Join us for a screening and panel discussion of the documentary, Farmers for America.
- Tuesday, February 20
- 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- ISU Alumni Center
The documentary, narrated by Mike Rowe, was created to celebrate, inspire and support young farmers. This event is co-sponsored by the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, ISU Beginning Farmers Network, ISU Beginning Farmers Center, ISU Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
RSVP:
Register online by Friday, February 16.
Food and Beverage:
Pizza will be provided (first-come, first-served) from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. before the film is shown. Dietary requirements will be accommodated with advance notice.
Panel Discussion:
A panel discussion featuring local young farmers will take place following the film. Meet our panel speakers:
Kellie Blair (’06 forestry, agronomy) and her husband AJ (’03 ag business), are fourth-generation corn, soybean, cattle and pig farmers on AKR Farm near Dayton, Iowa. The Blairs implement a number of conservation practices in their operation including no-till, cover crops, buffer strips, wetlands and rotational grazing. Blair shares the farm’s story via social media and on her blog, Home Again Finnegan. The Blairs received the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Iowa Environmental Award in 2014 and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award in 2016. In 2016 Blair was honored as a Growing Leader by the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and is a member of the college’s young alumni program, Curtiss League.
Scott Henry (’12 ag business, international ag, finance) is a partner and business development manager for LongView Farms, a row-crop grain operation specializing in seed production near Nevada, Iowa. Henry helps manage production operations and is responsible for business growth, strategy and the implementation of precision technology. Prior to joining the LongView Farms team, Henry worked for Summit Agricultural Group where he managed new construction and development projects within the company’s livestock investment fund portfolio. In addition to his education from Iowa State University, Scott has earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Henry is a member of the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ young alumni program, Curtiss League.
Nicole Jonas (’02 horticulture) owns and operates Red Granite Farm in rural Boone County, Iowa with her husband, Steve (’01 horticulture). Red Granite Farm is a diverse operation including three acres of vegetables; 400 laying hens and over 200 varieties of hardy perennials, vines, shrubs, annuals and succulents. Jonas sells produce and eggs directly from the farm, at farmers markets and through direct marketing with local businesses. Jonas regularly hosts on-farm garden club tours; potting and painting parties and vendors of vintage, antique and re-purposed goods.
Graham Meriwether is director, writer, producer, cinematographer and editor of Farmers for America. Previously Meriwether directed the documentary, American Meat, a pro-farmer story showcasing the unique agricultural innovations underway at Polyface Farms in Virginia. He is the founder of Leave It Better Media, which shares stories of spiritual, economic and environmental healing.
Ben Wikner is a senior in agricultural studies at Iowa State University. He is a second-generation farmer with his brother, Neal, on a swine and row-crop farm near Farmersburg, Iowa. Wikner serves as a peer mentor for agricultural studies students, is contacts director for the ISU Beginning Farmers Network, co-chair of the ISU Block and Bridle Club’s Proven to Win Pig Sale and a committee chair for the 2018 Iowa State Bacon Expo. He is an enlisted soldier in the Iowa Army National Guard and firefighter for the Farmersburg Fire Department. Upon completion of his degree, Wikner plans to return to the farm full-time where he will help oversee the feed mill, crops and other day-to-day operations.
Contact:
For more information, contact: Haley Cook, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, hcook@iastate.edu, 515-294-0705