• Date: November 4, 2019
  Time: 8:00am - 5:15pm
  Location: Olmsted Center
  Drake University
  2875 University Avenue
  Des Moines, IA 50311

The Drake University Agricultural Law Center is hosting a statewide conference to give Iowans the opportunity to consider new ideas for creative solutions for protecting our water and land.  

The conference, titled “Sustaining Our Iowa Land (SOIL) 2019: Searching for Solutions for Iowa’s Land and Water” will be held Nov. 4th, from 8 a.m.-5:15 p.m., at Olmsted Center, Drake University.

Drake is hosting the event in cooperation with others including: the USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the University of Iowa Flood Center, the Des Moines Water Works, and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light. 

“We are very excited about the upcoming SOIL 2019 conference because it will give Iowans the opportunity to hear from some of Iowa’s leading conservationists working to protect our water and land and will address emerging topics like climate change and soil health,” said Prof. Neil Hamilton, emeritus director of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center, and SOIL 2019 conference organizer. “We hope the conference will present some new thinking about we can do a better job of protecting water quality and building soil health.”

The conference is designed for anyone interested in Iowa’s natural resource future – farmers, landowners, public officials, students and concerned citizens. 

Water and land conservation leaders from all across Iowa will speak at the conference, including:
• Ray Gaesser, former chairman, American Soybean Association
• Jerry Hatfield, director USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment
• Hannah Inman, executive director, Great Outdoors Foundation
• Joe McGovern and Anna Gray from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
• John Norwood and Katie Rock, Polk County Soil and Water District Commissioners
• Matt Russell, executive director of Interfaith Power and Light
• Susan Judkins, president, Watershed Management Authorities of Iowa 
• Robert Brownell, Polk County Supervisor
• Rich Leopold, director, Polk County Conservation Board
• Ted Corrigan, interim director, Des Moines Water Works
• Dr. Peter Levi, Drake University
• Seth Watkins, owner of Pinhook Farm
• Chris Jones and Larry Weber, from the University of Iowa Flood Center
• Sen. Ken Rozenboom, chair, Natural Resources and Environment Committee

Registration is $75 per person and includes a light breakfast, lunch, and snack break. The price for students and a second registration (for spouses or family members of attendees) is $30.

To learn more about the conference, including an agenda and topics to be covered please visit the Drake Agricultural Law Center's website.

Register now online.

Questions can be directed to Neil Hamilton at neil.hamilton@drake.edu.