Practical Farmers’ annual conference will focus on profitable meat marketing
Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2019 annual conference will feature a suite of sessions dedicated to profitability on livestock farms, including sessions on profitably marketing meat, the economics of running an organic dairy in today’s market milieu and grazing cover crops profitably, among others.
The conference, “Cultivating Connections,” will take place Jan. 17 to 19 at the Iowa State Center Scheman Building, on the Iowa State University campus in Ames. Register on the PFI website at practicalfarmers.org/events/annual-conference/, or contact Debra Boekholder at [email protected] or 515-232-5661. Those who pre-register by Jan. 10 will save $10 per day. Special rates are available for students and PFI members.
Three sessions will specifically explore meat marketing, from how to more strategically approach meat marketing, to assessing whether marketing efforts are profitable, and the pros and cons of a cooperative meat marketing model.
The conference will also feature:
Numerous other livestock sessions, on topics ranging from linebreeding and cattle genetics, to pastured poultry and wool production, to using livestock to regenerate degraded soils, and more.
Two pre-conference short courses, including one on silvopasturing that will explore in-depth the growing practice of integrating trees, livestock and forages. A keynote address by farmer and author Michael Phillips, of Heartsong Farm Healing Herbs and Lost Nation Orchard in New Hampshire, will help listeners understand the vital link between mycorrhizal fungi and crop health, and explain how this fungal network can help foster resilience in ecosystems.
Many opportunities to network and build relationships with other farmers, researchers, consumers and sponsors—including during the free breakfast served on Saturday morning.
For full details on conference sessions, speakers, vendors and lodging options—as well as a downloadable conference brochure—visit PFI’s annual conference webpage at practicalfarmers.org/events/annual-conference/.
Practical Farmers of Iowa’s 2019 annual conference is supported by several major sponsors, including: Albert Lea Seed; Clarity Financial Planning; Clif Bar & Co.; Grain Millers; Hall Roberts’ Son, Inc.; Iowa State University Department of Agronomy and Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture; Natural Resources Defense Council; and Niman Ranch.
