Iowa's Largest Grassroots Farm Organization Begins Summer Policy Conference with Message on Conservation
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - August 27, 2013 - The president of Iowa's largest grassroots farm organization kicked off the 2013 Summer Policy Conference this week in Des Moines with a call on all farmers to do their part to protect the land and water.
President Craig Hill, a crop and livestock farmer from Milo, opened the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) 2013 Summer Policy Conference, praising progress and calling all farmers to heed the call to conservation. "Farmer to farmer, let's look at one another, as stewards of the land, and take a long, hard look at how we care for two of our most precious resources: soil and water. It has never been more important than today to have this dialog with each other about conservation. We must go beyond talking, to doing what is right for your farm and for all of Iowa's natural resources," said Hill.
Hill also touted the Nutrient Reduction Strategy and the progress farmers have already made in preserving the soil and watershed. "Since the Nutrient Reduction Strategy was developed by many stakeholders and funded by the legislature, Iowa Farm Bureau has been leading the charge to encourage farmers to do one more thing. Just since the funding was announced recently, 1,096 farmers in 97 of the 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Iowa have applied to participate in the newly funded cost share program. Farmers have submitted applications for more than 120,000 acres of new conservation practices. This is great news! But we know that more needs to be done," said Hill.
The 2013 Summer Policy Conference continues tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. at the IFBF headquarters where delegates from 100 county Farm Bureaus will finalize policies for 2014. For a transcript of Craig Hill's speech, click here.
About Iowa Farm Bureau
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to enhancing the People, Progress and Pride of Iowa. More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve farm and rural prosperity. For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit the online Newsroom page at www.iowafarmbureau.com.
