Met Denise O'Brien Over the Weekend

I had the chance to meet our next Sec. of Agriculture, Denise O'Brien over the weekend at the Iowa State BBQ Contest in Marshalltown. After talking to her, I found out why she won the primary. She is a very nice, caring, and thoughtful person. It would be hard to find a person that wouldn't vote for her after talking to her.

O'Brien didn't give any speeches, she just went around talking to people. She talked about her vast experiences farming and being an activist for 30 years. She was very interested finding ways to bridge the urban-rural gap in the state. She even talked to someone from the Iowa State BBQ Society about ways that group can be connected to the agriculture community in the state. She also discussed renewable energy. The green bus was not there. They loaned to a group that takes medical supplies to Central America, so it was in Milwaukee getting loaded up for the trip. They will have it back and ready to go in time for RAGBRAI. And yes, there was some great BBQ eaten.

O'Brien is throwing a party this Friday, June 30th on her farm in Atlantic to celebrate her victory in the primary. It sounds like a lot of fun. Here is what her site says...

Denise's win was the biggest primary victory in the state of Iowa and we now have the opportunity to bring her vision to Des Moines. Come help us celebrate on her family's farm and begin the push to November. Donations are welcome and encouraged.

Please bring a covered dish, your own drinks and lawn chairs and enjoy an evening of live music and fun!