On the first day of a three-day event, leaders in Iowa agriculture met to discuss the 2007 Farm Bill.

Organized by the College of Agriculture, the Agricultural Policy Summit gave an opportunity for Iowa’s governor, a senator and representatives to get together and discuss the bill with the public.

“We want to reconsider what worked with the current legislation, what did not work, and what some new directions should be,” said Catherine Woteki, dean for the College of Agriculture.

The goals of the summit are to identify issues in Midwestern culture with a special emphasis on Iowa, to collect input on what people would like to see included in the new bill and to contribute to the national dialogue and upcoming legislation, Woteki said. During the summit, the university is hoping to gain a broad perspective on agricultural issues.

“This event is not about building a consensus view. It’s not about coming up with one set of priorities,” Woteki said.

Gov. Vilsack attended the summit and expressed concern about Iowa farmers.

“Our farmers are faced with a difficult challenge; there are fewer and fewer people who are buying from the farmers,” Vilsack said. “This puts a lot of pressure on individual farmers. The playing-field for farmers needs to be leveled.”

He said Iowa needs to look at innovative ways to invest in wind energy and the state’s energy policy needs to reflect its commitment to bio-technology.

The 2002 Farm Bill expires in 2007, and the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, conducted in April by Paul Lasley, professor of sociology, showed farm operators expressed support for developing markets, such as promotion of exports and alternative energy development.

Fifty percent of participants believe the 2002 Farm Bill was an overall success, according to the poll.

Forty-five percent of farmers, however, believe the last bill did not adequately address the needs of beginning farmers.

“Producers support the basic direction of the 2002 Farm Bill,” Lasley said. “They want more protection. They believe the 2002 Farm Bill has been successful.”

The poll also showed that 20 percent of participants believed the basic direction in the 2002 Farm Bill should not be continued in the Bill in 2007.

Some other concerns included how the bill will include the next generation of farmers, and how they can get involved.

“If we don’t encourage the next generation to get involved, Iowa will suffer economically,” said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. “How can the Farm Bill empower the next generation?”

The second day of the summit is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Thursday in the Scheman Building.

Topics planned for discussion are trends in land values, tax policy and rural economic development.