The Iowa Farmers Union State Convention brings members from across Iowa together to celebrate family farming, strengthen our rural communities, and shape the future of agriculture. Attendees will connect with fellow farmers, take part in workshops on rural journalism, health and environmental advocacy, and member action, and engage in lively policy discussions that guide IFU’s priorities for the year ahead. This year’s convention features a keynote address by Jonathan Coppess, a nationally recognized expert in agricultural law and policy, who will share insights on the future of federal farm programs and what they mean for Iowa producers.
Jonathan Coppess is the Leonard and Lila Gardner-Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Associate Professor of Agricultural Policy in the Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The author of The Fault Lines of Farm Policy: A Legislative and Political History of the Farm Bill, he is a member of the farmdoc project and a frequent contributor to farmdoc daily. He leads the Gardner Agricultural Policy Program and the Policy Design Lab. Jonathan previously served as Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, as well as on a temporary, part-time basis as a special counsel. Prior to his service on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Jonathan served as the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency at USDA and Legislative Assistant to Senator Ben Nelson. Prior to his time in Washington, DC, Jonathan was a litigation associate at Freeborn & Peters LLP in Chicago, IL. Jonathan grew up on his family’s farm in Western Ohio, earned his Bachelors’ from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC
Are you having issues with your registration? Email Christina Dexter at [email protected] or call 816-738-5402.
