The work of rewilding Iowa (the most altered landscape in the nation) can only be done by engaging farmers. Iowa’s medium and steep sloped areas are prime spaces for adoption of perennial cover as habitat or managed pasture and crops. Through farmer-led education field days and conference sessions focused on habitat restoration, PFI can continue to help lead the adoption and integration of conservation on working lands; integrating food, nature, and contributing to vibrant farms and communities.

One of PFI’s values is welcoming everyone, as we know that a diversity of farming enterprises and production styles shapes a more resilient landscape. As a result, our membership, who will be engaged first-hand in this project, is widespread. PFI’s membership has been consistently growing as more people realize the value of farmer-to-farmer education and the need for a community of like-minded farmers and landowners who hold stewardship and curiosity as core values. Currently, PFI has more than 8,000 individual members, and we know our reach goes far beyond these members.

We know from research that social barriers are one of the most overlooked challenges to conservation adoption. We also know that the social barriers can be just as important as technical and financial barriers. However, addressing these social barriers is not particularly difficult and can have a large impact for a relatively small cost. The recipe is straightforward: connect farmers and landowners with likeminded peers so that they have a community of support available when taking innovative action on their farmland that departs from the norms of row crop agriculture.

Responses to the 3 questions

What do you/we mean by wild?

Iowa is the most altered landscape in the country. Whether there are people living or farming on any given spot or not, the human impact is present. Before European settlement the landscape of Iowa was impacted by humans; resources harvested, manipulated, farmed and burned for thousands of years. The prairies and savannas that covered Iowa were there in part because they were managed through grazing by bison and fires set by the native peoples to move the herds.

The last time the land where present day Iowa is was not impacted by humans it was under miles of ice.

So, if “wild” cannot realistically mean to be without human management, then what can it look like? In a PFI article about oak savanna restoration, Omar de Kok-Mercado said “Nature is a decision now. I don’t think of it as restoration back to a specific point in time, I think of it as reconstructing to what our objectives for the space are.” At PFI many of our members manage space for water quality, or habitat restoration, often alongside or directly with profit enterprises. Managed grazing can be critical to native grasslands, silvopasture and orchards can provide habitat for birds and insects amid the trees. Oxbows and edge of field practices create spaces for nature to exist. Even crop-ground planted in perennials like Kernza deeply benefit subterranean habitat, soil-health, and water quality.

Wildness must be found amongst the working lands. Whether a bobwhite sings in land set aside for CRP, or in a paddock waiting to be rotationally grazed, the song sounds the same. Wildness cannot be removed from the context of place. Wild, at least in Iowa, is a management ethos.

What lifestyle changes are needed for us to live within the bounds of sustainability?

As an organization focused on agricultural work, Practical farmers can’t speak to what society as a whole should do to live sustainably. Within the context of agriculture, we avoid being prescriptive in how farmers should run their farms. Our vision is for an Iowa with healthy soil, healthy food, clean air, clean water, resilient farms and vibrant communities. To this end we know that our members’ research, knowledge and experiences will direct us and the agricultural landscape towards those goals.

How can we create a wilder, more beautiful, more biologically diverse, and a more enduring Mississippi River Watershed?

Paul Johnson wrote that “With a broader understanding of land and our place within the landscape, our Nation’s farms, ranches, and private forest land can and do serve the multiple functions that we and all other life depend upon.” The multiple functions of working lands are critical to creating a wilder, more beautiful, more biologically diverse, and a more enduring Mississippi River Watershed.

The health of an ecosystem is measured in part by the diversity of species present. Similarly, the health of a watershed will be reflective of the diversity and resilience of farms and communities on the landscape that can care for and be invested in the land.

Timeframe: 2/1/2024 – 2/1/2025
Total $: $25,000

1. Robust, immersive learning as a path for increasing habitat conservation and restoration in Iowa.

a. Strategy: Farmer-led education featuring table food production systems increases the validity of this business option for Iowa farmers.

i. Field Days

• Host 3 on-farm field days
• Led by farmers to share knowledge and experience
• Engage with audience to promote actionable ideas and methods
• Typically, have around 40 attendees/ each

ii. Annual Conference Sessions

• Host 2 Annual Conference sessions
• Led by farmers to share knowledge and experience
• Engaging with audience to promote actionable ideas and methods
• Typically, have around 60 attendees/ each

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TOTAL REQUEST

I. Personnel

I. Personnel (Employee) subtotal $9,498.00
I. Personnel (Benefits) subtotal $2,188.00
Personnel subtotal & FTE/Grant $11,686.00

II. Direct Expenses

5240 Travel $2,029.00
5140 Farmer Compensation $2,500.00
5170 Meetings Expense $2,600.00
5200 Supplies $300.00
5250 Publicity and Advertising $1,500.00
5180 Printing and Copying $1,490.00
5190 Postage and Delivery $312.00
5212 Supplies: Software $170.00
5130 Contract Services $140.00
Direct Expenses Subtotal $11,041.00

III. Overhead 10% $2,273.00

TOTAL REQUEST $25,000.00

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Final Report

Feb. 14, 2024 – Feb. 14, 2025

Describe the key accomplishments, activities and progress made among the ecosystem of organizations working on these issues during the past year. Include summaries of outputs and outcomes.

For this re-wilding Iowa project, PFI has focused on creating opportunities for farmers and landowners to share innovative ways they are re-wilding portions of their farms to improve the coexistence of farming and wildness. These opportunities included 3 field days during the summer of 2024, a webinar, and two sessions at PFI’s 2025 Annual Conference. Here is a summary of each event, outcomes met, and several photos from the events.

Field Days

PFI helped farmers and landowners host 3 field days where they discussed different aspects of how rewilding manifests alongside – or in place of – agronomic crops on their land.

Outcomes for these field days:

• Total attendance of 95 people at the three field days.

On the post-event evaluation for these three field days, attendees reported:

• 83% of attendees reported a “moderate,” “large,” or “very large change in knowledge.
• 90% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they had new ideas or questions to explore following the field days.
• 90% were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to continue a connection with someone else at the field day.
• 97% said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to make changes to their land management based on what they learned at the field day.

Below are more details about each of the three field days, including a photo from each.

Targeted Conservation for Layered Benefit: Using Data To Create Habitat Host: Steve Robinsky

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Planting prairie can achieve many goals. When strategically located, that prairie can improve your farm’s bottom line. At Steve Robisky’s 15-year-old Conservation Reserve Program planting near Cedar Falls, Iowa, we discussed how conservation practices can increase yield averages, reduce input costs and improve the “farmability” of the rest of your field, all while creating wildlife habitat.

Neighboring farmer Chuck Hesse explained how he improved his farm’s profitability by targeting his marginal acres. Stephanie Nelson, with Pheasants Forever, shared profitability maps and other data that can aid your decision-making process. Steve covered tips for successfully establishing and managing your prairie and crop interface. This field day exemplified the impact neighborly relationships can have on expanding local wildlife networks.

Establishing New Prairie for Endangered Beneficial Insects on a Century Farm Host: Julie Martinez

Comanche, Iowa

Julie Martinez and her husband, Jon Kramer, own The Hardy Farm, a 127-acre corn and soybean century farm they lease out in Camanche, Iowa. Built at the end of the Civil War in 1865, Julie inherited the farm from her mother. In November 2023, Julie, along with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, seeded 110 acres into native prairie habitat using a 15-year Conservation Reserve Program contract. This new planting will someday provide critical habitat to several beneficial insect species, such as the imperiled American and rusty patched bumblebees. During this field day, Julie and Scott James of the Fish and Wildlife Service discussed the process, look and feel of establishing new prairie, how to maintain it properly from one year to the next and funding options available. This was a great way to see rewilding alternatives to corn and soybean farming in action.

Establishing Prairie: Selecting Seeds to Restore and Optimize Native Habitat Host: Lance Brisbois and Cait Caughey

Woodbine, IA

Cait Caughey is owner and operator of Mullein Hill Farm, a 25-acre farm specializing in flowers, field vegetables and herbs. She has been working to restore portions of the farm back to native upland prairie through careful selection of eco-typical seeds. Lance Brisbois, the deputy director of Golden Hills RC&D, specializes in habitat restoration and outdoor recreation. Attendees came prepared to work as Cait and Lance led guests on a prairie seed harvest at Willow Lake Nature Center (this field day had to be move off the farm location that was planned due to extenuating circumstances). Attendees had the opportunity to pick, clean and sort their own prairie seed to take home.

Annual Conference

Nearly 1,200 people attended the 2025 PFI Annual Conference, over two days on Jan. 10-11, 2025 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, IA. Nestled among a track of on-farm habitat offerings, these two sessions were supported directly by Gipple funding and featured the value of wildness and wildness connectivity in the discussion.

Outcomes from the Annual Conference:

• 91% of attendees reported a “moderate,” “large,” or “very large change in knowledge.
• 96% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they had new ideas or questions to explore following the Annual Conference.
• 86% were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to continue a connection with someone else at the Annual Conference.
• 93% said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to make changes to their land management based on what they learned at the Annual Conference.

Details about each session:

Why It Matters: The Ripple Effect of Local Conservation on Regional and National Efforts

Small-scale conservation efforts on individual farms aren’t just a drop in the bucket – they can influence large-scale efforts on a regional basis and have a cumulative effect on your town, county, state and country. Seth Watkins of Pinhook Farm discussed his role in creating and restoring terrestrial and riparian habitat on farms here in Iowa, and how doing so impacts the conservation efforts undertaken in the Gulf region of the United States.

Speaker: Seth Watkins runs Pinhook Farm, his family’s heritage farm near Clarinda, Iowa. Seth raises corn, soybeans, winter wheat and alfalfa along with a cow-calf herd. Seth has implemented a wide variety of conservation practices like cover crops, no-till, integrating livestock into crop fields, prairies strips and more. He’s also transitioned many acres out of production entirely, transforming those spaces into valuable habitat.

(session attendance: 76)

Adding Agroforestry to Diversify Income and Improve Wildlife Habitat

Have you ever wondered about adding agroforestry practices to your farm operations, but don’t know where to start? From old forest stands to newly planted trees, agroforestry incorporates all aspects of your property. In this session, Elana Gingerich of Olivia’s Orchard and Bailey Yotter, state forester for Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, described ways to integrate fruit- and nut-producing trees into an existing conventional farming system. They also discussed financial assistance programs that can help make it happen.

Speakers: Elana Gingerich grew up on a conventional hog operation but developed a passion for tree crops. Today, she operates Olivia’s Orchard (formerly East Holbrook Chestnut Grove), a 40-acre farm near Parnell, Iowa, with over 10 acres of chestnut trees, a few acres of pawpaw trees and a handful of other fruit and nut trees. Grass-finished beef cattle play a crucial role on the farm: They are rotationally grazed to manage pasture and timber. Elana also operates a nursery supplying chestnut and pawpaw trees for other growers who want to get started in agroforestry.

Bailey Yotter has been Iowa’s state forester since February 2024. Prior to her time with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, she was an area forester with the National Wild Turkey Federation, covering southeast Iowa for nearly four years. From 2013-2019, Bailey acted as a consultant forester in central Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forest resource management from University of Missouri-Columbia.

(session attendance: 110)

Webinar

We rounded out the suite of virtual events with a virtual offering (farmer-led webinar) to diversify how farmers and landowners can engage with farmer-led education. We find that webinars don’t always generate the same level of outcomes as in-person events, but they do help reach different audiences, create evergreen content that can be re-watched on Youtube. In short, attendees – and we – still find webinars a valuable tactic.

Outcomes from PFI’s winter webinar series:

• 59% of attendees reported a “moderate,” “large,” or “very large change in knowledge.
• 82% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they had new ideas or questions to explore following the webinar.
• 30% were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to continue a connection with someone else on the webinar.
• 73% said they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to make changes to their land management based on what they learned during the webinar.

Webinar details:

Diversifying Pollinator Habitat on a Multi-Generational Illinois Farm Speakers: Nancy and John Brannaman

The webinar was designed for people looking to diversify their pollinator habitat and who were tired of the endless mowing of brome and bluegrass. Nancy and John Brannaman delivered this as they showcased the ongoing conservation efforts on their Illinois farm.

Over the years, the Brannamans have added native prairie mixes, Conservation Reserve Program wetland mixes and Conservation Stewardship Program pollinator plots to their land. More recently, they’ve contracted with Pheasants Forever to seed another 13 acres of CRP pollinator habitat. In this webinar, Nancy and John discussed how they do this work. Attendees learned about the seed and equipment they use, like extenders for small seeds. They also explained how they prepare the seed bed and handle mowing, weeding and burning.

(Live attendance: 34; Recording: 110 views on Youtube)

Describe the shifting landscape of the issues that you address: what new opportunities emerged during the past year? What unexpected challenges did you face? How did you adjust your strategy and/or activities accordingly?

Few issues related to this work were encountered during grant period. As briefly mentioned in the activities summary, one of our planned field days had to be moved from the farm to a nature center due to extenuating circumstances with the farm. Our field day organizer and communications team worked closely with the host farmer and new venue. We updated our promotion, sent a special announcement in our weekly e-news about the change, and sent an additional “new address “email reminder to registrants for the field day. The Willow Lake Nature Center ended up working well, with the original farmer host as the speaker and guide through the Center’s prairie.

Of course, toward the end of this grant period, the Executive Orders freezing federal funding, cancelling some grant contracts, and DOGE changes to reduce the federal workforce at USDA, NRCS and other conservation agencies began. We expect these changes to have both direct effects and ripple effects on rewilding and habitat implementation by farmers, and on organizations and agencies who provide education, technical assistance, financial support and social learning around conservation topics.

At present, we are still awaiting decisions on several existing grant contracts. We are grateful for your continued support of this work, and we look forward to working with Iowa Environmental Council in a more collaborative fashion for this work in 2025 –26.

Please include a brief paragraph about how the funds were spent, any major deviance from expected spending, and if any funds remain. Please answer this question: Were all funds received from the grantor expended in accordance with the grant agreement?

At the outset of this grant, PFI created an internal budget for use of the funds provided that was in accordance with the grant agreement. The expenses included direct expenses like field day and speaker host stipends, supplies, staff travel to events, event expenses including rentals and venue charges, printing and postage for the field day guide and annual conference program and brochure. Funds were also spent to support personnel involved in this work. All funds received from the grantor were expended in accordance with the grant agreement. Thank you for supporting this important work in Iowa, and for including PFI in your generous giving!

Sarah Carlson
Senior Programs and Member Engagement Director