The public is invited to join Dakota Rural Action (DRA) on Friday, Nov. 6 at 5:30 pm at Drifters Bar & Grille in Ft. Pierre for dinner and a keynote delivered by Austin Frerick, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry. This evening event will kick-off DRA’s 39th Annual Meeting, Rooted & Resilient: 39 Years of Building Power.
The Friday evening event explores how years of lax antitrust enforcement allowed corporate dynasties to monopolize and reshape the modern food system. South Dakotans are familiar with corporate consolidation’s impacts on family farming and rural communities. Much of DRA’s work over the decades has been in direct response to these effects, from working to build sustainable, regional food systems or fighting industrial ag developments that not only wreck our markets but also damage our clean water and air.
Rather than being pessimistic about the future of agriculture, Frerick shows that it is within our power to take back this power from corporate interests and build a fair, healthy, and prosperous food industry. A seventh-generation Iowan, Frerick is an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy. He worked at the Open Markets Institute, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Congressional Research Service before becoming a Fellow at Yale University.
Friday’s event is open to the public, though spots are limited, so reserve yours now.
There will be copies of Frerick’s books available for sale at the event.
Tickets for Friday evening are $50; seating is limited. To reserve your seat, visit www.dakotarural.org or call 605-697-5204 for more information.