Equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities.
At its heart, building farm resilience is about equipping farms to withstand sudden shocks – whether flooding, weeds, market swings or social upheaval. As the world grapples with the sprawling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for resilient farms is even more apparent.

We want to hear your farm’s stories of resilience in the face of COVID-19. How are you adapting on your farm? What changes have you made? How has your community rallied to support your farm business?

Use the hashtag #practicalresilience to share your stories of resilience and we’ll showcase them on our social media channels and in future issues of “Practical News.” 
ON THE BLOG
The 2018 farm bill included funding for a new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) pilot sub-program called SHIPP (Soil Health and Income Protection Program).

Because this is a new program within CRP, we've had a lot of questions.

NEWS

Keep informed, share events, meet other farmers, landowners and non-farmers interested in diverse agriculture and get the support you need to make practical food and farm decisions.
We are hiring a part-time office assistant to join our membership team and a strategic initiatives coordinator for the strategic initiatives team.


Mike Salama of Salama Greenhouse in Boone is one of many trainer farms in PFI's Labor4Learning program. Mike is willing to hire an assistant grower who is eager to learn about operating a retail greenhouse with hydroponic vegetables and flowers.

"Labor4Learning is a great program allowing us to find candidates that are really interested in the work that we do. The Labor4Learning program really helps me relax and spend time with the trainee, and also they are usually very engaged as well." - Mike Salama
UPCOMING EVENTS
Facilitated by financial planners from Syverson Strege, this workshop will discuss retirement planning and implementation strategies and will lay out a roadmap to retirement as part of a larger farm transfer or estate plan.

Are you curious about how the new Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act and how it might impact your farm? Syverson Strege has another webinar scheduled at 3 p.m. on April 9 discussing the CARES Act.
April 9: Workshop - Farm Retirement
10 a.m. | Online
Please join us during a one-hour virtual meet-up to talk about the ongoing changes and challenges specific to your farms and markets due to COVID-19.

We’ll be holding these every Friday at 1 p.m. for the next six weeks.

Our intention is to provide a place for producers to share their insights, struggles, ideas and strategies to manage current and anticipated changes related to consumer demand, market access, labor, and enhanced measures for food safety.

April 9: Workshop - Farm Retirement
10 a.m. | Online

April 10: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online

April 17: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online
April 24: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online

May 1: Meet-Up - Strange Times
1 p.m. | Online
IN THE NEWS
Members in the News
Michael and Courtney Gutschenritter of Oconomowoc, WI, were featured in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oconomowoc farmer's restaurant customers are struggling, so he's getting eggs to groceries, charity

Daniel Rosmann and Ellen Walsh Rosmann of Harlan were featured in Harlan Online:  FarmTable, Milk & Honey Hope To Weather The Storm

Sarah Carlson of Pleasant Hill and Mike Jackson of Oskaloosa were featured in The Conservation Infrastructure Initiative: Cover Crops Boot Camp - Farmers Share Lessons Learned

Paul Willis of Thornton was featured on foodtank.com: 28 Innovative Livestock Farmers Who are Shaping the Future of Protein

Aaron Lehman of Polk City, Grain Millers of Eden Prairie, MN and Steffen Mirsky of Decorah were featured on Iowa Ingredient: Oats
PFI in the News
PFI was not featured in the news this week.
Have you been featured in the media? Tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.