The Institute for Rural America has been active in initiating roundtable dialogues and promoting conferences of various sorts to assist farmers and members of rural communities. 

  • Our Goal: Educational programs and conferences that inform producers and community leaders about managing the impacts of international trade agreements, and governments decreasing role in agricultural support. We continue to develop these and emphasize self help in defining and initiating activity that supports and enhances opportunity in the new environment.

Cooperation and Linking Offer Unbeatable Transactions (CLOUT): The Institute played a background role in helping to encourage and initiate an informational conference for commercial farmers and ranchers both large and small. This work resulted in the CLOUT conference, ultimately sponsored by Successful Farming® magazine,
National Farmers Organization, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, USDA Rural Development, Iowa State University and the
Iowa Institute for Cooperatives.
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Pork & Poultry Growers Roundtable: Pork producers expressed concerns about the consolidation of pork production and processing in the US and it’s impact on hog markets and contracts. In response to those concerns the Institute organized several roundtable discussions between pork producers with poultry growers organizations. Poultry has experienced consolidation and the development of contract production structures.  The poultry growers have seen both challenge and opportunity during their industries period of industry consolidation and shared their views with the pork producers. This provided the pork producers with the opportunity to reflect on potential outcomes in their industry.

Dairy & Livestock Risk Management: In collaborating with the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education the Institute organized a training session in New York for dairy and livestock producers.