ALC Quarterly Update

The Agricultural Law Center team has been busy in the first quarter of 2018.  We’ve traveled north of the Arctic Circle, spoken at numerous conferences, appeared in stories in multiple media outlets, screened a new documentary film and even hosted a former U.S. ambassador.

January

Associate Director Jennifer Zwagerman is quoted in an Event Driven article, BG/ADM: Soybean Crushing and Grain Handling Markets Raise Antitrust Questions on January 24.  She also spoke to Farm World about food safety and regulatory oversite.

In January, Resilient Agriculture Coordinator Matt Russell gave an interview to Harvest Public Media about the need for farmers to partner with others to ensure conservation, disaster assistance, and nutrition assistance are supported in the 2018 farm bill.

February

Director Neil Hamilton was a guest on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River on February 20.  The hour-long program explored the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and implications of implementing America’s Harvest Box.  He argued the proposed change to SNAP looks like a solution in search of a problem.

The Center collaborated with the Drake University College of Arts and Sciences on their 2018 Engaged Citizen Experience Conference, Nourishing the World, on Feb. 22-23.  Neil facilitated a panel discussion following the screening of the new film “Farmers for America.”

At the Engaged Citizen Conference, Matt invited Jennifer Terry, executive director of the Iowa Environmental Council, to help lead the breakout session “Iowa Agriculture Reality Check—Environmental Sustainability.”  Drake University alumna and former Ambassador Darci Vetter gave the keynote address.  She is a strategic consultant on International Trade and Agriculture, diplomat in residence at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln and the former chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

March

Neil traveled near the North Pole to pay homage to thousands of years of agricultural development and a million seeds stored at the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, on March 2.

“Being inside the Vault makes real the stories I have read,” Neil said. “It also brings a new appreciation and understanding of the work of many people – the plant collectors, the seed breeders, the farmers, and the gene bank officials who have collected, improved and saved these seeds.  One does not need to be a person of faith to feel a visit to the Vault is moving in a spiritual way.”

Matt spoke at the 9th Annual Feed Greater Des Moines conference about local food policy and advocacy on March 3.  He also spoke about working-land conservation programs, CSP and EQIP at the National Farmers Union convention in Kansas City on March 5.

Looking Forward

Our project, Guide on How to Improve Water Quality on Iowa Farms, will be published in the next month.

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