Join Us in Celebrating SAC’s 20th Anniversary!
Summer Meeting: August 12-14, 2008
Symposium & 20th Anniversary Celebration: August 13, 2008
On August 12 & 14th SAC will hold its annual summer member meeting. On Wednesday, August 13th, SAC will hold a special symposium to look back at its successes over its twenty-year history and to look forward to the next twenty years by envisioning the future of federal agriculture policy. The day-long symposium will be followed by an evening celebration complete with farm tours, a local beer & cheese tasting, a wonderful dinner made with fresh local ingredients, award ceremony, and music & dancing. Linda Halley and Martin & Atina Diffley will be our generous hosts at Gardens of Eagan Organic Farm. The event is also made possible by a grant from the Bradshaw-Knight Foundation.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Registration Deadline: July 1, 2008. Please register early, as rooms at Mt. Olivet are on a first-come-first-served basis. No registrations for symposium taken after July 15th.
To Register: Click here to register online.
You can also download a registration form and mail it in.
Meeting & Symposium Location: Mt. Olivet Retreat Center, Farmington, MN www.mtolivetretreat.org.
Celebration Location: Gardens of Eagan Organic Farm www.gardensofeagan.com next to Mt. Olivet Retreat Center.
Nearest Airport: Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, 30 minutes away.
Carpooling: www.sac.erideshare.com We strongly encourage you to carpool to and from the airport & hotel to Mt. Olivet.
Ground transportation: www.supershuttle.com
Nearest Hotel: Holiday Inn, Lakeville, MN, (952) 469-1134, www.hilakeville.com 9 miles from Mt. Olivet, $99 per night when you use Group Code: SAC
Camping: Available at Gardens of Eagan Organic Farm. Please note this in the comment section when you register online.
Summer Meeting: August 12-14, 2008
Symposium & 20th Anniversary Celebration: August 13, 2008
Agenda Overview
Tuesday, August 12th, 10 am – 5:30 pm, dinner at 6 pm
SAC Member Meeting, including DC report, issue committee meetings, farm bill implementation strategy, and voting on the recommendations of the SAC-National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture dialogue.
Wednesday, August 13th, 10 am – 4:30 pm
Symposium: Past Successes and Future Visions of Sustainable Farm Policy
| 10:00 |
Founders review SAC history |
| 11:00 |
Farm Bill politics & perspectives
Tom Dobbs, Professor Emeritus of Economics, South Dakota State University and Food & Society Policy Fellow
Representative Tim Walz, 1st District of Minnesota |
| 12:00 |
Lunch |
| 1:30 |
Future Visions of Sustainable Agriculture Policies
Kate Clancy, Fellow, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, U of MN
Keecha Harris, Harris & Associates, Alabama
Matt Liebman, Iowa State, Sustainable Ag Chair, Depts. of Agronomy & Ag Biosystems |
| 2:30 |
Farmers Translate Visions to Policies that Work on the Ground
Matt Urch, MN, beginning farmers
Maria Ines Catalan, CA, local foods & marketing
Jacob Cowgill, MT, research
Francis Thicke, IA, conservation |
| 3:30 |
Discussion |
| 4:30 |
Closing Thoughts & Directions to Celebration |
20th Anniversary Celebration – Gardens of Eagan Organic Farm
| 4:30 |
Farm Tours |
| 5:00 |
Reception (farm tours continue) |
| 6:00 |
20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner |
| 7:00 |
Award Ceremony |
| 8:00 |
Music & Dancing |
Thursday, August 14th, 8:30 am – 5 pm
SAC Member Meeting continues, including evaluation of our farm bill campaign activities & outcomes, strategic planning, and preparation for the new President’s transition team.
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