Drake Law School’s Agricultural Law Center will host a forum titled, “Dealing with the Drought: Legal Issues Facing Iowa Agriculture” on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 at 12:30 p.m. The forum will be held at the Neal and Bea Smith Legal Clinic, 2400 University Ave.
“The drought raises many legal issues for the farmers and businesses it has impacted,” said Prof. Neil Hamilton, director of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake and organizer of the forum. “We are excited to partner with the Iowa State Bar Association to create a forum where lawyers and other farm advisors can discuss the issues facing Iowa’s farmers and identify the questions that will undoubtedly arise.”
The forum is co-sponsored by Drake’s Agricultural Law Center and the Iowa State Bar Association agricultural law committee. Topics for the forum include crop insurance, financial issues, grain contracts and marketing disputes, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) drought programs, and will feature a variety of experts and speakers.
Erin Herbold, Agricultural Law Committee chair for the Iowa State Bar said, “There is a high-level of concern regarding the impact of this year’s drought on producers and the ag industry. For attorneys practicing in agricultural law, this meeting presents an opportunity to discuss the issues with our peers and our response on behalf of our clients.”
“USDA has long been the agency to hold the safety net for farmers when disasters happen like this year’s drought. We want to make sure all of the holes in the net are filled so no one falls through. This forum is an opportunity to encourage those serving farmers to work together so Iowa farmers are able to remain as economically strong as possible in the face of this historic drought,” said John R. Whitaker, Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA) state executive director.
There is no charge to attend but registration is required. Register online at http://sustainablefarmlease.org/drought-forum-registration/.
Drake’s Agricultural Law Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary with events like the drought forum throughout the year. Questions? Contact Matt Russell at 515-271-4956 or matt.russell@drake.edu.