Indiana Farmers Union has a terrific line-up for this year?s annual convention, to be held November 18 at Taxman Fortville, 29 S. Main St., Fortville. This free event offers a full lunch buffet by Taxman Fortville, a film screening of ?Farmers For America,? giveaways, and food and farm advocates speaking throughout the day.
FILM SCREENING:
Farmers For America: The documentary traces the extraordinary changes coming to America?s food system as more and more consumers flock to farmers markets, embrace farm-to-table lifestyles, and insist on knowing the origins of their food. At the center of the film are the farmers, young and old, who provide the spirit and energy to bring urban and rural America together over what both share in common: our food. These farmers reflect nothing less than the face of America. With the average age of today?s farmer at 60, and rural America losing population as the cost of land and equipment soars, this film reveals the people waiting to take their place, the practices they?re championing and the obstacles they must overcome.
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Joe Maxwell will discuss the power of industrial agriculture, the effects of market concentration on rural communities, and how farmers can work together to change the system. Maxwell served as the 45th Lieutenant Governor for the state of Missouri. Maxwell, who now owns and operates a successful pasture-raised hog operation called Maxwell Farm, was born in Kirksville, Missouri and grew up on a farm near Rush Hill in rural Audrain County, Missouri. Maxwell currently serves as the Executive Director for Organization for Competitive Markets and as President of the recently established Family Farm Action, and he is a member of the National Agriculture Advisory Council for The Humane Society of the United States.
NFU honorary historian Tom Giessel will share his historical knowledge and findings on the early years of the Farmers Educational Cooperative Union of America, which grew out of the old Farmers? Alliance organization. Giessel will speak on the original organizers and their history, how they organized Farmers Union locals and carefully structured the organization politically, and how Indiana Farmers Union got its start and developed into a modern-day organization. Giessel currently serves as Honorary Historian for the National Farmers Union and President of the Pawnee County Farmers Union.
Other special guests and speakers include Katie Moyer, owner of Kentucky Hemp Works; Kent Yeager, Agriculture Liaison to Senator Joe Donnelly; National Farmers Union Membership Director Tom Bryant; and Indiana Farmers Union President James Benham.
What: Indiana Farmers Union Annual Convention
Who: Indiana Farmers Union members and others interested in learning more about membership opportunities and benefits
When: 10 a.m to 4 p.m., Nov. 18
Where: Taxman Fortville, 29 S. Main St., Fortville, Indiana
RSVP: Please RSVP on the Facebook event page, so that we can appropriately plan for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2015917615347162/
For more details about the event, contact indianafarmersunion@gmail.com or call (317) 371-2970.
To join Indiana Farmers Union and enjoy discounts on seed, supplies and farm insurance, as well as receive information about opportunities for education, legislation and cooperative development, visit indianafarmersunion.org
Source: Indiana Farmers Union
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