Seminar on Future of U.S. Farm Policy Feb. 14

PULLMAN, Wash. — The future of U.S. farm policy will be the subject of a seminar scheduled at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the Holiday Inn Express.

Speakers include Jack Silzel, agricultural aide to Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Washington; Gretchen Borck, director of issues for the Washington Association of Wheat Growers; and Bill Broughton, eastern Washington field representative for the Washington State Conservation Commission.

They will discuss what issues shaped current farm legislation, what the 105th Congress is likely to do to change it, why Freedom to Farm might survive to 2002 and future conservation policy.

“U.S. farm policy changed dramatically last April,” said Jon Newkirk, WSU extension economist. “Agriculture needs to stay on top of events to prepare for the future.”

The seminar is free and open to the public. It is being sponsored by Washington State University Cooperative Extension with a grant from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education competitive grants program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact Newkirk at (509) 659-0090 in Ritzville for further information.

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