Practical Farmers plan field day schedule

Practical Farmers of Iowa?s 2011 Field Day Guide is hot off the press and features more than 35 on-farm learning opportunities throughout the state, including ones in Bonaparte and Fairfield.

PFI field days showcase innovative farming practices, share on-farm research results, provide networking opportunities and build urban-rural understanding. Field days give participants a chance to get outside and enjoy Iowa at its best while taking in the variety of topics, tours, learning, entertainment and food.

This year?s lineup includes the latest grazing practices, using high tunnels to extend the growing season and capture rainwater for irrigation, as well as, succession planning for passing family farms to the next generation, a variety of alterative energy forms and more.

Most field days are free, and everybody is welcome.

The guide will be mailed this week to all PFI members and is available on line as a downloadable PDF at http://practicalfarmers.org/events/field-days.html.

For additional information, call 515-232-5661.

The Aug. 9-11 field day, ?MOB Grazing Tour: 5 Farms, Endless Information? will be in Rose Hill, Grinnell, Kalona, Bonaparte and Princeton.

The Aug. 27 field day, ?Dairy Farming Without Fossil Fuels,? will be in Fairfield.

Practical Farmers of Iowa?s 2011 Field Days

June 18 | Improving a Perennial Pasture, Year 2 | Cherokee

June 26 | Starting Your Own Horticulture Farm | Wesley

July 8 | Raising Multiple Species on One Pasture | Bloomfield

July 9 | Hands-on Fantastic Fencing | Audubon

July 10 | Food Handling Practices: The Key to Great Flavor and Nutrition | Kanawha

July 12 | Weed Control: A Balance Between Steel and Hericides | Minburn

July 16 | Fencing and Watering for Organic Beef, Sheep and Dairy | Decorah

July 18 | Using High Tunnels to Capture Rain Water for Irrigation | Boone

July 25 | Party with PFI at RAGBRAI | Templeton

Aug 3 | Juan O?Sullivans Secrets to Successful Salsa | Cumming

Aug 4 | The Buzz About Best Pollinator Practices | Boone

Aug 6 | Grazing Cattle for Increased Biodiversity | Maxwell

Aug 7 | Abbe Hills Open House and Sweet Corn Feed | Mt. Vernon

Aug 9?11 | MOB Grazing Tour: 5 Farms, Endless Information | Rose Hill, Grinnell, Kalona, Bonaparte and Princeton

Aug 17 | Organic Seed Options and Managing Manure | Keystone

Aug 18 | Controlling Weeds, Pests and Livestock Disease Organically | Harlan

Aug 27 | What We Learned About Corn, Beans, Canola and More | Sutherland

Aug 27 | Dairy Farming Without Fossil Fuels | Fairfield

Aug 30 | Committing to Cover Crops for Corn and Soybeans | New Market

Aug 31 | New Corn and Soybean Discoveries For Increased Profitability | Sioux Center

Sept 9 | US Testing Network Breeder and Retailers? Showcase | River Falls, WI

Sept 10 | Farm Succession, Niche Pork and Energy | Elma

Sept 13 | Farming Practically, Staying Diverse | Boone

Sept 15 | Organic Sheep Ranching and Prairie Restoration | Earlham

Sept 17 | Cooking with a Chef Beef Tasting | Ankeny

Sept 18 | Mechanics of a Diversified Farm | Van Horne

Oct 1 | Farming for Food and Education | West Branch

Oct 2 | Fun and Funky Farm Crawl | Knoxville and Lacona

Oct 15 | Producing Pasture-Based Beef | Kellerton

Oct 21 | From Commercial to Organic/Energy-Efficient Farm, Phase 2 | Emmetsburg

Nov 11 | Aquaponics: Can Fish Grow Vegetables ? Profitably? | Panora