July 21, 2008
Local Panel to Highlight Challenges Facing Small, Minority-Run Farms
Louisianans discuss range of issues from disaster preparedness to transportation
DENVER - Louisiana Rep. Roy Burrell is concerned small, minority-owned farms are becoming a thing of the past. As rural, farming communities make way for large-scale suburban development, many family-owned farms cease to exist. And Rep. Burrell wants to do something to stop that.
At the National Conference of State Legislatures' Legislative Summit in New Orleans, Rep. Burrell and a panel of agriculture experts will discuss the challenges many minority, socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers face. While the new Farm Bill contains provisions for outreach, assistance and education for these kinds of farmers, it also allocates money to settle claims from a class action lawsuit against the USDA filed by African-American farmers.
"This issue doesn't just affect Louisiana farmers, it spans the nation," Rep. Burrell said. "It's not just minority farms either as many small farms are disappearing. Farming is something that needs to be supported and preserved in this country."
Along with Rep. Burrell, several other local speakers are participating in sessions that focus on issues relevant to Louisiana that have implications for the country. This particular session, entitled Keeping the Farm: Supports for Minority, Socially Disadvantaged and Beginning Farmers to Stay in the Business is at 8 a.m., Thursday, July 24 in the Convention Center room R01 on the second floor.
Featured panelists include Elizabeth Jones, director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau; Harvey Reed, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Cooperatives; Thomas Burrell, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association and Dr. Adell Brown, Jr., vice chancellor for finance and administration at the Southern University AgCenter. Rep. Burrell will moderate the discussion.
The Legislative Summit also has several sessions that include Louisiana legislators and local dignitaries and guests on panels that will discuss a range of issues. Among those are photojournalists who documented in vivid images the New Orleans residents most affected by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuring rescue efforts.
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers from the New Orleans Times-Picayune Doug Parker, Kathy Anderson and Ted Jackson will share their stories of capturing the footage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath for the world to see in the printed pages of the newspaper. Hear how the photographers found themselves making difficult personal decisions as they covered the evolving tragedy during this session at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 24.
Additionally, Hurricane Katrina provided New Orleans with a special understanding of what is needed for governments to respond to crisis effectively. A panel discussion with Major General H. B. (Hunt) Downer from the Louisiana National Guard and Michael Edmonson, deputy secretary of the department of Public Safety Services in Louisiana, will focus on Louisiana's crisis plans before the storm, what they experienced and learned during the crisis, and changes made after the hurricane was over. This session is at 4:15 pm, Thursday, July 24.
Other notable Louisiana speakers and sessions include:
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Transportation/Port Security
U.S. ports play a vital role in the global economy. With more than 11 million containers passing through U.S. ports annually, with an estimated value of almost $4 trillion, ports are targets for criminals and terrorists. Learn about some of the security issues facing ports and how states can protect these vital resources.
11 a.m., Tuesday, July 22
Panelists: Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans, Louisiana
Major General Robert Wolf, SUNY Maritime College, New York
Models for Change in Juvenile Justice
Research shows that identifying and assisting at-risk children stem crime. Learn how Louisiana's Models for Change program is reducing delinquency through community-based services and about other juvenile justice and mental health reforms throughout the state and nationally.
2 p.m., Friday, July 25
Speakers: Senator Donald Cravins, Louisiana
Debra DePrato, Models for Change, Louisiana
Angela Kimball, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Virginia
Judge Patricia Koch, Ninth Judicial District Court, Louisiana
Louisiana Politics: Let the Good Times Roll
Every state has its political stories, but few can rival the ins and outs of Louisiana's. This lively and informative session will cover the gamut of political intrigue and larger-than-life characters.
3:45 p.m., Friday, July 25
Speakers: Moderator: Marti Harkness, OPPAGA, Florida
Bob Keaton, Louisiana State University
Registration is free for credentialed members of the media. Reporters must register onsite in the Press Room, in Room 211, on the Second Floor of the Convention Center. All media credentials will be handed out in the Press Room. You will need to present a photo ID and a business card to register.
During the meeting, there will be several press conferences to release NCSL reports. The majority of the press conferences will be in the Press Conference Room, in Room 213 on the Second Level of the Morial Convention Center. Policy experts, state legislators and speakers also will be available for one-on-one interviews with the media. Schedules will be posted in the press room.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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