Jubilee! 2010 Annual Conference
Well the weather outside was frightful but the company inside was delightful as 350 people braved snow drifts and sub zero temperatures to gather January 8-9, 2010 to help Practical Farmers of Iowa celebrate its 25th Anniversary Jubilee!
Early on Friday it looked as though we may have thrown the wedding without the bride, but as more and more farmers trickled in everything was set for the workshops to begin. Gearld Fry explained his vision of high quality beef through genetic selection and management, while Fred Kirschenmann and Teresa Opheim asked attendees to look forward another 25 years and envision a future for Iowa Agriculture.
More people freed themselves from snowed driveways and blocked roads, and by the late afternoon the real business of the day had begun--networking, networking, networking!
An all Iowa dinner was followed by a viewing of Helen Gunderson's Celebration of PFI and King Corn‘s sequel, Big River. Afterward, people took to the hotel's hospitality room like cork to a whisky bottle.
Saturday rang in cold. But James Frantzen, Andy Johnson, Kayla Koether, and Jan Libbey delivered a thoughtful keynote, rich in the ideas of living together, asking questions, and learning from each other. Themes the rest of the day built on, so by 5:00 people were smiling, shaking hands, and plotting ways to improve their production.
A great conference in every way, full of old faces and new friends, it could not have been accomplished without the resilient spirit of the PFI membership, a spirited group who constantly seek to keep this organization on the right path. Thank you for 25 years of questions, and thank you for the 25 years of answers to come.
A thank you also goes out to our sponsors who have supported us through the years.
As always, Suzi Bernhard will be happy to answer your questions if you call the office, (515)232-5661. Jubilee! brochure pdf