We are pleased to launch this new magazine section that spotlights Practical Farmers’ donors. This column will feature farmers plus others who support PFI through financial gifts. We are excited to share stories that:
- Give thanks to PFI’s donors
- Educate about the many ways to contribute to the mission
- Show how farmer-led innovation is appreciated by a broad base of community members, including those who do not farm
A heartfelt thank-you goes to the many people who grow PFI’s mission of farm and community resilience.
Lifetime member Jim Sayers, who farms in Humboldt County, Iowa, considers himself privileged because he has a retirement account. And because “I’ve never had a day in my life when I wasn’t cared for,” he says. Jim’s grateful outlook is expressed through his generosity, and he includes PFI in his charitable decisions. Why? He offers three reasons:
- Connections – Resources and networking he’s gained through PFI events.
- Information – He attended a field day at Dick and Sharon Thompson’s farm during PFI’s early days, and more recently has received advice about prairie strips.
- Soil Health Legacy – Jim says, “This is a big deal for me personally. The soil is not an asset to be mined.”
By law, Jim is required to take out a portion of his retirement fund annually – and pay taxes on it. He chose to meet this requirement through a qualified charitable distribution, which lets him transfer funds to PFI while also reducing his taxable income.
Qualified Charitable Distribution
Jim and his wife Cheryl still live in the farmhouse where he grew up. It’s where, as children, Jim and his siblings walked beans, milked cows, raised pigs and tended chickens. Jim reflects on his parents and upbringing with great appreciation. Nowadays, there are grandchildren in the picture. Jim’s “attitude of gratitude” is seen in the way he cares for his family, his land and PFI’s mission of resilience.
For more information or conversation, contact PFI’s development director, Terri Speirs, at gro.sremraflacitcarp@srieps.irret or (515) 232-5661, Ext. 1066, or visit the donate page of our website.
