The last Friends of Agriculture Breakfast of the season will be held Wednesday, May 18 from 7 – 8 a.m. at the 4-H Center, located in Columbus on Locust Street.

Chester Lowder will be the speaker for the breakfast. Lowder is the director of the livestock program in the Public Policy Section of the state office of the N.C. Farm Bureau.

Lowder, a former dairy farmer, has been with Farm Bureau for 16 years. He will discuss livestock issues as well as state and national agricultural trends. Lowder lives in Stanly County, where he is a member of the Stanly Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Friends of Agriculture Breakfast is a monthly event open to everyone in the immediate region with an interest in agriculture. The breakfasts are free of charge. This year, the Polk County Farm Bureau sponsors the breakfasts, which continue to serve as a forum for farmers to share ideas. The formal program wraps up at 8 a.m. and all are welcome to stay longer for coffee and conversation with guest speakers and neighbors.

– article submitted