Workshops offer basic and intermediate education on futures market hedging, options, and other risk management techniques. This year, we have held 77 hedging workshops, mostly in conjunction with county Farm Bureaus, with over 500 producer members attending. In addition, we held four regional workshops on cotton, cattle, and rice, with 314 producers. The regional workshops were primarily for our members to hear industry leaders discuss marketing strategies. The delegates' decision to establish a Legal Defense Fund could not have come at a more opportune time.
Legal challenges seem to come much more frequently today and, certainly, litigation costs are high.
Unfortunately, Farm Bureau must be prepared to defend our public policy interests in the courts, and we have been very active in 2000. The court granted the class certification which makes it easier for landowners to pursue claims for damages. As we close the books on 2000, we have many things to keep our eyes on. That was just 10 months ago. It's because constant change and new challenges face us each day of our lives.