Iowans will get to hear directly from potential presidential candidates on their views related to agriculture this weekend.

A wide field of White House hopefuls will return to Iowa to participate in the first ever Iowa Agriculture Summit, which will take place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Saturday.

Organizers have announced at least 11 potential presidential candidates will attend the event, which will be hosted by Iowa entrepreneur and philanthropist Bruce Rastetter, who also serves as president of the Iowa Board of Regents.

Those attending include:

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
• New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
• Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore
• South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
• Former New York Gov. George Pataki
• Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry
• Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
• Businessman Donald Trump
• Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

“There are several reasons for putting the event together,” said Mack Shelley, professor of political science at Iowa State. “One is to demonstrate the importance of agriculture in Iowa’s economy. The candidates who are going to be showing up and people who are supporting various candidates are really going to try to check out their ability to attract support.”

The summit is the second mass gathering of potential candidates this year already. The Iowa Freedom Summit, hosted by Iowa Congressman Steve King in late January, featured many of the same speakers.

But unlike the Freedom Summit, those attending will not just give a stump speech. They will instead appear with Rastetter on stage for at least 20 minutes to discuss a wide range of agriculture issues that affect Iowa.

Organizers for the event say topics for discussion include renewable fuels, biosciences, genetically modified organisms, grain and livestock markets, land conservation and federal subsidies.

Some familiar Iowa faces will also be attendance to speak, including Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Senantors Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, U.S. Reps. Rod Blum, Steve King and David Young, former Rep. Tom Latham and former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, who is the only Democrat attending the event.

Iowa politicians and national politicians alike will talk about agriculture and how it is affected by policies. 

“When you have federal agencies like the EPA running roughshod over American agriculture — which is essential not just for food but also for energy independence and alternative, renewable energy — it’s important to make agricultural issues part of the presidential debate and this ag summit is that sort of effort,” Grassley said.

Organizers said they were hoping the event would be bipartisan. They invited all of the potential 2016 contenders on the Democratic side, including Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with several others, none of whom accepted the invitation.

“Besides [Patty Judge], this is pretty much just a Republican only show, although I’m sure there will be some effort to attract political independents,” Shelley said. “The ones showing up are pretty much self selected themselves in support of the Republican agenda [on agriculture issues]. The Republican agenda has lots of different moving parts. For example, some of it is support for production agriculture interests versus a focus on environmental sustainability.”

Rastetter is a self-made millionaire. She found Hawkeye Energy Holdings in 2003 and served as CEO until 2011. Today, Rastetter is CEO of the Summit Group, which calls itself “a leader in agribusiness, production agriculture, renewable energy and international development.” Its headquarters are located Alden, Iowa.

Rastetter has helped Republican candidates in the last few election cycles and was one of Branstad’s biggest monetary supporters when he ran for his fifth term in 2010.

“Rastetter has been a big player for quite awhile in the Iowa agriculture economy,” Shelley said. “He certainty has a major role in the Republican party as a donor and a supporter of the governor. There are a certain number of Republicans with deep pockets in the state that would follow Rastetter’s lead if he were really leaning one way or another among the presidential candidates [for support].”

Several Republicans who are poised to run have decided not to attend, most citing prior commitments, including Dr. Ben Carson, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

“I really don’t think [it will hurt them],” Shelley said on some of the potential candidates not showing up.

He said potential candidates like Paul can tout wins in things like the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll from this past weekend as examples of being successful on a national scale instead of speaking at more regional events, like an agriculture summit.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was scheduled to appear, but pulled out Wednesday, citing a family wedding that conflicts with the event.

At least two of the participants have more than the summit on their schedules while in Iowa. Bush is participating in a fundraiser in Des Moines on Friday evening with U.S. Rep. David Young, R-Iowa. Walker will attend a fundraiser in Dubuque with U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, following the event Saturday evening.

Tickets to the event are sold out. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. and the event will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Check the Iowa State Daily website Saturday for live updates.