The Drake University Agricultural Law Center is hosting a statewide conference to give Iowans the opportunity to consider new ideas for creative solutions for protecting our water and land.
The conference, titled “Sustaining Our Iowa Land (SOIL) 2019: Searching for Solutions for Iowa’s Land and Water” will be held on Monday, November 4 from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Olmsted Center at Drake University.
The conference is designed for anyone interested in Iowa’s natural resource future—farmers, landowners, public officials, students and concerned citizens.
“We are very excited about the upcoming SOIL 2019 conference because it will give Iowans the opportunity to hear from some of Iowa’s leading conservationists working to protect our water and land and will address emerging topics like climate change and soil health,” said Professor Neil Hamilton, emeritus director of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center, and SOIL 2019 conference organizer. “We hope the conference will present some new thinking about how we can do a better job of protecting water quality and building soil health in our state.”
The Agricultural Law Center is hosting the event in cooperation with the Amy P. Goldman Foundation, Des Moines Water Works, Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, University of Iowa Flood Center, and the USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment.
Water and land conservation leaders from all across Iowa will speak at the conference, including:
- Ray Gaesser, former chairman, American Soybean Association
- Jerry Hatfield, director, USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment
- Patricia Boddy, president, Great Outdoors Foundation
- Joe McGovern, president, and Anna Gray, public policy director, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
- John Norwood and Katie Rock, Polk County Soil and Water District Commissioners
- Matt Russell, executive director of Interfaith Power and Light
- Susan Judkins, president, Watershed Management Authorities of Iowa
- Robert Brownell, Polk County Supervisor
- Rich Leopold, director, Polk County Conservation Board
- Ted Corrigan, interim director, Des Moines Water Works
- Dr. Peter Levi, assistant professor, Drake University
- Seth Watkins, owner, Pinhook Farm
- Larry Weber, research engineer, Iowa Flood Center
- Representative John Wills, Spirit Lake
- Representative Chris Hall, Sioux City
Registration is $75 per person. Student registration, or a second registration for a family member of an attendee, is $30. All registrations include a light breakfast, lunch, and snack break.
Find program details and register online through Eventbrite.
Questions about the conference can be directed to Neil Hamilton at neil.hamilton@drake.edu.
About the Drake Agricultural Law Center
The Drake Agricultural Law Center was founded at Drake University in 1983 to facilitate the law school’s certification program in food and agricultural law. The center is internationally recognized for its studies on how the legal system influences our food system and the agricultural sector. In conjunction with the center, the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law is a student-published legal journal that features articles by professors, judges, attorneys, students, and others in the international and domestic agricultural community.