America's New Farmers

The Drake Forum on America's New Farmers: Policy Innovations and Opportunities will be held March 4 and 5, 2010 at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC.


The goal of the Forum is

• to organize a national discussion on new and beginning farmer policy issues;
• to gather stakeholders from across the U.S. to identify and inventory innovative policies and projects at the federal, state, and local levels to support new farmers; and,
• to provide the Administration and Congress an agenda of ideas for developing a comprehensive campaign to support the next generation of American farmers.

Forum organizer, Professor Neil Hamilton states that the agenda is close to being finalized and that over fifty people from across the nation will participate as speakers, moderators and policy reporters. Professor Hamilton, Janie Simms Hipp, advisor to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on Tribal Relations and Bill Murphy, Administrator, USDA Risk Management Agency will open the conference on March 4, and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has been invited to deliver the Opening Keynote Address, America’s New Generation of Farmers.

To learn more about the Forum, view the agenda, and to register please visit the Drake Agricultural Law Center website. Group rates for rooms at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel are available up until February 10th.