On September 28th, 2026, University of Iowa law students, undergrads, and surrounding community members gathered to learn about and discuss the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a large legislative package that impacts farm support, SNAP benefits, crop insurance, conservation efforts, and more for farmers across the United States. The event was moderated by Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative Director, Jennifer Terry, and featured three panelists, Brandi Janssen, Neil Hamilton, and Sophia Kruszewski, who offered unique insights into the Farm Bill, its history, and its implications on Iowa farming practices. 

Brandi Janssen, a Clinical Professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, explored what it was like to grow up on a family farm in rural Iowa. Janssen spoke on farmer decision making and the processes of integrating environmental conservation programs onto Iowa farmland. 

Drake University Agricultural Law Professor, Neil Hamilton, expanded upon these ideas by looking at the history of agriculture in Iowa and the broader Midwest. Tied together with Janssen's environmental conservation stories, Hamilton capitalized on the environmental impacts of agriculture in Iowa and how the Farm Bill is in conversation with those agricultural sustainability components. 

Finally, rounding out the conversation, Sophia Kruszewski, the Deputy Policy Director from the National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition, examined the Farm Bill as a legislative piece and how lobbying for Farm Bill initiatives actually works. Kruszewski detailed how the Farm Bill once began as a non-partisan piece of legislature, but has since been transformed into a contentious law to be debated upon in both the House and the Senate. 

The event concluded with Q & A from the audience and panel, wrapping up the conversations around how the Farm Bill functions for farmers, how sustainability initiatives work with the Bill in tandem, and the environmental consequences intertwined with agricultural legislation. 

A huge thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the Farm Bill event this September and to our wonderful panelists who shared their expertise with us. We welcome you to join us at our other upcoming events and follow us on our socials to stay up to date.