The future of agriculture in Iowa and the role women play in it will be among the topics discussed Thursday as part of the Voices of Iowa Farm Women program.

The event, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Brunnier Art Museum, will include a discussion with Cynthia Vagnetti, project coordinator; Denise O’Brien, coordinator for the Women, Food and Agriculture Network; and Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, associate professor of history.

A main topic for the evening, Vagnetti said, is promoting involvement in agricultural practices that favor greater biological diversity.

“On a campus that is so involved in production agriculture and in more traditional forms of agriculture, it is nice to see some of the alternative forms,” Riney-Kehrberg said.

This event will focus on issues like how agriculture affects the environment and families across Iowa, O’Brien said.

“On average, food travels 1,700 miles to get to our plate,” she said.

“The impact on roads, the environment, fossil fuels for transportation and the taste of food are all affected.”

O’Brien said that, by eating more locally grown foods, Iowans can help the economy and reduce damage to the environment.

The evening will also include a video, prepared by Vagnetti, that shows interviews with seven Iowa farm women speaking on topics including organic farming, direct marketing and entrepreneurship.

“[The video] is part of a regional effort that features farmers involved in bio-diverse agriculture practices and sustainable food systems,” Vagnetti said.

She said that, in general, women are not recognized as farmers.

“Women have always played a very important role in agriculture but are frequently referred to as the invisible farmer in books,” O’Brien said.

“They do a lot of work but are never recognized for their contributions.”

Community-supported agriculture is one thing that women are doing to make more food for the community, O’Brien said.

Iowans import 90 percent of their food.

To help decrease this percentage, Iowa farmers in certain communities offer residents a chance to receive food directly from their farms for a membership fee, O’Brien said.

The video is hosted by the Women, Food and Agriculture Network, and the discussion is sponsored by the Leopold Center and Practical Farmers of Iowa.

Anyone who is interested in finding where food comes from is invited to attend, O’Brien said.

A free reception will follow the event.