Agriculture’s impact and response to outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, pandemics and environmental emergencies will be discussed at the 27th annual Rural Legislative Forum 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at South Central College Conference Center.

We live in an era in which the agriculture and food industry is constantly being challenged by high-profile food safety, environmental and ethical issues. This forum will attempt to look at how we keep factual information included in the major media efforts related to these sensitive issues affecting the agriculture and food industry.

The keynote speaker will be Dave Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. The response panel will include Joe Spear, managing editor of The Free Press; Paul Omodt, vice president of Padilla Speer Beardsley; and Randy Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel. Kent Thiesse, vice president of MinnStar Bank, will moderate the panel discussion.

The highlight of the evening session will be a state legislative panel. Legislators representing south-central Minnesota have been invited to address questions related to the forum’s theme and other key issues. Reggie Edwards, executive director of Region Nine Development, will moderate the legislative panel discussion.

Forum sponsors include Minnesota Agri-Women, Minnesota Farm Bureau, South Central Technical College’s Agri-Business Department and Farm Business Management Program, Region Nine Development Commission and University of Minnesota Extension.

Advance registration is required and costs $10 per person. The fee includes a pork chop dinner.

To register, or for more information about the forum, contact the Blue Earth County Extension Office at 304-4325 or mnext-blueearth@umn.edu .