Ben and Hannah Offenburger of Open Gate Acres farm in southern Iowa, raising corn, beans, alfalfa and cattle. They are part of PFI’s nitrogen rate trial and are using that data to lower their nitrogen inputs where they can. They practice intensive rotational grazing on 40 acres of pasture, where they have used the Environmental…
Get the inside scoop on global trade, biofuels, ag policy and other factors shaping the future of the soybean industry. You’ll find practical, farmer-driven discussions on how these topics impact your operation. This event includes a Jones Family Dairy Tour. Jones Family Dairy is a fifth-generation family-owned dairy farm near Spencer, Iowa, operated by…
Prairies evolved with periodic disturbance from drought, fire and grazing. Without these pulsed “setbacks,” woody encroachment or grass threatens to diminish the robust diversity that’s the hallmark of the tallgrass prairie. Over the last few years, Stennie Nelson has been working with Doug Chafa, land manager and biologist with the Iowa DNR, as part Doug’s…
Mike DeCook and his sons, Joshua and Wyatt DeCook, operate DeCook Ranch in Monroe County, Iowa. Over the last 30 years, they have managed 800 acres of pasture, custom-grazing 600 head of cattle. One of their goals has been to create a welcoming habitat for grassland birds. They use fire to mimic grazing and have…
Bassett Farms is a three-generation operation near Ames, Iowa, raising 1,500 acres of row crops alongside a 100-head cow-calf herd. Mike manages the grazing side and has spent the past seven years building an adaptive grazing system that increases productivity while fitting within the realities of a working family farm. This pasture walk will be…
Karl Palmberg’s Larchwood, Iowa, farm has been in his family since 1938. But when he left for college, the operation was mothballed and put into hibernation. After retiring from the military, Karl returned to the farm and is building it back from scratch. He has been reevaluating the fundamentals and pivoting what he does to…
The Adam family has farmed their land near Harper, Iowa, since 1851. Eric and Madison Adam are trying to manage the ground with the next 175 years in mind. One of the tools they’re using is grazing land set aside in the Conservation Reserve Program. Eric believes that CRP is an investment in soil health…
Justin Wehling began farming in 2023 with a conventional approach. He is now making small changes and trialing different practices to improve the soil health on his land. Justin moved to no-till and is experimenting with roller-crimping. He is part of PFI’s N Rate Risk Protection Program to try to reduce his inputs. He is…
Jackson and Amanda Drost are part of Drost Farms, a multigenerational family farm in Mahaska County, Iowa, raising corn, soybeans and cattle. Around 2010, the Drosts flew on their first acres of rye cover crop to graze with their cow-calf herd. Those initial acres have increased in recent years. While using primarily rye and oats,…