With a new farm bill many changes in policy are on the horizon for Hoosier farmers. What some of those changes mean for agriculture is one of the focal points of the upcoming Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum. Thursday the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Growers Association are offering a breakout session on farm policy presented by Sara Wyant, farm policy reporter and president of Agri-Pulse Communications.
“We just heard from out Secretary of Agriculture and there is a lot of education that needs to be done for the farmers, and so this could be very informational because this farm bill is totally different from anything we’ve had in the past,” said ISA president David Lowe, speaking with HAT during the recent Commodity Classic.
“Now that the farm bill has passed, many producers may be left with questions about the changes in the new bill and how those changes will affect their operations,” said Levi Huffman, chair of ISA’s membership and policy committee. “This session will allow our producers to gain insight from Sara’s perspective on what is happening in D.C., and our staff members will then be able to provide a wrap-up of state and national legislation that affects Hoosier farmers.”
Kenneth Cukier will present the keynote address focusing on big data and the impact it will have on the economy, science and society.
“Technology is so immense today,” said Lowe, “and the data collection and distribution is a great big topic right now. Who actually owns the data? Everyone in attendance will be given a book that he has written. We really hope for a big crowd because this is a big information session.”
Wyant will then moderate a panel discussion on data and its relationship with agriculture.
“The panelists are varied throughout agriculture,” Lowe explained. “I think they’ll have some insights on what data means to them and what they think it should mean to the rest of agriculture and what it can be for us on the farm level for each individual farmer.”
Panel members are Matt Bechdol of GeoSilos; Matthew Erickson of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Sarina Sharp of Ag Business Solutions; and Kip Tom of Tom Farms LLC.
Cukier is the co-author of Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform How We Work, Live and Think, and is an editor at The Economist. Attendees will receive a copy of Cukier’s book courtesy of the soybean checkoff.
This year’s forum is moving to the Marriott Indianapolis, located at 350 W. Maryland Street in downtown Indianapolis and starts at 8:30 a.m. with the general session sponsored by the state soybean checkoff.
Pre-registration is required and the $25 fee includes breakfast and lunch. Visit the ISA website for more information and to register.
The rest of the day is a cooperative effort of organizations from diverse sectors of the state’s agricultural industry to provide Indiana grain farmers and livestock producers with the latest news, trends and issues affecting their individual industries.
In addition to the soybean and corn session, other breakout topics include :
• “More Than a Load of Crap: Thinking about Manure in a New Way,” sponsored by Indiana Pork, the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Farm Bureau.
• “Recent Forage Improvements that will Benefit Producers,” sponsored by the Indiana Forage Council.
• “Yield Grades and Quality Grades: What They Mean and Why You Should Care,” sponsored by the Indiana Beef Cattle Association.
• “Making Your Land Lease Work for You,” sponsored by the Purdue University Extension.
• Indiana Dairy Producers Annual Meeting followed by “Vision for ISDA,” presented by Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney.
Other participating organizations Indiana Beef Cattle Association, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Dairy Producers, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Forage Council, Indiana Horse Council, Indiana Pork, Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Milk Promotion Services of Indiana, Inc., and Purdue Extension.