FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 29, 2005

CONTACT: Christine Pardee, (515) 271-4956, christine.pardee@drake.edu
Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

CLOUT GROWING, SMALL-SCALE NATURAL FARMERS ARE BEING COURTED BY BIG FOOD

A farm-raised law school professor who grows organic vegetables that he sells to local restaurants is hosting a national conference to help small-scale farmers like himself work with each other to break into a food system that is increasingly interested in healthy food products that aren't produced by massive companies.

"Many people attending the conference have been involved in selling at farmers markets," says Neil Hamilton, who grew up on a 200-acre family farm in Adams County, Iowa, where his family has farmed since 1872. "This will give them access to producers, distributors and capitalization. It's a significant step for a producer looking for an opportunity to break into the food system."

Hamilton is on a mission to spread the notion of what he calls "Food Democracy" — getting more information about food and agriculture into the hands of consumers. He believes that "producer marketing associations" are the next big thing in the Food Democracy movement, because they allow groups of small farmers producing everything from organic milk to free range pigs to join together to sell their products. This year's conference, the third annual National Workshop on State and Local Food Policy is titled "Creating Opportunity Through Joint Producer Initiatives." It is co-organized by center staff Christine Pardee, co-director of the State and Local Food Policy Project, and Doug O'Brien, senior staff attorney.

The conference, which will be held at Drake's Olmsted Center on Sept. 8 and 9, will convene a diverse group of farmers, agriculture leaders, lenders and advisers involved with producer marketing initiatives. Topics discussed will include financing, ownership and control, and risk management techniques.

Workshop participants will come from about 16 states and two countries, and include officials from Sysco, the world's largest institutional food supplier. Craig Watson, vice president for quality assurance and agricultural sustainability at Sysco Corp., will give a keynote address at noon on Thursday, Sept. 8. "His presence is significant," Hamilton says, "because it shows Sysco's interest in acquiring foods that have stories and are unique."

Other presenters at the conference include Melissa Hughes, general counsel for Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools Inc. CROPP is a national cooperative, with approximately 700 members, and its "Organic Valley" brand is the nation's largest farmer-owned certified organic brand. The cooperative produces an extensive line of refrigerated dairy products, eggs, juices, produce, soy products and meat, all of which are certified organic.

Paul Willis, manager of Niman Ranch Pork Company in Thornton, Iowa, who also raises pigs at Willis Free Range Pig Farm near Thornton, will be on hand to tell his story, which in a nutshell goes like this. Bill Niman, owner of Niman Ranch, met Willis in 1994. He soon started buying all the pork for his meat company from Willis. When demand grew and Willis couldn't supply all the pigs himself, he got neighboring farmers involved. Today Niman Ranch pork is raised by nearly 150 certified farm families throughout the Midwest, and is featured on menus of upscale restaurants throughout the Midwest and the East and West coasts. The company also offers a line of processed products sold to several national natural foods grocery chains.

A session called "Financing and Accessing Capital: Where groups can get operating capital and what lenders look for," will feature Jim Knuth, senior vice president of Farm Credit Services of America and Paul McGarvey of Cybus Capital Markets LLC. Hamilton and other conference organizers also are releasing a book at the conference.

Insight about real-world opportunities and challenges will be shared by established, highly capitalized groups as well as some of the newest informally networked cooperatives. Other highlights of the workshop include reports from Food Policy Councils throughout the United States and the premiere of the center's newest legal risk management book, "The Farmer's Legal Guide to Producer Marketing Associations," co-authored by Hamilton, O'Brien and Robert Luedeman. They developed this book specifically for producers who are considering establishing a producer marketing venture.

For more information about the conference, visit the Web site at
http://www.statefoodpolicy.org/natwkshp05prog.htm or call (515) 271-4956.

Hamilton is the Dwight D. Opperman chair of law and director of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University Law School. He lives with his wife, Khanh, on a10-acre garden farm, Sunstead, near Waukee, Iowa, where they raise fresh vegetables for several local restaurants.

Hamilton grew up on a 200-acre family farm in Adams County, Iowa, where his family has farmed since 1872. He has a B.S. from Iowa State University in forestry and economics, and a J.D. from the University of Iowa. He has taught agricultural law for 22 years and has written a series of books and articles for farmers and lawyers. He is past-president of the American Agricultural Law Association and author of the nationally award winning book "What Farmers Need to Know About Environmental Law" (1990). He also authored "A Livestock Producer's Guide to Nuisance, Land Use Control, and Environmental Law" (1992) and "Iowa Crop Producers Environmental Law Guide" (1992 and 1994). In 1995 Top Producer/ Farm Journal published his book, "A Farmer's Legal Guide to Production Contracts."

His book, "The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing" (July 1999), was funded by USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program. In April 2000 Iowa Gov. Thomas J. Vilsack appointed him to chair the Iowa Food Policy Council. On Oct. 12, 2003, Neil was awarded the International Local Food Prize Award for his work developing local food systems and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Prior to joining the Drake faculty in 1983 to found the Agricultural Law Center, he taught law for two years at the University of Arkansas, where he helped create the Agricultural Law masters program. From 1979-81 he was an assistant attorney general in the Farm Division of the Iowa Department of Justice. Since 1983 he has been the director of the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University Law School, and has helped it establish a national and international reputation for excellence in research, education and public extension on food and agricultural law issues. He serves on numerous boards, including the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Seeds Savers Exchange, the National Garden Association and the Farmers Legal Action Group.

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