On-Farm: Conversations with Practical Farmers

Each week we’ll talk with a new member of Practical Farmers of Iowa. We’ll hear from young and old; new and experienced; small and large; horticulture, livestock and row-crop farmers. We’ll talk with farmers about the issues most relevant to farmers, like crop production, on-farm research, improving soil and water quality, farm profitability, and of course, food.

On-Farm, Episode 022: Jorgen Rose 11/18/2021

On-Farm, Episode 022: Jorgen Rose In this episode, we talk with Jorgen Rose, who is the habitat and policy coordinator for Practical Farmers of Iowa. We talk a little about what PFI is up to in the habitat world, why we started doing habitat programming at PFI, and how people can get involved. You can learn more about creating wildlife habitat on farms by checking out Bringing Back the Edges on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/PFIvideos. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/21208967

On-Farm, Episode 021: Adam Janke 11/11/2021

On-Farm, Episode 021: Adam Janke In this episode, we talk with Adam Janke, who is the Wildlife Extension Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We talk a little about what wildlife habitat actually means, how the landscape has changed and how that has affected wildlife, and a few things that landowners or farmers can do to improve wildlife habitat on their farms. You can learn more about creating wildlife habitat on farms by checking out Bringing Back the Edges on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/PFIvideos. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/21132740

On-Farm, Episode 020: John Rock 11/03/2021

On-Farm, Episode 020: John Rock In this episode, we talk with John Rock, who raises cattle and row crops in northwest Iowa near near the picturesque Little Sioux River. We chat about his experience grazing cattle on neighboring land owned by The Nature Conservancy and cedar tree removal and native prairie restoration on his own farm. John was just featured in a new video series from PFI - Bringing Back the Edges: Creating Wildlife Habitat on Farms. You can check out the video on grazing native plants here: https://youtu.be/tj_FdU-a7CY. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/21037442

On-Farm, Episode 019: Mark Quee 10/28/2021

On-Farm, Episode 019: Mark Quee In this episode, we talk with Mark Quee, the Farm Manager at Scattergood Friends School, a boarding school near West Branch. The farm there raises organic fruits, vegetables and animals that the staff and students eat. We talk about beneficial insects, integrated pest management, flowers and the wonderful mysteries of ecological processes. Mark was just featured in a new video series from PFI - Bringing Back the Edges: Creating Wildlife Habitat on Farms. You can check out the video on beneficial insects here: https://youtu.be/p8lySv3oHkc. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/20974262

On-Farm, Episode 018: Dick Sloan 10/21/2021

On-Farm, Episode 018: Dick Sloan In this episode, we talk prairie strips with northeast Iowa farmer Dick Sloan. We talk about why Dick decided to plant prairie strips, what they are, and what it takes to install and manage them. He was just featured in a new video series from PFI - Bringing Back the Edges: Creating Wildlife Habitat on Farms. You can check out the video on prairie strips here: https://youtu.be/NSCxiIQ7mI8 /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/20887928

Bonus Episode: Consider the Soil 10/08/2021

Bonus Episode: Consider the Soil In this special bonus episode in three acts, PFI member Gina Nicholas weaves together the fiction and the non-fiction, science and art, past and future to paint a portrait of one of farming’s most important resources in “Consider the Soil.” If you’re curious about the soil, and you like a good story, you’re going to love this episode. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/20734757

On-Farm, Episode 017: Maria and Ron Rosmann – Rosmann Family Farms 08/31/2017

On-Farm, Episode 017: Maria and Ron Rosmann – Rosmann Family Farms For the final episode of the first season of On-Farm, we visited the farm of Maria and Ron Rosmann of Rosmann Family Farms near Harlan. The Rosmanns have been instrumental in many of the most important agricultural movements of the last 30 years: They were pioneers in organic livestock and row crops, and were among the core of farm families that helped Practical Farmers of Iowa get off the ground in the mid 1980s. On today’s show, we’ll talk about the history of their farm, their upcoming field day on /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5696583

On-Farm, Episode 016: Jamie Hostetler – Rolling Meadows Farm 08/25/2017

On-Farm, Episode 016: Jamie Hostetler – Rolling Meadows Farm This week on the show, we have Jamie Hostetler of Rolling Meadows. Jamie farms with his family near Bellevue in eastern Iowa, where they raise 100% grass-fed beef and sell Red Devon cattle for seed stock. In 2010, shortly after moving to the area, they seeded row crop ground down to pasture and have been practicing high-density grazing to regenerate the soil and produce gourmet-quality, grass-finished beef. On September 16, the Hostetlers will be hosting a field day on their farm focused on all things grass /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5675748

On-Farm, Episode 015: Earl Canfield – Canfield Family Farm 08/17/2017

On-Farm, Episode 015: Earl Canfield – Canfield Family Farm This week on the show, we have Earl Canfield of Dunkerton in northeast Iowa. Earl farms with his wife Jane and their four children. The Canfield Family has spent the last two years relearning how to grow small grains in Iowa and they have researched machinery, production strategies and varieties, in addition to seeking potential market streams. One opportunity is to direct-market small grains to small-scale livestock owners as either whole grains or as part of complete mixed feeds. We'll talk about that and /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5651841

On-Farm, Episode 014: Chris Teachout 08/09/2017

On-Farm, Episode 014: Chris Teachout This week on the show, we had Chris Teachout, who farms near Shenandoah in southwest Iowa with his wife Janenne. Chris is a fifth-generation farmer, and he and his family have been using conservation practices on their farm since the mid-80s. He raises corn, soybeans and small grains, and has been using no-till practices for over 20 years. Ultimately, his goal is to regenerate his soil with cover crops and biology. On this show, we talk with Chris about how he got started with cover crops, what soil health /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5625729

On-Farm, Episode 013: Kevin Dietzel – Lost Lake Farm 08/02/2017

On-Farm, Episode 013: Kevin Dietzel – Lost Lake Farm This week, On-Farm traveled to Lost Lake Farm, the farm of Kevin and Ranae Dietzel, to talk to Kevin while he made mozzarella cheese and cheese curds. Lost Lake Farm is a small, grass-fed cow dairy that produces artisanal cheese in an on-farm cheesery. The Dietzels operate the farm with low capital and a small herd. They focus on what they're good at: grazing cattle and turning milk into a high-value product. Their cows are a mix of breeds, but are bred to Normande, a French breed known to produce milk for /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5603806

On-Farm, Episode 012: Tyson Allchin – Allchin Acres 07/28/2017

On-Farm, Episode 012: Tyson Allchin – Allchin Acres This week on the show, we have Tyson Allchin of Allchin Acres near Columbus Junction. Tyson has spent much of the last 10 years of his life learning everything he can about mushroom cultivation. He's grown a variety of different species of mushrooms, from oysters - which he says are the easiest to cultivate - to shiitake, to lion's mane and many others. He says that mushrooms are relatively easy to grow if you learn a few basic things, and we discuss all of it - from preparing a substrate, to inoculation, t /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5588152

On-Farm, Episode 011: Russ Wischover – Windswept Acres 07/21/2017

On-Farm, Episode 011: Russ Wischover – Windswept Acres This week, On-Farm is back on the road and today we’re visiting the farm of Russ Wischover – Windswept Acres – right on the Missouri border in south west Iowa. Several years ago, Russ retired from his job as a herdsman at the University of Illinois’s swine research farm and bought a farm near Bedford. Since then, he’s converted the ground to multispecies perennial pasture and prairie for his sheep, cattle and horses to graze. Although he’s spent a lifetime planning his farm and learning about an /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5561469

On-Farm, Episode 010: Wendy Johnson – Joia Food Farm 07/13/2017

On-Farm, Episode 010: Wendy Johnson – Joia Food Farm This week on the show, On-Farm was back on the road, this time stopping at Joia Food Farm near Charles City to talk to PFI Board Vice President Wendy Johnson. Wendy and her husband Johnny own and operate the farm, where they raise a little of everything, from chickens and turkeys to pigs and sheep to organic row crops, and diversity is a tenet of their farm operation. They not only have a diversity of crops and livestock, but they feed their animals diverse feeds. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5536310

On-Farm, Episode 009: Marty Schnicker – Schnicker Specialties 07/06/2017

On-Farm, Episode 009: Marty Schnicker – Schnicker Specialties Have you ever wondered how they grow those giant veggies at the state fair? This week on the show, we have Marty Schnicker of Schnicker Specialities, who has your answers. Marty, who farms with his wife Mary near Mt. Pleasant in southeast Iowa, knows how to grow really big vegetables. He holds the Iowa State Record for heaviest watermelon grown, tipping the scales at 209 lbs. But watermelons aren’t the only thing – they grow big everythings from cabbage to cantaloupe. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5513792

On-Farm, Episode 008: Scott Ausborn 06/29/2017

On-Farm, Episode 008: Scott Ausborn This week on the show, Scott Ausborn stopped by the KHOI studios. Scott farms with his parents, Jack and Linda, where they raise corn, soybeans, hay and pasture as well as sheep and cattle. He also works for Blue River Hybrids, an organic seed company based in Ames, and he serves as board president for the Iowa Organic Association. Scott and his family are currently transitioning some of their farm to organic, and on the show we talk about that, from why they decided to transition to how the process works. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5492164

On-Farm, Episode 007: Tom Frantzen – Frantzen Farm 06/22/2017

On-Farm, Episode 007: Tom Frantzen – Frantzen Farm Tom Frantzen of Frantzen Farm was our guest this week on the show. Tom and his wife Irene have been members of Practical Farmers since the birth of the organization. They run a diversified, organic crop and livestock farm with organic cattle, hogs, corn, soybeans, hay and small grains. On the show, we talk about one of the biggest problems on the farm - giant ragweed - and the solution Tom thinks he has to the problem - hybrid rye. This new variety has better yield and is less susceptible to ergot, which ca /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5471394

On-Farm, Episode 006: Jon Yagla – The Millet Seed Farm 06/15/2017

On-Farm, Episode 006: Jon Yagla – The Millet Seed Farm Jon Yagla of The Millet Seed Farm in Iowa City was our guest this week on the show. Jon runs this urban farm with his partner Wren Almitra in the Longfellow Historic Neighborhood of Iowa City. The farm consists primarily of a series of vegetable beds in yards in the neighborhood making up about a fifth of an acre. On that ground, the farm produces food for a 20-person CSA. On the show, we talk about how Jon got started farming; how he manages to cram so many veggies in so little space; using yard waste, cit /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5452740

On-Farm, Episode 005: Phil Specht – Pearlmaker Holsteins 06/09/2017

On-Farm, Episode 005: Phil Specht – Pearlmaker Holsteins Phil Specht of Pearlmaker Holsteins was our guest this week on the show. Phil farms with his wife Sharon near MacGregor in northeast Iowa. He's been running a grass-based, rotationally grazed dairy in the hills of Clayton County since the 1970s, and conservation has always been important to him. In 2013, his brother Dan passed away in a farm accident, and Dan's friend Mary Damm purchased Dan's farm. Since then, Phil and Mary have been conducting on-farm research on the links between pasture management, plan /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5433277

On-Farm, Episode 004: Maggie McQuown and Steve Turman – Resilient Farms 06/01/2017

On-Farm, Episode 004: Maggie McQuown and Steve Turman – Resilient Farms Maggie McQuown and Steve Turman of Resilient Farms were our guests on the show this week. Maggie and Steve moved to the their farm near Red Oak in southwest Iowa where they "retired" a little less than 10 years ago. Since then, they've been working to improve the resilience of the farm, which has been in Maggie's family for more than a century. On the show, we talk about the different conservation practices they're using to improve soil and water quality; working with farm operators on conservation efforts; /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5410445

On-Farm, Episode 003: Deb Finch – Finch Livestock 05/25/2017

On-Farm, Episode 003: Deb Finch – Finch Livestock Deb Finch, who farms near Marshalltown in east-central Iowa, talks about raising meat goats. On the show, we discuss how she grew up around pigs, cattle and sheep, but happened into raising goats about 15 years ago. Now, she's an expert in raising goats - we talk about everything from feed to fencing to health to markets, and also discuss her upcoming field day, where attendees can take part in a FAMACHA training to monitor parasite loads through assessing the goat's eyelids. /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5389947

On-Farm, Episode 002: T.D. Holub – Garden Oasis Farm 05/18/2017

On-Farm, Episode 002: T.D. Holub – Garden Oasis Farm This week on On-Farm, T.D. Holub of Coggon in eastern Iowa. T.D. and his fiancée, Sarah Gericke, grow fruits and vegetables for farmers' markets, restaurants, grocery stores and for a 100-person CSA. On the show, I talk to T.D. about his upcoming field day - on June 9, "Tractors and Tools with T.D." - focusing on some of the farm machinery he's purchased over the past few years for the vegetable operation. Included: a water wheel transplanter, a Williams tool bar system, an Allis Chalmers G tractor, a home /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5367769

On-Farm, Episode 001: Jill Beebout – Blue Gate Farm 05/11/2017

On-Farm, Episode 001: Jill Beebout – Blue Gate Farm Our first guest on the podcast is long-time Practical Farmers of Iowa member Jill Beebout. Jill owns and operates Blue Gate Farm near Chariton in south-central Iowa with her partner Sean Skeehan. They raise fruits and vegetables for a small CSA (community supported agriculture) and also sell their produce at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market. In addition, they produce free-range eggs, raw honey, alpaca fiber and handspun yarn. On this episode, Jill talks about her upcoming field day about two-wheele /episode/index/show/practicalfarmers/id/5340441

On-Farm: Conversations with Practical Farmers

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