Summit Sessions

Farm Futures Business Summit 2023

Navigate the Chaos

January 19-20, 2023

Registration: 7 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sessions: 8 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

8:00 - 9:00 A.M.

Keynote:  If your kitchen table could talk

Speaker:  Jolene Brown

Too often it's the unspoken words and poor communication that cause the most frustration on multi-generation family-owned farm operations. With lots of laughter, real-life stories, and take-home value, Jolene offers best practices to clear up typical family conflicts, and ensure better productivity and harmony for your family and business. You will feel energized and inspired once you've heard Jolene's words of wit and wisdom.

9:00 - 9:45 A.M.

How far can this bull run?

Speaker:  Matt Bennett, Channel Seed

This long-running bull market can’t last forever – right? While the grain market continues to offer profitable price opportunities going into 2023, this is no time to get complacent on your marketing plan. In this session you will learn the fundamentals to watch, and the action steps you can take, to reduce grain marketing risk in your operation.

9:45 - 10:00 A.M. 

Coffee Break

Sponsored by:  Spraytec

10:00- 11:00 A.M. 

Farming in a War Zone: Understanding the unique challenges Ukrainian farmers face as Russia wages war in one of the world’s top ag-producing countries

Speaker: Howard Buffett with Max Armstrong

Howard Buffett shares insights from his four trips to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022 and why the Howard G. Buffett Foundation is providing support to smaller Ukrainian producers affected by the war.

11:00- 12:00 P.M.

Navigating the farm through inflation pressures and rising interest rates

Speaker:  Brian Briggeman

Kansas State University ag economist Dr. Brian Briggeman offers the financial outlook and advice on how to manage your farm business in the current high interest/inflation era.

12:00 - 1:00 P.M. 

Lunch

Sponsored by:  Sound Ag

1:00 - 1:45 P.M. 

Growing season and drought outlook

Speaker: Greg Soulje, This Week In Agribusiness

With drought, tight grain stocks, and growing demand, weather extremes and hiccups could have a big impact on markets. “This Week in Agribusiness” meteorologist Greg Soulje offers a farm forecast and weather insights for spring planting season.

1:45 - 2:30 P.M.

Geopolitical threats and opportunities

Speaker:  Cesar Cruz and Brian Basting, Advance Trading, Inc.

How will the Russian invasion of Ukraine and post-pandemic fallout impact world corn and wheat markets in 2023? Will Brazil bounce back from drought and pressure world soybean prices? Basting and Cruz offer an inside look at geopolitical threats and opportunities facing U.S. grain farmers in the new growing season. They will provide supply and demand as well as trade outlook in the key countries impacting grain prices.

2:30 - 3:00 P.M. 

Coffee Break

Sponsored by:  Ag Express Electronics

3:00 - 3:55 P.M. 

MAIN ROOM: Blowing up the crop budget: A look at 2023 inputs, acreage, and profits

Speaker: Jacqueline Holland

Join Farm Futures’ primary source for ag economics and markets, Jacqueline Holland, as we forecast 2023 acres and consider implications from the fertilizer market. We will be taking an in-depth look at how crop budgets will shake out in 2023 and what profit implications could be in store for farmers and grain markets.

3:00- 3:55 P.M.

CONFERENCE ROOM 1 - Pros and cons of passive income: Should you invest off the farm?

Speaker: Mike Downey

Should you diversify your nest egg by investing outside the farm? Come learn how this panelist has used alternative real estate investments to help grow his family farm and ag consulting business. 

3:00- 3:55 P.M.

CONFERENCE ROOM 2 -  How to market with technicals and fundamentals

Speaker:  Brian Splitt

While fundamental analysis is and always will be the foundation for bull and bear markets, technical analysis is a tool that anyone can successfully use to take emotion out of marketing and offer objective clues to decisions. In this session you will learn from a former Marine what technical analysis is and how
it is applied to grain markets. This is real world advice you can put to use in your marketing plan tomorrow.

4:00- 5:00 P.M.

MAIN ROOM - Habits of frugal farmers - panel discussion

Moderator:  Willie Vogt

How do you manage in a tight margin environment? How do you calculate costs and keep track as the growing season evolves?These farmers share ideas on what works for them. Panelists: Illinois farmer Steve Hettinger; Indiana farmer Rodney Rulon;  Iowa farmer Logan Lyon.

4:00- 5:00 P.M.

CONFERENCE ROOM 1 - Managing farmland cost risk with flexible leases

Speaker:  Mike Downey

Cash rents are going up. For most farmers land is the most expensive fixed cost on their balance sheet. Is there a way to manage land cost risk through flexible leases? At this session you will learn how flexible leases work and why they continue to be enthusiastically adopted by corn belt farmers.

4:00- 5:00 P.M.

CONFERENCE ROOM 2 - Will interest rates cool farmland market?

Speaker:  Dave Muth

How are interest rates and the Inflation Reduction Act impacting farmland values now and going forward? Take a closer look at where land values are headed and the factors that could impact sales and values in 2023.

5:30 - 6:00 P.M.

Cocktail hour

6:00 - 7:00 P.M.

Dinner

Sponsored by: Pioneer

Speaker: Max Armstrong

7:00- 8:00 P.M.

How we feed the future

Speaker: Rob Saik

Food has become the new religion. While denominations such as paleo, vegan, and organic debate which is "the way," we're ignoring a truth that affects us all: to support a population nearing 10 billion by 2050 agriculture must become infinitely sustainable, yet jumpstart production by 60 to 70 percent. Listen in as Saik talks about the demands that will be faced by a core group of farmers called upon to grow the vast majority of the world's staple food supply. While mighty in their ability, they need support from a general public that increasingly has no idea how they operate.

Farm Futures Business Summit 2023

Navigate the Chaos

January 20, 2022

Sessions: 8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.