I’ve had a link to the Practical Farmers of Iowa website over on the links menu on the right for a while now, but I just wanted to point out this great organization. The tag line for their vision statement say, “Healthy Food, Diverse Farms, Vibrant Communities.” (check out their entire vision statement by clicking on the quote) The ‘Wild Country Ranching’ field day I attended earlier this year was supported by the PFI as well as the Farm Crawl that I will be attending on October, 7th. They host field days with a wide range of topics all over the state of Iowa and are a source of so much good on-farm research and information.
The Practical Farmers of Iowa was birthed from the farm crisis that crippled the Midwest in the 1980’s. According to their website in the eighties, “Evidence of the negative ecological consequences of current farming practices was mounting; the collapse of commodity prices called into question the economic sustainability of agriculture; and the demise of thousands of farms was draining the vitality of rural communities.” The PFI is helping farmers in Iowa connect with each other to share ideas, success, and marketing ideas. I encourage everyone to check them out.
Practical Farmers of Iowa Website