Mark your calendar for two upcoming meetings that will provide pertinent farm and financial management and marketing information. The first is the July 11 Decisions 2011 Seminar in Memphis sponsored by Brock Associates and others. The second is the annual Mid-South Agricultural Finance Conference on August 3 at UT Martin.

Decisions 2011 is scheduled for Monday, July 11 at the Peabody in Memphis. Registration starts at 7:15 a.m. with the program kicking off at 8:15 a.m. with Drew Lerner discussing the weather. Also on the agenda are New Advancements in Technology which will look at where crop genetics are headed; Farmland Values which will examine driving forces in the land market and effects of prices on land values; Information Technology which will look at how information technology will help make management decisions to increase profitability. The program will conclude with Richard Brock discussing his price outlook and detail marketing strategies. Registration is $95 and more information can be found at http://www.brockreport.com/seminars.php .

The annual Mid-South Agricultural Finance Conference will be held at the University Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin on Wednesday, August 3. More information on the conference including a brochure can be found at www.utm.edu/agconference .  The program starts with registration and continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m. The registration fee for a producer is $75 and includes all breaks and lunch as well as conference handouts and materials. Headlining the conference once again is Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus from Virginia Tech. Dr. Kohl is considered one of the foremost farm financial gurus in the country and is an internationally renowned speaker and writer on agricultural issues. He will provide specific financial and economic benchmarks to manage and build your financial fortress as well as strengthen your financial position.  Dr. Joe Outlaw, Co-Director of the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M will discuss the impact of government policy on farming operations. He will provide insight into where farm policy is going and how it will affect producer’s operation.  Rounding out the conference will be Dr. Thomas Elam with FarmEcon, LLC covering commodity prices and sustained profitability in the livestock industry. Dr. Elam will provide attendees with a fresh prospective on commodity prices, feeding costs, and major meat price trends. The conference will conclude with a question and answer panel discussion with the speakers.