The trajectory of agriculture in the Midwest – fewer farms and farmers, food insecurity, increased input reliance, water pollution, soil loss, habitat loss and shrinking rural communities – can feel disheartening as these trends diverge from Practical Farmers of Iowa’s vision.
But our network is working hard to change course and work toward diverse farms, healthy food and vibrant communities.
Our farmer network is truly a big tent, representing a spectrum of production practices, farm scales and enterprises. While their farms are diverse, PFI farmer members have common goals of wanting to raise crops, protect their soils and provide for the greater community. Through our broadening suite of programs, we are deploying multiple approaches to help farmers achieve these goals in ways that work for their unique circumstances. This annual report shares a sampling of the impressive amount of work we accomplished together – work that is getting Iowa on track toward our vision.
