• How Crop Diversification Becomes Product Innovation

    St Paul St. Paul, Minnesota

    Join a dynamic group of retailers, ingredient companies, and brands for an interactive workshop and field tour featuring functional uses, compelling consumer storylines, and innovation opportunities for new food ingredients that support regenerative agriculture and resiliency goals. See demonstrations of Kernza perennial grain, hybrid hazelnut, and American elderberry ingredients and functional uses. Hear success stories of…

  • PFI: Building a Seed Conditioning Business

    Carroll Carroll, Iowa

    Ryan Tiefenthaler grew up helping on his family’s row crop and hog farm near Carroll, Iowa. After college, he returned to the farm to help his dad and started a custom application business for area farms. When an opportunity to raise fish fell through in 2016, Ryan quickly pivoted his plans for the large facility…

  • PFI: Oats and Drones

    Osage Osage, Iowa

    Joe Rowe returned to farming in 2008 after growing up on a row crop farm but stepping away for a decade of schooling and other pursuits. Since then, he has farmed with a dedication to being curious and continually improving. He started strip-tilling and cover cropping in 2015 and has since adapted his fertilizer program…

  • PFI: Expanding Cover Crop Impact: Seed Production and Reduced Inputs

    Chad and Wendy Petersen raise corn, soybeans and cattle near Bennett, Iowa. They practice minimum tillage and use cover crops on their own farm, and they appreciate seeing more farmers integrating soil health practices. Chad and Wendy are passionate about expanding cover crops on the landscape: In addition to using cover crops on their own…

  • PFI: Trying and Promoting Soil Health and Water Quality Practices in Northern Iowa

    Wallingford Wallingford, Iowa

    Derek Young is a fourth-generation farmer who began farming in 1993 with his father and grandfather, running a soybean, corn and cattle operation. He strip-tills over half of his corn acres and no-tills most of his soybean acres while also maintaining conventional fields. He has covers flown on in the fall on over 1,000 acres,…

  • PFI: Petite Prairies: Small-Scale Blooms, Big Benefits for Pollinators

    Prairie City Prairie City, Iowa

    Catherine Schut owns and operates Hive and Petal, a boutique flower farm in Prairie City, Iowa, focused on specialty blooms and honeybees. Catherine grows unique seasonal flowers, from winter tulips and spring peonies to dried florals, using thoughtful, organically inspired practices that prioritize soil health and pollinators.   At this field day, Catherine will lead…

  • PFI: Starting a Cover Crop Business, Flying Drones and Seeding Covers

    Forest City Forest City, Iowa

    Mark and Brenda Kingland farm on 1,700 acres in Winnebago County, Iowa. Eight years ago, they began strip-tilling to change efficiency in their fertilizer program and improve soil health. In 2022, Mark added a drone on his farm to apply cover crops and do precision spraying. His goal is to have a cover crop mix flown on…