Registration is open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2020 annual conference, “Reclaiming Resilience,” on Jan. 16-18 in Ames at the Iowa State Center Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus. Full details are on the annual conference webpage.

The conference will examine the current state of farms and food systems, and explore ways to help family farms survive into the future. Attendees will hear practical insights from their farming peers and other experts on using cover crops, sequestering carbon through grazing, managing farm finances, creating wildlife habitat on farms, producing lettuce and hemp, and managing farm stress.

The event attracted more than 800 farmers, researchers and supporters last year.

The keynote presentation will be given by New Zealand agroecologist Nicole Masters. She is director of the New Zealand-based organization, Integrity Soils. She has a formal background in ecology, soil science and organizational learning, and is author of “For the Love of Soil: Strategies to Regenerate Our Food Production Systems.” She and her team of soil coaches work with producers in the U.S., Canada and across Australasia.

In her keynote, “Bottom-Line Benefits of Building Resilience,” Masters will present an illuminating look at the interrelationships among soil microbes, structure, plant health and resilience, and explain how fostering healthy soils translates directly to improvements in farmers’ bottom lines.

62 sessions

A total of 62 sessions are planned for the conference. Some sessions are specifically for landowners, non-farmers and beginning farmers.

And before the main conference sessions, four pre-conference short courses will be held: “Organic Weed Control,” “Planning for Farmland Succession,” “Commercial Apple Orcharding” and “Growing Pasture-Raised Meat Supply Chains.” All courses run from 1 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 and continue from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 17 at the Scheman Building.

Also, a new hands-on youth session designed for children 4 years old and older will focus on creating bee houses.

At this year’s conference, attendees can earn certified crop adviser credits for 34 of the 62 sessions and for three of the short courses.

As always, there will be opportunities to network and exchange ideas with other farmers, researchers, consumers and sponsors, including the free breakfast served Jan. 18. The presentation of PFI’s 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award will also take place at the conference.

Walk-in registration is allowed, but those who preregister by Jan. 9 will save $10 per day. Special rates are also available for students and PFI members. Register online or contact Debra Boekholder at [email protected] or 515-232-5661.

Source: PFI, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.