For More Information Contact:         Leigh Adcock (800) 775-5227
 
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE CANDIDATE FORUM TO FOCUS ON ORGANICS
 
AMES­All five candidates for Iowa secretary of agriculture have agreed to participate in a public forum focusing on organic agriculture. The event is Wednesday, May 3, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, Beems Auditorium, 500 1^st St. SE. It is free and open to the public.
 
Organics is the fastest-growing segment of agriculture in Iowa, increasing by 20 percent per year. More than 400 Iowa farmers are certified organic, representing 100,000 acres of cropland. Iowa is the number two producer of organic soybeans and number three producer of organic corn in the country.
 
Dennis Harkrader, an organic grain farmer from Fredericksburg, is the impetus behind this forum. Harkrader and several other organic farmers from northeast Iowa are chartering a statewide organics chapter of Iowa Farmers Union.
 
“Organic producers need to work together and make our voices heard in the policy area,” Harkrader said. He hopes the chapter will bring together organic producers who can agree on some policies to help them in the next legislative session. “No one has been representing us before now at the statehouse,” he said.
 
The five candidates, who will respond to a set of questions related to organic agriculture, include:
Karey Claghorn (R, Milo), Mark Leonard (R, Holstein), Bill Northey (R, Spirit Lake), Denise O’Brien (D, Atlantic) and Dusky Terry (D, Greenfield). Moderator will be Bruce Gaarder, morning farm anchor for WHO Radio. There will be time at the end for a few questions from the audience.
 
For information on this event, call the Iowa Farmers Union at 800-775-5227.
 
Iowa Farmers Union is a non-profit advocacy group representing family farmers across the state.  IFU also collaborates on legislative work and educational programming with Women, Food and Agriculture Network, NFO-Iowa, United Steelworkers Local 9310, and the Iowa Renewable Energy Association. IFU is a chapter of National Farmers Union, a general farm organization representing a quarter of a million family farmers and ranchers nationwide. NFU serves its membership by providing educational opportunities, supporting farmer-owned cooperative development, and presenting the organization's policies to lawmakers at the local, state and national levels.
                               
Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA  50014
800-775-5227
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www.iafu.org