The Iowa Farmers Union Board of Directors welcomes you to the 2025 Iowa Farmers Union Annual Convention. This gathering is our chance to come together, reflect on the year, and chart the course ahead – your voice is essential. We’re glad you’re here.
During our two days of programming, we will engage in timely workshops and panels, discuss key issues for Iowa family farmers, share food and fellowship, elect our leaders, and set the policy priorities that will guide us in the year ahead. We hope you leave energized to make a difference on your farm and in your community.
Be sure to join us for the Candidate Forum and Reception, a special opportunity to hear directly from senate and congressional candidates in what promise to be some of the nation’s most closely watched races in 2026. Take part in the panel on Trade and Tariffs, where Lori Wallach, Chad Hart, Jonathan Coppess, Mike Stranz, and Aaron Lehman will discuss how global markets influence opportunities and risks for Iowa farmers. Choose from a variety of workshops on rural journalism, the farmers’ share of the food dollar, water quality and public health, and the history of Iowa’s rural movement, paired with member action training.
Don’t miss our keynote address by Jonathan Coppess, who will share his insights on the future of the Farm Bill and what its direction means for family farmers. Participate in policy round tables and debate sessions as we work together to shape the 2026 IFU Policy Book. And be sure to take part in IFU Board elections, where your voice helps determine the leadership that will carry our mission forward.
Experience it all at our 2025 convention in Central Iowa!
Jonathan Coppess is the Gardner Associate Professor of Agricultural Policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and leads the Gardner Agricultural Policy Program and Policy Design Lab. He is the author of The Fault Lines of Farm Policy (2018) and Between Soil and Society (2024) and a frequent contributor to farmdoc daily. Jonathan previously served as Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Administrator of the Farm Service Agency at USDA, and Legislative Assistant to Senator Ben Nelson. He grew up on his family farm in Western Ohio and earned his Bachelor’s from Miami University and his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School.
Are you having issues with your registration? Email Christina Dexter at [email protected] or call 816-738-5402.
