultry (meat and egg production), fruit trees, berries and flowers to sell directly to consumers.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our farm will serve local customers through direct-to-consumer sales, farmers markets and future wholesale partnerships and CSA membership.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I need guidance and direction. I am a former police officer and veteran. My entire life I have served and taken direction, following regulations and policies, but now I have no road map or direction. I need help to find the right direction for the farm.

Why do you want to farm?

We want to farm because we value wholesome organic foods. We have both been involved in local food systems, small-scale farming and sustainable agriculture for over a decade. We want to be part of the solution of feeding our direct community.

What are you farming right now?

We currently do small-scale production on a leased plot. We primarily grow a kitchen garden and dye plants and have a few seed contracts. Over the past few years, we've grown alliums, cucurbits and flowers for seed for companies in Minnesota and New York

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision for our farm includes vegetable production (CSA and wholesale), flower and dye production, livestock and orchard production. We hope to create a diversified farm.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We want to participate because there are several aspects of this program that will help us realize our vision. One, financial coaching. Two, business planning. Three, active mentorship from a more experienced farmer. Four, having support and incentive to save money for a larger farm project. Five, networking with other farmers across Iowa who are also in the program.

Why do you want to farm?

I grew up visiting our family farm and also growing a garden with my mom. I've always felt a connection to the land and to growing things. I find it incredibly satisfying to grow my own food and I love sharing fresh, local, healthy food with my community.

What are you farming right now?

I am currently growing vegetables and herbs for the farmers market and some local restaurants.

What’s your vision for your farm?

I'd love to expand the variety I offer at our market, have a small CSA and also host more on-farm events for our community.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I want to participate in SIP to get a better grasp on my goals and how to get there, as well as learn about balancing tasks and labor, keeping good financial records and staying accountable.

Why do you want to farm?

I would like to experiment with a vast range of vegetables while advancing my knowledge and skill of different vegetables and herbs.  

What are you farming right now?

I am currently growing tomatoes, onions, collard greens, eggplants, white eggplants, spinach, okra, various African vegetables like bitter leaves, lenga lenga, hibiscus leaves, pumpkin leaves and potato leaves, along with cabbage and green peppers.

What’s your vision for your farm?

I envision my farm growing into a sustainable and successful business that provides fresh, culturally diverse vegetables to people of all backgrounds while meeting a wide range of tastes and nutritional needs.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

I would like to gain knowledge on how I can achieve my goals and learn from other farmers who were once in my position. I would like to ultimately provide my customers with the very best service.

Why do you want to farm?

We both grew up involved in agriculture in different ways and deeply appreciate and enjoy the lifestyle it affords. Farming allows us to continue that legacy for our family and provides an avenue for us to be hands-on, active members of our community while contributing to our local rural economies in a meaningful way.

What are you farming right now?

We currently farm conventional corn and are making infrastructure investments to reintroduce livestock to the operation. This transition will diversify our production beyond corn and allow us to implement additional feed and forage crops to support the livestock enterprise.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision is to bring livestock back to the farm in a way that supports our family and strengthens the operation itself. We aim to farm with the resources we have, not against them. We believe this approach is crucial to keeping rural communities alive and thriving, which is why we are members of Practical Farmers of Iowa and are working to engage with others who share these goals.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We see the network and technical financial knowledge as crucial to moving our operation from “farm” to a “farm business” that is sustainable for both our family and our farm's future.

Why do you want to farm?

We want to farm because agriculture is something that we both grew up with and have a passion for. We started with meat birds and produce for ourselves, which quickly turned into providing those products for others. From there, we slowly grew the poultry production and our produce.

We believe everyone should know where their food comes from and the story behind it. After producing our own food and knowing the story behind it, we wanted to provide that kind of high-quality product to others in our community and share the story behind their food as well.

What are you farming right now?

We currently raise meat birds, honey and produce for our value-added products.

What’s your vision for your farm?

Our vision for our farm is to continue to produce our current products and hopefully grow so we can serve even more customers in the future.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

We want to participate in this program to network with others that are in our similar position. We would like to continue to grow, but a mentor in this program would be very beneficial. We would also like to create more of a business plan with this program.

Why do you want to farm?

To grow healthy food, steward the land and preserve farming heritage.

What are you farming right now?

Cattle

What’s your vision for your farm?

To raise livestock in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

To learn more about generative farming practices, receive mentorship in business development and network with other like-minded producers.

Why do you want to farm?

I want to farm vegetables with no chemicals.

What are you farming right now?

Cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, habanero peppers, okra, squash, purple eggplant and white eggplant (from Africa).

What’s your vision for your farm?

To buy land and be a full-time farmer.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

To gain knowledge on how to improve in my farming business.

Why do you want to farm?

Because I like to grow organic and fresh vegetables for myself and others in the community.

What are you farming right now?

I’m farming vegetables like hot peppers, okra, tomatoes, green onion, eggplants, bitekuteku, matembele, ngai-ngai, bilolo and choux.

What’s your vision for your farm?

My vision for my farm is for the products and vegetables that I grow to be conserved for longer with value-added processing, and to expand my market to the grocery store.

Why do you want to participate in this program?

This program can help me to have the opportunity to meet others farmers and learn more about their farms.