Neil Hamilton
Director, Agricultural Law Center

Address: 27th & Carpenter Ave.
Drake University
Des Moines, IA 50311
Daytime phone: (515) 271-2065
Email: neil.hamilton@drake.edu

Brief biography: Has served on the board since its inception in 1987. He is the Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law at the Drake University School of Law. He has a B.S. from Iowa State University in forestry and economics (1976) and a JJ.D. from the University of Iowa.

He has taught agricultural law for 22 years and has written a series of books and articles for farmers and lawyers. He is past-president of the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) and author of the award-winning book What Farmers Need to Know About Environmental Law (1990). He also authored A Livestock Producer's Guide to Nuisance, Land Use Control, and Environmental Law (1992) and Iowa Crop Producers Environmental Law Guide (1992 and 1994). In 1995 Top Producer/ Farm Journal published his book, A Farmer's Legal Guide to Production Contracts.

His newest book, The Legal Guide for Direct Farm Marketing (July 1999), was funded by USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program.

In April 2000, Iowa Governor Thomas J. Vilsack appointed Hamilton to chair the newly appointed Iowa Food Policy Council.

He lives with his wife Khanh on a 10-acre garden farm, Sunstead, near Waukee where they raise fresh vegetables for several local restaurants. He grew up on a 200-acre farm in Adams County, where his family has farmed since 1872