The Mid-South Agricultural Finance Conference is set for August 1 at the UT Martin Boling University Center in Martin, Tennessee. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with the program to kick off shortly thereafter. This informative program will wrap up at 3:00 p.m. with door prizes and does include break refreshments and lunch. Registration is $75 for farmers and producers and $150 for lenders and ag service providers.  A special session on Strategic Planning for Farm Operations will be July 31 at 5:30 p.m. It includes dinner and will be finished by 8:00 p.m. and has a registration fee of $30. More information can be found on-line at www.utm.edu/agconference  or by clicking on these brochures.

Mid South Ag Conference 2012 brochure

DCOE Ag Conference 2012 Insert

Once again headlining the conference is Dr. David Kohl, president of AgriVisions, LLC; part owner of Homestead Creamery; and Professor Emeritus in the Agricultural Economics Department at Virginia Tech.  Dr. Kohl will be look at the tools needed to keep score of the key economic indicators to help sustain profits and manage risk.  He will also provide financial scoring measures for large and small operations and give help producers learn what lenders are looking for.

Allen Motew, Chief Meteorologist for QT Information, will discuss whether La Nina is on the way out with El Nino to follow and how these weather patterns will affect prices and operational decisions including irrigation planning during the next few years. Motew has been an expert weather analyst for more than 35 years and currently broadcasts his weather forecasts from the Chicago Board of Trade.

Rounding out the program will be Richard Brock, owner and president of Brock Associates, an agricultural marketing advisory service and publisher of The Brock Report. Mr. Brock will examine how U.S. and world economies affect commodity prices and the agricultural sector.

All speakers will be available for a question and answer panel discussion with the audience.

The July 31 pre-conference session will focus on Strategic Planning with Dr. Kohl leading the session. He will provide producers with important tools and benchmarks needed for the growth and transition of the farm operation. This session will provide important financial benchmarks and the ten characteristics of successful operations. Space is limited for this session so register early to save your spot.