Landowner Boot Camp

Owning and managing farmland can be a complicated process with few, if any, one-size-fits-all solutions. From communicating with renters, to understanding stewardship practices, to knowing how to write a farmland lease, nonfarming landowners face many barriers that keep them from realizing their visions for their land.

Join Des Moines Water Works, Heartland Cooperative, Peoples Company and Practical Farmers of Iowa for a multipart virtual boot camp designed to share the why, what, when and how of successful and intentional farmland management.

Learn from landowners, farmers and conservation professionals about successful strategies for implementing conservation and stewardship practices on rented farmland, and hear why responsible landownership is so important to building a better agriculture in Iowa and across the Midwest.

Register for the series below to receive email reminders about upcoming events.

Workshop #1: Every Farm Matters

Friday, July 30 | Noon – 1:30 p.m.

With more and more landowners owning smaller and smaller farms, it can be easy to think that your farmland doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. During this workshop, learn why that’s not true and what it means to be part of a watershed. Hear from fellow landowners about why we should all care about intentional and thoughtful farmland management that prioritizes stewardship.

Workshop #2: Rhythms of Agriculture

Friday, Aug. 6 | Noon – 1:30 p.m.

The day-to-day business of running a farm can be mysterious to those who aren’t directly involved with agriculture. During this workshop, hear from farmers and ag professionals about a year in the decision-making life of a farmer. Learn more about what research tells us about the priorities of both farmers and landowners, and gain an understanding of the resources, experts and services that farmers use to help make decisions on the farm.

Workshop #3: Strategies & Next Steps

Friday, Aug. 13 | Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Taking an active hand in managing farmland can be daunting for many landowners. In this workshop, learn more about how to build healthy and robust relationships with farmland tenants. Landowners and conservation professionals will highlight best practices for communicating with renters, explore approaches to farmland leasing and discuss why building equitable partnerships leads to better farm stewardship.

Workshop #4: Strategies & Next Steps for Women Landowners

Friday, Aug. 20 | Noon – 2 p.m.

Managing farmland can be daunting, and women landowners in particular face specific and gender-driven barriers. In this workshop, learn more about how to overcome these barriers to build healthy and robust relationships with farmland tenants. Learn about best practices for communicating with renters, explore different approaches to farmland leasing and hear more about how and why to build equitable farm partnerships.

This workshop is intended for women landowners. Content will overlap with Workshop #3, but will also feature content addressing gender-specific barriers to effective farm management and includes an additional 30 minutes for discussion and Q&A.

Partners

Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) is a regional drinking water utility that protects public health by delivering outstanding quality water in reliable quantities. The utility’s mission is to supply 500,000 central Iowans – one-sixth of Iowa’s population – with clean, safe and reliable drinking water

Heartland Cooperative provides agronomic products and services to farmer members at 71 locations across central Iowa, eastern Nebraska and northwestern Texas. The cooperative currently serves more than 5,800 members and strives to offer value-added and innovative solutions to its customers.

Peoples Company is a full-service, national farmland management and transaction company with Iowa roots. With a rural heritage that is core to its brokerage, appraisal, management and investment business, Peoples Company believes that “everything starts with land.”

Questions?

Contact Jorgen Rose at jorgen@practicalfarmers.org or by calling our office at (515) 232-5661.