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by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

While most farmers seek to keep animals away from their crops, Nathan and Sarah Anderson work at ways to integrate wildlife into natural habitats on Bobolink Prairie Farms, their Aurelia, Iowa, farm, to increase overall profitability. Practical Farmers of Iowa offered “Using Conservation to Improve Farm Profitability” as a recent webinar in which Nathan Anderson spoke about their edge-of-field conservation on marginal lands to provide water quality and wildlife benefits while improving return on investment on farmed acres. (more…)

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

If you want to finish your beef cattle on grass, Jamie Hostetler of Rolling Meadows Farm in Bellevue, Iowa, offered some expert insights during “The Art of Grass Finishing Cattle,” a recent shared learning call hosted by Practical Farmers of Iowa. Hostetler profits $500 per acre from selling his beef cattle. (more…)

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Many farmers want to pass on their land to a family member or a young farmer when they’re ready to retire. Since the cost of land, equipment and buildings is often higher than beginning farmers can afford, farmers anticipating succession should plan ahead to ensure their land goes where they want it to go. Practical Farmers of Iowa presented “Making the Land Affordable for the Next Generation of Farmers” as a recent webinar, hosted by Dale Nimrod, a farmer who has completed two succession plans, along with his attorney, Karl Knudson, and Matt Roberts, a certified financial planner in Des Moines. Sally Worley, representing Practical Farmers, emceed. (more…)

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Is insurance pest management worth it? That depends. Partnership for Ag Resources Management hosted “The Pros and Cons of Insurance Pest Management: The New IPM” as a recent webinar presented by Dr. Christian Krupke, a professor of entomology at Purdue University. The partnership is a project of the IPM Institute of North America Inc. (more…)

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

It’s not just a trendy phrase among those concerned about the environment. “Sustainable agriculture” also represents a good business model. Dr. Jude Capper, a livestock sustainability consultant in the UK, recently presented a webinar on the topic for AMTS as part of the organization’s “The Nutritionist 2020” series. (more…)