The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) and the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) announced Tuesday that they have made an offer to underwrite the legal defense costs for the drainage districts targeted in the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit. The offer, which was extended to supervisors in Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac Counties was made so that farmers, rural citizens and the Iowa supervisors can focus on their defense in the case without the added burden of covering the multi-million dollar legal costs. IFBF President, Craig Hill, said Farm Bureau’s core mission is the protection of farmers and with one in five jobs in the state tied to agriculture, rural Iowa has a lot at stake in this lawsuit. He added that if the Des Moines Water Works wins this case, the adverse impact will reach every Iowa farmer and others throughout the country. This announcement has come only a few months after the supervisors in Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac Counties ended their relationship with the Agricultural Legal Defense fund, which did not provide adequate resources for the necessary defense. To date, the costs for both sides combined have exceeded $2 million. Hill added, “This challenge is bigger than just farmers […] and why we support the collaborative, research-based Iowa Water Quality Initiative so that farmers can adopt proven methods that work best for their farms. The lawsuit only serves to delay that progress.” The case is currently scheduled to go to trial in June of 2017.
