Industry Events

Industry Events
Feb. 2, 2006

K-State Ag Profitability Conference
February-March, Kansas

Kansas State University (K-State) will host a series of meetings covering numerous topics that affect a farmer’s or rancher’s bottom line.

Topics to be covered include the benefits of no-till, driving forces and options for the 2007 Farm Bill, crop insurance, rising fuel costs, agricultural trends, economies of size, fertilizer economics, grain marketing and market outlook, machinery costs, employee management, and more.

Detailed conference information, including date, location, contact information and specific topics, can be found at www.agmanager.info/events or at a K-State Research and Extension office.

Cattle feeding, marketing short course
Feb. 7, Bowling Green, Ohio

The 2006 Great Lakes Professional Cattle Feeding and Marketing Short Course will be at the Wood County Junior Fair Building in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), Purdue University and the Ontario Department of Agriculture, is offering the cattle feeding and marketing short course to help enhance the cattle industry in the Eastern Corn Belt. Coursework is designed to provide information on current feeding, management and marketing practices to improve profitability. Topics to be discussed include distillers’ grain, feedlot air quality, feeding out heifers, national animal ID, alliances and market projections.

Registration is $30, with $20 for each additional individual family/farm member. FFA and 4-H students can register for $10. To register, send a check made payable to Michigan State University to Steven Rust, Department of Animal Science, MSU, 2265B Anthony Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1225.

For more information contact OSU Extension beef specialists Steve Boyles at (614) 292-7669 or boyles.4@osu.edu, or Dan Frobose at (419) 354-6916 or frobose.1@osu.edu.

Saskatchewan Beef Symposium
Feb. 8-9, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada

The symposium is intended to help producers increase production efficiency, explore alternative markets, improve land stewardship and produce better beef at lower costs. The event will highlight ethanol production, grazing and wintering options, improving carcass quality, niche marketing, and discussion of the Kyoto accord and its effects on participants.

Registrations are $110 (Canadian). Student registrations are $60 each, and additional banquet tickets cost $30. The fee includes all sessions, two lunches, a banquet and refreshment breaks.

The event will begin with registration at 9 a.m., Wednesday, and will take place at the Travelodge Hotel (Circle Drive West) in Saskatoon. For additional accommodation information, call 1-888-278-4209 or visit www.travelodgesaskatoon.com.

For more information contact Murray Feist at (306) 694-3492 or mfeist@agr.gov.sk.ca, or John McKinnon at (306) 966-4137 or John.McKinnon@usask.ca.

Ohio Renewable Energy Conference
Feb. 16, Reynoldsburg

The conference, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, is meant to boost farmer and business profits through the exploration of renewable energy projects.

Topics of discussion will include Midwest farmer renewable energy projects, Ohio public policy toward renewables, an overview of USDA renewable energy grants, as well as biodiesel, biomass, ethanol, methane, solar and wind energies. Discussion panels on project development assistance and how to start renewable energy projects are also scheduled.

The conference is sponsored by OSU’s Ohio Cooperative Development Center at South Centers at Piketon and the Ohio Farmers Union Cooperative Development Center. Registration, which includes lunch and Internet access to resource materials, is $20 by Feb. 7, and $40 after Feb. 7.

For more information or to register, contact Travis West at (740) 289-2071, Ext. 220 or west.222@osu.edu. Visit http://ocdc.osu.edu for further details.

“Women Managing the Farm” workshop
Feb. 17-18, Wichita, Kan.

The Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG) will help host the workshop, designed to aid and educate women farmers. The conference will include presentations on business planning, management of employees, and more. Networking opportunities will be available during the conference.

Thanks to funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA), charter buses will be available to assist those living far from the Wichita meeting.

Contact the Kansas Rural Family Helpline at 1-866-327-6578 or farmksu@humec.ksu.edu for more information. Visit www.k-state.edu/farmksu for further details.

Irrigation conference
Feb. 21-22, Colby, Kan.

The Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Exposition will take place at the Comfort Inn in Colby.

Sponsored by the Central Plains Irrigation Association (CPIA), the conference is meant to acquaint participants with the latest information on irrigation equipment and water management practices. Topics will include Kansas irrigation demographics and their effect on area residents, a review of the renewable energy industry, wastewater utilization, residue management for efficient water use, and limited irrigation crop options.

Registration, which includes admittance to all sessions, equipment exposition, proceedings, two lunches, breaks and a social hour, is $60 if postmarked by Feb. 3 or $65 thereafter. Participants applying for Crop Consultant Advisor (CCA) credits can register for $65 if postmarked by Feb. 3, or $75 thereafter.

Visit www.oznet.ksu.edu/sdi/Revents/cpia.html for more information, a registration form or hotel accommodations. Registration forms and payments should be mailed to Donna Lamm at 760 N. Thompson, Colby, KS 67701.

NFU Convention
March 3-6, Denver, Colo.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) will host its 2006 convention, themed “Fuels From the Farm — Our Nation’s Future,” in Denver. The organization’s 104th convention is scheduled to include appearances from former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Sen. John Edwards and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.

New NFU leaders will be elected at the convention, and members will decide on 2006 policy objectives. Members will also participate in workshops and breakout sessions about renewable energy, the new Farm Bill, trade, and consumer-producer cooperation. Entertainment is also scheduled.

Visit www.nfu.org for more information.

Association Plans Outreach Seminars

In a continued effort to communicate with its members at the local level, the American Angus Association will conduct a series of Outreach Seminars for the third year.

Outreach Seminars currently scheduled include:

• Thursday, Feb. 9, Madison, Wis. The seminar will begin at 2 p.m. at the Rodeway Inn South, 4916 E. Broadway (formerly the Quality Inn South).

• Saturday, March 11, Indianapolis, Ind. The seminar will take place in conjunction with the Indiana Angus Information Futurity at the Farm Bureau Building. Seminar times are to be announced at a later date.

• Thursday, March 23, Clemmons, N.C. The seminar will begin at 4 p.m. at the Village Inn Golf & Conference Center.

Association staff and directors will be on hand to discuss current Association programs, including the AngusSource^SM marketing program and genetic selection tools. They will also discuss the future of the beef industry and the role the Association and its members will play in the future of the beef business.

“These seminars were designed so our staff can visit with the membership in their own backyard. In addition to informing the membership about current Association programs, we also want to know what ideas are on our members’ minds,” says Jim Shirley, Association vice president of industry relations and director of commercial programs.

Visit www.angus.org for additional information about future seminars as they become available. For more information contact Shelia Stannard, Association event coordinator, at (816) 383-5100.