Former 1st District Congressman Tim Penny will speak March 18 at the third annual Agricultural Luncheon. The event is held by the Albert Lea/Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee. Last year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty spoke.

The Agricultural Luncheon will be buffet style and this year will be in the Fairlane Building at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds. Penny&8217;s topic will be &8220;The Changing Face of Agriculture.&8221;

Penny, the president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, lives in Waseca. He was born on his family crop, hog and dairy farm near Mansfield in Freeborn County and he graduated from Kiester High School. He has a bachelor&8217;s degree in political science from Winona State University.

He was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1976 and went to represent the 1st District of Minnesota in Congress from 1982 to 1994.

Tickets to the Agricultural Luncheon are $10 each and can be purchased at the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, 701 Marshall St.

The event also will feature the announcement of the 2008 Farm Family of the Year.