Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Days

Over 40 farms across Iowa, as well as Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, are opening their farm gates this year to share their knowledge on a range of agricultural topics, from relay cropping to double-cropping, sheep shearing to soil health, orcharding to oxbows and more.

June

June 9 | Rockwell City
Profitability With Cover Crops
Hosts: James Hepp and Family | Hepp Farms

June 13 | Cambridge
No-Till Organic Relay-Cropping
Hosts: Caleb Akin & Noah Wendt | A&W Farms

June 17 | Fort Atkinson
Creating a Soil Health System With No-Till, Cover Crops and Livestock
Hosts: Ross, Cassie, Henry & Ruthie Kurash | Kurash Family Farm

June 18 | Mitchell
Maximizing Opportunity in a Small Town
Host: Steve Strasheim | Twisted River Farm

June 21 | Spencer
Creating On-Farm Habitat to Foster Wildlife Diversity
Hosts: Bev & Dwight Rutter | The Prairie Flower

June 28 | Prairie City
Rematriating Iowa’s Historical Prairie: Combining Historical Management Techniques to Foster Modern Conservation
Host: Shelley Buffalo

July

July 7 | Fonda
Drilling Down on Oat Varieties, Double-Crop Soybeans and Rotational Grazing
Hosts: Neil & Elizabeth Peterson and sons Paul & Timothy | Clover Lane Farm

July 8 | Newton
Sheep Shearing
Host: Greg Padget | Plaid Perch

July 8 | Breda
Closing the Loop With Complementary Enterprises
Hosts: Brice & Melanie Hundling | Hundling Family Fresh Foods

July 12 | Lohrville
Purgatory Creek: A Tale of Oxbow Restoration on a Legacy Farm
Hosts: Kathy & David Law

July 14 | West Chester
Shifting to Regenerative While Transitioning Generations
Hosts: Natasha Wilson, Brian Wilson & Nancy Wilson | West Fork Farmstead

July 14 | Adel
Agritourism and Orcharding With an Ecological Focus at Wills Family Orchard
Hosts: Maury & Mary Wills | Wills Family Orchard

July 16 | State Center
Elevating Prairie Plants on a No-Till Flower Farm
Hosts: Hannah Scates Kettler & Kurtis Kettler | Minerva’s Meadow

July 19 | St. Anthony
Pollinators of the Iowa Prairie: Conservation 70 Years in the Making
Host: Carl Kurtz

July 19 | Spencer
Relay Cropping, Permanent Clover and Irrigation Systems in Northwest Iowa
Hosts: Patrick White & Chuck White

July 23 | Atlantic
Trying Out Tools and Talking About Farm Transition
Hosts: Denise O’Brien & Larry Harris | Rolling Acres Farm | Kent Morris

July 24 | Mt. Vernon
Playing the GAP Game: Looking at On-Farm Food Safety
Host: Donna Warhover | Morning Glory Farm

July 28 | Zumbrota, MN
Converting Row Crops to Perennial Pasture
Hosts: Zach Knutson & Brooke Calaway | Knutson Shorthorns

August

Aug. 6 | Donahue
Diversity, Resilience and Beauty at Miss Effie’s Country Flowers
Host: Cathy Linker Lafrenz | Miss Effie’s Country Flowers and Garden Stuff

Aug. 7 | Craig, NE
Improving Water Quality and Soil Health With Cover Crops
Hosts: Mark & Jodi Peterson and Lane Peterson | Peterson Farms

Aug. 10 | Lovilia
Grazing a Perennial Forage Chain
Hosts: Beth Hoffman & John Hogeland | Whippoorwill Creek Farm

Aug. 10 | Austin, MN
Creating a Legacy of Conservation in Traditional Row Cropping
Host: Joe Merten

Aug. 19 | Cedar Rapids
Community Farm Tour at Matthew 25
Host: Matthew Arndt | Matthew 25 Community Farm

Aug. 20 | Solon
Hands-On: Trying Out Tools
Hosts: Carmen Black, Maja Black & Helaina Thompson | Sundog Farm

Aug. 20 | Solon
Collaborating to Scale Up Local Food Production
Hosts: Carmen Black, Maja Black & Helaina Thompson | Sundog Farm

Aug. 21 | Cedar Falls
Growing, Processing and Marketing Popcorn in Iowa
Hosts: Jim & Debbie Fitkin daughters Lora Fitkin & Jennifer Fitkin; and Jim’s father, Wayne Fitkin

Aug. 23 | Traer
Pollinators, Prairie Strips and Oxbows: Creating Varied Habitat on a Central Iowa Farm
Hosts: Larry & Margaret Stone

Aug. 26 | Buffalo Center
The Secrets of Stock Cropping
Host: Zack Smith | The Stock Cropper

Aug. 31 | Winslow, IL
Practical Tips for Growing Wheat, Rye and Summer Cover Crops
Hosts: Ben Moest & Grant Moest | High Plains Grains

September

Sept. 6 | Spirit Lake
Microgreens and Marketing to Build a Food System in Northwest Iowa
Hosts: Calvin & Krissy Thiessen | Cherry Lane Farm

Sept. 8 | Belmond
Creating Space for Conservation and Regenerative Practices With Supportive Landowners
Hosts: Josh Nelson & Family; Paul Thompson; and Elena Meyer | Cardinal Creek Farm

Sept. 8 | Pella
Going With the Flow: Saturated Buffers to Improve Water Quality
Host: Jerry Vander Wert

Sept. 9 | Spring Grove, MN
Pastured Pigs in a Wagon Wheel Pasture at Nettle Valley Farm
Hosts: Dayna Burtness & Nick Nguyen | Nettle Valley Farm

Sept. 10 | Decorah
Transitioning to No-Till, Tarping and More
Hosts: Hannah Breckbill & Emily Fagan | Humble Hands Harvest

Sept. 10 | Decorah
Farmland Owner Legacy Award Celebration
Hosts: Practical Farmers of Iowa | Humble Hands Harvest | Hidden Hills LLC

Sept. 13 | Winterset
Visual Soil Assessments and Johnson-Su Compost
Hosts: Rory & Lynette Van Wyk | RoLyn Hills Farm

Sept. 16 | Blair, NE
Pastured Eggs 101
Hosts: Mariel & Anthony Barreras | Barreras Family Farm

Sept. 18 | Hayward, MN
Cooperators’ Trial With Soybeans Planted Green, Legume Covers and Strip-Till Corn
Hosts: Tracy & Sue Skaar and Mic Skaar

Sept. 19 | Ashton
Grazing Cover-Crops for Soil Health
Hosts: Aaron Alons & Andy Getting

Sept. 21 | Watertown, WI
Cover Crops Following Small Grains and Grazing Cattle
Hosts: Scott & Nancy Schultz and Family | Double S Ranch

Sept. 23 | Stanton
Aerially Seeding Cover Crops, Talking Farm Transfer and Cooperators’ Program Research
Hosts: Mark & Melanie Peterson and Monroe Peterson | Bent Gate Farm

October

Oct. 6 | Honey Creek
Mushroom Cultivation, Marketing and Tasting
Host: Kevin Novak | Flavor Country Farm

November

Nov. 18 | Panora
Milling and Marketing Small Grains Through Multiple Channels
Hosts: Jeff Hafner & Earl Hafner | Early Morning Harvest