"If you give a farmer incentives to have cover crops on their farm, they will change the landscape – but the market hasn't paid them to do it. It's time for companies to not just talk about doing their part, [but] do their part."

– James Holz, farmer and PFI member from Grand Junction, Iowa

James shared these thoughts in a new 10-minute film that explores how companies are taking action to curb climate change and build a more resilient future. Produced by The Climate Pledge, the film is part of the group's "Future Forward" docuseries, now streaming for free on Amazon Prime Video.

Through PFI's partnership with Unilever, we are helping to create market incentives for farmers to fund cover crops – and protect and improve their soil in the process.

Thank you to PFI members Bill Frederick, Ruth McCabe, Doug Honeck, James Holz and PFI staffer Sarah Carlson for sharing your perspective on the role cover crops play in making farmland more resilient for generations to come!

Planting green is essential for season-long corn and soybean health on Jason Russell’s family farm near Monticello, Iowa.

We chatted with Jason about planting green and planter set-up for planting into covers.

Will Cannon of Prairie City, Iowa, shares practical tips about his planter setup for planting corn into a living cereal rye cover crop in the first episode of our new "Practical Cover Croppers" video series.

Watch for more videos in this series, which will focus on everything from the basics of cover cropping to more advanced topics like relay cropping, roller crimping and diverse rotations.

Are you a small-scale urban or suburban farmer interested in planting beneficial insect habitat?

PFI's new beneficial insects cost-share program pays for native plants so you can create insectary strips or beetle banks to increase natural predation and pollination on your farm.

Plus, you'll receive support from the Xerces Society along the way. Learn more and apply.

“Livestock on the Land,” PFI’s feature-length documentary, will be screening at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival at Collins Road Theatres in Marion, Iowa.

If you haven’t seen the film, or wish to watch it again, you can view it online or see it in person at one of these upcoming Iowa screenings.

Take an afternoon off the farm and meet up with members of the PFI community at a social near you.

You'll swap stories with and bring home inspiration from a diverse group of farmers in your region with a wide variety of experiences in farming.

Socials are free and open to the public. Registration is requested.

Apr. 29: PFI Social - Whiterock Conservancy

May 6: Social - Prairie Oaks Institute

Wendy Johnson of Charles City, IA, wrote an op-ed published in Civil Eats: Op-ed: We Need a New Farm Bill—for My Iowa Farm and Beyond

Nicole Jonas of Boone, IA, was featured on KCCI: Women farmers in Iowa build business from the ground up

Maggie McQuown of Red Oak, IA, was featured on Iowa Interfaith Power & Light's website: Faithful Farmer: Maggie McQuown

Lydia English, PFI's field crops viability manager, was interviewed on News/Talk 1540 KXEL: Listen on SoundCloud

Have you been featured in the media? If you're a PFI member, tell us when and where to find a link to the article, and we'll feature you in a future issue of Practical News.

Contact: tamsyn.jones@practicalfarmers.org

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