Tickets are available for the annual dinner of Friends of Responsible Agriculture.
FORAG was founded to challenge a confined animal feeding operation permitted in north Callaway County. Founded in 2014, the group has networked with organizations across the state and nation, becoming leaders in the fight against industrial-size animal confinements. The dinner will be June 10 at The Bistro in Fulton.
The featured speaker will be Bill Stowe, CEO and general manager of Des Moines Water Works in Des Moines, Iowa. DMWW is a regional utility that protects public health and promotes economic development by ensuring a safe, affordable, high-quality water source for Iowa. Stowe is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Grinnell College and received a Master of Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Science in Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois, and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Loyola University Law School.
"We are delighted that Mr. Stowe could make time for us here in Callaway County," FORAG chairman Jeff Jones said. "We have been watching his battle for good water for consumers in Iowa and we'll learn a lot from him. Clean water and air can no longer be taken for granted and must be defended."
Stowe is on the board of directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, representing the largest drinking water utilities in North America. Recently, he made the news as a lead advocate for a demand for a national moratorium on confined animal feeding operations.
The dinner will be at Playhouse Bistro in Fulton, 613 Court St., Fulton. The menu will include locally raised, non-confinement, locally-produced ham and other locally produced vegetable dishes and desserts. Reservations can be obtained from FORAG by contacting [email protected] or an officer of Friends of Responsible Agriculture.
To learn more about the call for national moratorium, visit www.mystar106.com/activists-press-for-national-ban-on-factory-farms.