Rob Sharkey: Rob is a risk taker and out-of-the-box thinker. Better known by his digital alias, The SharkFarmer, Rob is an Illinois grain farmer, owner of a whitetail deer hunting outfitter, podcast & radio show host, and host of multiple TV shows on RFD-TV and PBS. Rob married his high school sweetheart, Emily, and they’ve brought up their family in the heartland. Knowing every decision they make trickles down to impact their family, Rob and Emily strive to set examples of taking smart chances and learning from every failure.
Known for his authentic and honest storytelling on his podcast, Rob isn’t afraid to address controversial topics or share the struggles of being a modern farmer and business owner. His unfiltered words resonate with almost a million listeners weekly around the world.
Prioritizing his guests on the show with an ability to genuinely listen to their stories and respond with engaging questions, he has created a space for people to connect regardless of age, location or farm background. Rob knows risk is an essential ingredient to the recipe for success, and he’s not afraid of failure. His natural ability to connect with audiences – large or small – on a variety of subjects, makes Rob a highly sought-after influencer in the agriculture community. As the momentum builds, this Shark will continue to swim forward, sharing his story with whoever is listening.
Mitch Ereaux– Mitch has worked in the seed industry for the last 13 years where he has focused much of his time on forages and seed production. Mitch grew up working on his family’s cow/calf operation in Malta, MT until attending college at Montana State University where he majored in Ag Education. He currently resides in Great Falls, MT where he enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 kids. Go Cats!
Forages and Cover Crops in Dryland Montana
Establishing and managing forages and cover crops in Montana is a challenge that effect many producers. This talk will cover many tips and pitfalls that can help establish and sustain better quality forages and cover crops in Montana’s arid climate. Get insight to common questions such as what varieties are best suited in your area to correct management to reduce nitrates in cereal crops.
Joshua Day Chief, CEO of AdvancedAg Inc., one of Canada’s leading agricultural biologics companies and a recognized innovator in regenerative production systems, will join us, “Biologicals and their role in regenerative and profitable farming systems.”
Joshua will be speaking on the evolution and impact of biologicals within modern agriculture. He’ll share AdvancedAg’s journey as a leading Canadian biologics company and the outcomes across North American farms. He’ll outline how producers are using biology to reduce chemical inputs while maintaining strong agronomic performance and operational resilience. The session will highlight practical frameworks, field-scale data, and grower case studies that demonstrate both profitability and soil health gains. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of where biologicals fit today and how they can strategically integrate them into their own systems.
Joshua Day Chief is the CEO of AdvancedAg, a recognized innovator in regenerative production systems. He has guided AdvancedAg’s growth from a regional startup to a North American platform trusted by growers seeking to reduce chemical inputs, enhance soil function, and improve profitability through biological solutions. With a background in reclamation, product commercialization, and large-scale field deployment, Joshua works closely with farmers, researchers, and industry partners to validate and scale biology-driven practices. He is widely regarded for his practical, producer-focused approach and his commitment to building resilient, high-performance farming systems across diverse geographies.
Tyrel Obrecht of Obrecht Cattle Co. who will cover Virtual Fencing in Northern Montana.
Tyrel will show how his family has utilized Virtual Fence (Vence Collars) to run more heifers on a smaller amount of acres. He’ll cover the how, when, and why of virtual fence, including what to know before diving in, and how to better utilize pasture with technology.
Tyrel is a 5th generation rancher from Turner, MT. He’s a graduate of Montana State University and former lender, he loves numbers and analyzing the business side of ranching. Tyrel believes technology is the next frontier for cattle ranching and is always looking for ways to improve his family’s operation.
Wade McAlpine, AgWest Farm Credit appraiser, will be joining us for his talk, “Agricultural Real Estate: Appraisals, Market Considerations, and Risk Analysis” on January 31 in Shelby.
This workshop will introduce appraisal principles and processes, as well as a general real estate market overview. It will also compare “owning” versus “leasing” real estate, as well as a land use cost comparison analysis. Finally, it will include a balance sheet and lending risk analysis. Whether you’re interested in buying, selling, leasing land, or just knowing where the market is at, this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the ag real estate market.
Wade McAlpine is a real estate appraiser with AgWest Farm Credit, based out of Great Falls, MT. He analyzes real estate throughout northcentral Montana, as well as southwestern Montana. In addition to appraisal, Wade also ranches with his wife and brother near Valier, MT. Wade has two daughters and enjoys hunting and golfing outside of work.
Ashley Bettenhausen- Marketing can be overwhelming, but Ashley Bettenhausen will break it down in her talk, “From Feelings to Framework,” at Montana’s Next Generation Conference Saturday, January 31 in Shelby.
Ashely said, “We’ll look at how to build a good foundation for any grain marketing plan, why dynamic breakeven gives you a better picture than just trying to hit the high, and why hedging is one of the best gifts you can give your operation.”
Ashley Bettenhausen, known as @TheeGrainLady on social, is a no-nonsense grain market advisor and founder of Valiant Marketing LLC, delivering unbiased, producer-focused strategies for cash marketing, futures, merchandising, and global trade. As Adjunct Professor of Agricultural Economics at North Dakota State College of Science, she teaches the next generation the real-world mechanics of agricultural marketing systems. With deep experience across cooperatives, merchandising, and consulting roles throughout the Midwest, Ashley empowers farmers with sharp insights and straightforward advice to conquer volatile markets.
Brad Birch and Jamie Birch, agronomists and owners of MT Ag, will be sharing, “Fertilizers in the Soil” at the Montana’s Next Generation Conference January 31, 2026 in Shelby.
If you’ve every wondered why to fertilize, where to start, what to use, what do all the terms mean, how do I make the right decisions for my farm, this is the class for you! Extra bonus, it’s worth a pesticide point as well!
Read more about Jamie and Brad’s operation at https://agupdate.com/…/article_d1d0ca8c-ad95-11ee-a72f… that provides an overview of their Conrad, MT fertilizer plant. The article noted, “Jamie grew up on a farm near Chester, Mont., and graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in plant sciences. Brad grew up around agriculture, too, but in a different way. His dad was an ag researcher at Washington State University, and he went to the same university, graduating with a degree in agronomy.
They both worked for other fertilizer and agronomy companies for many years. Brad has had 30 years of experience working for a fertilizer company, while Jamie has had about 20 years of experience.”
Bob Bodle and Cameron Young of Montana Ag Drones in Townsend will be sharing two drone workshops at Montana’s Next Generation Conference Saturday, January 31 in Shelby.
The first, “Drone Advantage in Pasture,” will introduce the types of drones available for agriculture and how they can assist farmers. It will cover real world scenarios and applications from firsthand experience, and discussing the current limitations and laws of drone application as they apply to crops. BONUS – it’s worth a pesticide point as well!
Bob and Cameron started Montana Ag Drones in hopes of bringing new technology and more efficient land management tactics to Montana agriculture. Bob, 4th generation farmer and rancher in Townsend, MT, grew up seeing the impacts of noxious weeds on his family farm and how hard it was to control this ever-growing problem. He has years of experience contributing to the solution to these problems for his own farm and is committed to bringing these solutions to the Montana community.
Before starting Montana Ag Drones Cameron had 4 years of professional experience battling noxious weeds across Montana. He worked alongside various agencies and arial applicators and saw the benefits of these methods and wanted to expand that to the ag community by bringing drone application and awareness to Montana. They are both dedicated to bringing ethical and effective solutions to this growing problem in Montana and improving the Montana landscape for the farmers and ranchers of the future.
Korey and Wendy Fauque of KW Insurance, Inc. are incredible supporters of the conference, again sponsoring at the Diamond level! In addition, Korey will be sharing two workshops with producers at the Next Generation Conference January 31 in Shelby.
The first workshop will be, “Farming, Ranching, Ag Retail and Insurance – Lessons learned 20 years into building our business.” Korey and Wendy built several businesses from the ground up and made plenty of mistakes along the way. Korey will revisit their journey and the lessons they learned, from tax planning, life choices, business structures and taking time to enjoy the ride.
Korey and Wendy Fauque started KW Insurance in 2003 and also operate a farm and ranch together. Over the years they also ran an agronomy and chemical sales business, sold GPS equipment, rented construction equipment, started a meat market and DJ’d dances. They have insurance offices in Shelby and Sunburst with 7 agents focusing on crop, home and auto insurance.
Caitlin Gillespie is a Sustainable Ranching Initiative (SRI) Program Specialist down the Hi-Line in Malta, MT, with the World Wildlife Fund.
Caitlin will share about the Sustainable Ranching Initiative (SRI) (https://www.worldwildlife.org/…/sustainable-ranching…/) which was established in 2011 to develop long-term partnerships with ranchers, rural communities, and landowner-led organizations in the Northern Great Plains to benefit the grassland ecosystem. SRI works with landowners, rancher-led local organizations, corporations, industry groups, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies to prevent grassland from being converted to cropland, increase adoption of regenerative grazing practices, support forward-thinking land managers, restore cropland or degraded lands back to native grasslands, and restore wetlands.
Caitlin said, “This session will go through the World Wildlife Funds Sustainable Ranching Initiative and the resources it provides to producers. We will cover the history of the program, cost-share projects, monitoring, education resources, and how to get involved.” Caitlin graduated from Montana State University in 2020 and relocated to the Hi-Line. Now based in Malta, she spends her free-time reading, spending time outdoors, and connecting with the local community.
More speaker bios coming soon!
Montana's Next Generation Conference 