For three days of the deep winter, be safe and easy in your home while we gather on PFI’s virtual conference platform to engage with old friends and new, invited speakers and exhibitors. We will bring familiar elements you expect of the conference – like practical, farmer-led sessions, roundtables and moderated panels on the issues that matter to you and your farms.

We’ll also have some new offerings, including youth sessions, lightning talks, farmer-to-farmer conversations, a night of storytelling and PFI’s first feature-length film, “Livestock on the Land.” There’s even a virtual potluck.

The annual conference, "Coming Home," features three days of farmer-led sessions, roundtables, and evening features delivered live Jan. 21-23.

Jack Boyer, a PFI lifetime member and board member from Reinbeck, Iowa, has been recognized as the Field to Market 2020 Farmer of the Year!

Field to Market’s annual Sustainability Leadership Awards Program gave top honors to Jack at a virtual award ceremony on Nov. 12, recognizing his dedication to a rigorous, science-based approach to maximizing the health of his soil, and his impassioned advocacy and sharing of sustainability solutions with farmers and landlords alike.

Maren and Tom Beard of Luna Valley Farm in northeast Iowa are hosting a virtual social for people to gather informally and catch up as the wild growing season of 2020 wraps up.

Hear from them about how their pizza farm adapted throughout the year, and chat with others about their experience and their plans going forward.

Are you a beginning farmers looking for help getting started? Check out the virtual Beginning Farmer Retreat on Dec. 11-12.

Beth Rothman attended a past retreat and says: “It not only generates excitement and enthusiasm about a farm or farm project, it develops a plan and you meet many people who are in the same boat you are in.”

Aaron Lehman of Polk City was quoted in Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network: IFU offering $500 derecho relief grants

Anna Johnson of Ames wrote an opinion piece that was featured in the Des Moines Register: Rural America left behind without a stimulus, but Congress can still make a difference

Randy and Jill Euken of Lewis were featured in Morning Ag Clips: Euken-Myers family wins award

Practical Farmers of Iowa was mentioned on the Iowa Department of Land Stewardship website: IDALS awards 10 grants to support specialty crop producers

Have you been featured in the media? Tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.

Contact: tamsyn@practicalfarmers.org