PFI Conference Set for January

OMAHA (DTN) -- Farmers, landowners and friends of farmers are invited to Practical Farmers of Iowa's annual conference in January.

Registration is now open for the conference slated for Jan. 10-11 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The two-day event features more than 100 speakers and encourages farmer-to-farmer learning through various sessions and topics.

"We're excited to have more sessions than ever this year," said Liz Kolbe, PFI's farmer-led education director, in a news release announcing the conference. "With more than 70 sessions, 90 exhibitors and 100 speakers covering everything from row crops to business planning to grazing to vegetable production, there really is something for everyone."

Since PFI's founding, the annual conference has been a keystone event for thousands of farmers to hear creative solutions and ideas from other farmers, build connections and celebrate agriculture in Iowa, the news release stated.

Here's what you can expect:

-- Keynote speaker session by Eric Lee-Mader, the co-founder and principal at Northwest Meadowscapes. Lee-Mader will highlight success stories of conservation farming that sometimes blur the lines between nature and agriculture, and which provide clues to what a multi-century vision of Iowa farming could look like.

-- Session topics that span the agricultural spectrum, including conventional and organic field crops, soil health, pasture-based livestock, crop-livestock systems, fruit and vegetable production, precision conservation, on-farm habitat, landowner resources, farmland access, pest and weed management, farm business basics and more.

-- A full track of Spanish-language sessions.

-- An evening of storytelling by PFI farmers sharing skillfully narrated true stories.

-- Presentation of PFI's 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award.

-- Three optional pre-conference short courses: "Charting the Steps of Farm Succession;" "Strawberry Production in Iowa;" and "Extending the Rotation: Finding an Effective Third Crop." All courses begin Thursday, Jan. 9, in the afternoon and end the morning of Friday, Jan. 10, before the conference starts.

New to the conference is the inaugural Midwest Meat Summit, happening alongside PFI's pre-conference short courses on Jan. 9 and 10. The meat summit is an informational event for farmers, butchers and industry experts to learn, network and build community.

For more details and to register, visit https://practicalfarmers.org/….

Those who register by Dec. 6 will be entered in a drawing to win two free nights at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown hotel during the conference. Special rates for PFI members and students are available. After Jan. 2, the registration costs increase and are walk-in only.

Susan Payne can be reached at susan.payne@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @jpusan

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