Many new and old members of the Iowa Farmers Union gathered on a Sunday afternoon for a wine tasting, legislative updates, and a meal. The IFU Booster Club Annual Legislative Supper was held at White Oak Vineyards in Cambridge. The supper is held each year to provide legislative updates to members and to raise money for IFU’s work at the capitol. Our featured speaker was Dr. Francis Thicke, who spoke about the need for independent family farms to produce their own energy, and to sell into local markets.
Thicke advocated for “Teddy Roosevelt-style trust busting of monopolized markets to restore profitability to agriculture. And, we should work to expand local food production and on-farm energy production to keep more profits in the pockets of family farmers.”
IFU President Chris Petersen and policy advocate Kent Hartwig talked to the group about upcoming legislation. One bill that IFU helped to get started and will continue to support is the Iowa Local Food and Farm Plan.
The Local Food and Farm Plan includes recommendations to the legislature to create an Iowa Local Food and Farm Coordinator, increase access to loans for local food businesses, provide more food processing education, and provide training to beginning and minority farmers.
A deep thank you to our sponsors – Marvin Shirley, Cornelia & Jan Flora, Kermit Miskell, Donna & Russell Winburn, John & Beverly Gilbert, Mary & John Krier, Dale Cochran, and Aaron & Nicole Heley-Lehman – who helped make the event happen.
With the help of donations for the dinner from sponsors, attendees, and others we were able to raise money for our legislative work. Thank you for your help in making sure that the IFU continues to represent family farms at the capitol.