Farm Bureau Members to Debate New Policies at 2010 Summer Policy Conference

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Aug. 19, 2010 - Iowans have a lot to consider when they visit the polls this fall: $495 million in potential property tax increases, continued flood recovery and a regulatory environment that is stifling the growth of jobs and local economies. Voting delegates of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) will discuss these issues, and others of critical importance to all Iowans, while setting a policy course for the upcoming year when they hold their annual Summer Policy Conference at the Farm Bureau headquarters in Des Moines, September 2-3.

Leaders of all 100 county Farm Bureaus have gathered the opinions of their members on issues impacting agriculture and rural Iowa over the past several months. The Summer Policy Conference aggregates those ideas to form statewide policy.

"Iowans are asking elected officials for solutions that will allow their local communities to thrive," says IFBF President Craig Lang. "As the state's largest grassroots farm organization, Iowa Farm Bureau is a sounding board for farmers and rural Iowans statewide, which puts our voting delegates in a unique position to recommend common sense policy solutions that benefit farmers and all Iowans."

A few of the issues expected to generate the most discussion at this year's conference include flood control, fiscal responsibility for the state and federal government, state environmental regulation, market competition within agriculture, climate change, animal care and the 2012 Farm Bill.

The Summer Policy Conference begins at 10 a.m. on Sept. 2 with an address by IFBF President Lang. Adjournment is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Sept. 3, as resolutions are adopted.

Lunch will be provided for attending media both days. Please contact Communications Specialist Zach Bader at (515) 225-5409 or zbader@ifbf.org to confirm your attendance or for further details about the 2010 IFBF Summer Policy Conference.