FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2003
Contact: Kris Fettkether, 515-271-2833

Drake University To Host Second Annual Iowa Food Policy Conference

Drake University is hosting the National Workshop promoting state and local food policy councils held in conjunction with the second annual Iowa Food Policy Conference Sept. 4 and 5 at the University's Olmsted Center. The national workshop will focus on the development of state and local food policy councils throughout the U.S. On Friday, the Iowa Food Policy Conference will address recent developments in Iowa's food system and feature two afternoon workshops on Creating a Local Community Food Security Profile and Opportunities to Link with Institutional Buyers.

Thursday's workshop will include a keynote address from Gary Nabhan, director of Northern Arizona University's Center for Sustainable Environments and author of "Coming Home to Eat." In the evening there will be a reception and barbeque in which attendees will dine on food prepared from local Iowa farms. Friday will feature invited speaker Patty Judge, Iowa secretary of agriculture, and will mark the premiere of Drake Law School Professor and Director of the Agricultural Law Center and Chair of Iowa Food Policy Council, Neil Hamilton's latest documentary, "Making the Connections in Iowa's Food System."

Also on Friday, Gus Schumacher, former under secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and consultant with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will give the keynote address.

The conference is being sponsored by Drake University Agricultural Law Center with funding from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), and assistance from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State University; Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI); Iowa Nutrition Network, Iowa Department of Public Health; the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and Iowa Department of Economic Development Taste of Iowa® program. Meals featured throughout the conference will be locally grown and harvested in Iowa.