Neil Hamilton, the Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law and director of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center, has received a $25,000 grant from Farm Credit to support the organization of the third Drake Forum on America’s New Farmers. The forum will take place Nov. 8–9 at Drake and will focus on a range of topics, including retail agriculture, community farms, and United States Department of Agriculture innovations to support new farmers.
Farm Credit, one of the nation’s largest agricultural lenders, is working to expand their lending to beginning farmers and are helping fund the forum as a way to promote issues affecting new farmers. This grant will help fund various aspects of the forum such as assisting speakers and attendees to travel to the University.
“The Agricultural Law Center is very pleased to have the support of a group like Farm Credit to help new and beginning farmers,” Hamilton says. “In the third installment we will continue the work started in the past forums and we hope to continue to expand the markets for locally grown food, such as the Buy Fresh Buy Local movement.”
This forum is one of the activities being held as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake.