(update 5/22/12 – the event mentioned below has been postponed until 5/31/12 at 7-p.m. due to President Obama’s visit to Des Moines May 24th)

Rural Atlantic resident and organic farmer Denise O’Brien, who recently returned from a one-year appointment as a civilian agricultural advisor in Afghanistan, will speak about her experiences one-week from Thursday, in Des Moines. O’Brien,  who co-founded Women, Food and Agriculture Network in 1997, served in the advisory position for the USDA Office of Foreign Service Operations/Overseas.

She’s scheduled to speak on the topic 7-p.m. Thursday, May 24^th, at 206 Cartwright Hall on the Drake University Campus at 27th St. and Carpenter Ave. in Des Moines.  O’Brien will also display her photos of farming in Nangarhar Province. A question and answer session will follow her presentation.The event is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a social hour at the Mars Café, 2318 University Avenue, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.