Agenda

See below for a more reader friendly schedule.

Each hour, participants will be able to choose from six different workshops to attend. Topics will include workshops designed for beginning producers as well as advanced knowledge for continuing education. Pesticide points have been applied for and will be posted if approved prior to the conference.

Crop production workshops will feature a variety of interests this year. Chester area producer, Cory Hawks, will be a new presenter at this year’s conference and will delve into Regenerative Agriculture and how it has changed the face of their multi-generation family operation. David Weaver, Montana State University Professor, will share his research on how to make the best of grain storage including bin preparation and what problems to watch for when storing grain for extended time periods. Charles Good of Max Ag of Montana will cover two workshop slots with a beginning precision agriculture presentation for those just getting started and then into a second hour of how to make the information work for the end user.

Livestock Production topics will include an interactive presentation by Glacier County Extension Agent Kari Lewis on EPDs and selecting replacement seedstock. Livestock Nutrition and Veterinary topics will provide additional learning opportunities as well.

As producers see inflation affecting their inputs costs across the board, Joel Schumacher, MSU Extension Economics, has assembled an interesting look at inflation – “How did we get here and what next in 2023?  This will be followed by workshops on financials: Production and Financial Recordkeeping with Lacy Roberts, Glacier County FSA, “Making your Financials Work for You” with Northwest Farm Credit Services, “Protecting Your Assets” and “Financial Fixes” with Jane Wolery of Sterling Solutions as she helps families develop ways to improve their communication on finances and make family budgeting a fun challenge.

The 2023 markets will be another key topic of the conference with Lance Wilson of Integrity Consulting Company providing two workshops on the 2023 Market Outlook with one designed towards livestock producers and one for crop producers. For those looking at direct marketing, Valier area rancher Jennie Becker will cover lessons learned while setting up their ranch business for direct sale of beef and pork. Karoline Rose, KRose Cattle Co., will present two workshops – Livestock Marketing 101 and then taking it to the Internet with Social Media Marketing 101.

There has been continued interest in what programs are available through USDA especially with the Inflation Reduction Act containing funds for agriculture programs. Stacy Eneboe, GFA Resource Conservationist, Lad Barney, Rural Development and Choteau County Executive Director Bill Evans will present on how to get started with their agencies along with updates over the past year.

Dedicated attendees of the conference will be excited to see some of their favorite speakers from years past will be back with great new topics. Britney Tempel of Montana Roots Accounting will spearhead a discussion on selecting an entity for your farm or ranch and what considerations a producer needs to consider along with how to address deferred income. Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist, will have two workshops this year as producers keep their eye on estate planning. Her first workshop will cover what items are needed for developing a will and the second will address how to approach the retirement years and prepare for Medicaid and Medicare implications.

Minimizing risk is always a key topic. Travis Clark and Holly Hovland of Leavitt Great West Insurance Services will cover General Liability Insurance and Workman’s Compensation. Megan Hedges of Northern Plains Insurance will help beginning producers with a Crop Insurance 101 workshop on where to get started.

Helium exploration along the Hi-Line has caused landowners and lease holders alike to question what rights and options they have when they may not own the mineral rights but still want to keep the surface in pristine condition. Don and Brian Lee of Lee Law Office specialize in Oil and Gas legal topics and will cover these timely topics.

As producers come out of a rough couple of years of drought, the Montana Drought and Climate Project group will be on hand for an update on what they have learned from producers across the state and how producers are working to minimize the results of extreme drought. Martin Townsend of Ranchers Stewardship Alliance will continue this theme with a presentation on how to utilize a land monitoring software along with partnering with wildlife conservation industry as producers look for a win-win for ranchers, conservation and Montana communities.

Advocacy for agriculture is a key topic in this era. Jason Laird, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, and Steve Sheffels, a farmer from Great Falls area, will be on hand for a workshop on how they have been active in the grain industry and what key issues lie ahead for crop producers in Montana.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) borrowers can complete their borrower training requirements by attending six workshops and completing an evaluation at the end.

The day will feature speakers from across Montana on topics that relate to producers of all ages and experience levels. From financial recordkeeping, succession planning, entity structures, livestock and crop production topics, there will be something for everyone.

The conference will satisfy Farm Service Agency (FSA)’s requirements for production and financial management training.

Tentative schedule will be finalized in the coming weeks. If you are interested in sponsoring a session for the 2023 conference please contact Lacy Roberts and lacy.roberts@usda.gov.

For registration questions, please contact Kari Lewis at (406) 873-2239 or kari.lewis@montana.edu.  For FSA borrower training questions, please contact Lacy Roberts at (406) 873-5618 (ext. 2060) or lacy.roberts@usda.gov.