Registration open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2013 conference

This year’s event celebrates the vital role soil plays in sustaining life. Through sessions and networking, attendees will learn how different farming systems and practices help build the soil and the communities of plants, animals and people who depend on the soil.

“I really like attending Practical Farmers of Iowa’s annual conference because it re-motivates me — and that’s what winter is all about,” said Ellen Walsh-Rosmann, who farms with her husband Daniel and his parents near Harlan, and will attend her fifth conference this year. “Then I can do some farm planning and implement new ideas. And this year with the drought, and last year with floods in western Iowa, we really learned how valuable soil is for retaining water, and how important it is to rebuild the soil.” 

The conference will feature keynote speaker Elaine Ingham, chief scientist at the Rodale Institute and a world-renowned microbiologist. For more than three decades, Ingham has helped thousands of individuals and companies improve their agricultural practices by gaining a deeper understanding of what soil health means. In 1996, Ingham founded Soil Foodweb, Inc., an international group of soil biology laboratories that analyzes soils for microbial life. The revelations about soil quality distilled through the efforts of her work and these labs have helped farmers all over the world grow more resilient crops.

Practical Farmers is offering three short course options this year: “Composting Done Right,” “Fearless Farm Finances” and “Tractors 101.” The composing and finance courses will both be held at the Scheman Building; the tractor course will be held at the ISU Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farm, between Ames and Boone. All three short courses run Thursday, Jan. 10 from 1-7 p.m. and continue Jan. 11 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. 

Twenty-four in-depth workshops will span topics ranging from precision agriculture, multi-species grazing and small grains to creating wildlife habitat, season extension and adding cover crops to corn and soybean systems. Most sessions are led by farmers. In addition, attendees will get to choose from among 10 Saturday morning breakfast sessions, as well as up to six in-depth “U-Pick” sessions organized around topics suggested by guests during conference registration.