Summit Sessions

Farm Futures Business Summit 2022

Unlock Your Competitive Advantage

January 20, 2022

Registration: 7 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sessions: 8 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.

8:00 - 9:30 A.M.

Keynote: Increasing your odds for business success**

Speaker:  Dr. David Kohl

The business and economic landscape of agriculture can be described in one word: “anxious.” Global trade uncertainty and the shift from fossil fuels to the green movement coupled with inflation and supply chain bottlenecks are only a few of the challenges.  However, with these headwinds, opportunities exist for those who manage the business proactively despite all of the economic megatrend shifts. How can you place the odds in your favor to manage your business and personal finances?  What are the strategies and actions for success in a world where chaos is the new normal?  Dr. Dave will present his outlook along with actions that improve the odds for success. His work as an academic, speaker, writer, business owner, and coach will provide wisdom and perspectives in an economic environment where uncertainty and opportunity coexist in the decade of the 2020s.   

9:30 - 10:15 A.M.

Managing the upside: What's the outlook for this bull market?**

Speaker:  Tommy Grisafi and ATI

How long will grain market fundamentals offer profitable prices? What steps do you need to take to lock in profits, despite higher input costs for 2022? One of the country's leading market analysts zeroes in on a key way to unlock your competitive advantage by managing risk through futures.

10:15 - 10:30 A.M. 

Coffee Break

Sponsored by:  Farmers Mutual Hail

10:30 - 11:15 A.M. 

Farm Leadership through communication**

Speaker:  Dean Heffta

Clear communication is one of the top problems all businesses face. As a farm team are we communicating, planning, and making decisions strategically? How are we organized? In this session you will learn the importance of adaptive communication with everyone involved in your business. You will learn how to resolve conflict and build systems that allow your team to plan, review, communicate, and get things done intentionally.

11:15 - 12:00 P.M.

Starting the conversation about the future of fertility**

Speakers:  Shawn Semones, Vera Bonardi, PhD

Moderated by: Willie Vogt

As the global debate over carbon emissions grows, inputs are being highly scrutinized beyond their ability to increase yield.  What is the cost and environmental impact of using conventional synthetic fertilizers versus exploring better solutions for crop nutrition? Bio-based alternatives that mimic nature to sustainably improve soils and nurture crops could be the future. Scientists say marrying microbials with biologicals can “unlock” nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen which already naturally exist in healthy soils. An informative discussion will provide the knowledge you need about the rapid development and deployment of advanced crop nutrition to improve crop yields and soil health, and benefit consumers and the environment.

12:00 - 1:00 P.M. 

Lunch

Sponsored by:  Sound Ag

1:00 - 2:00 P.M. 

What to watch for on the policy front**

Speaker:   Jacqui Fatka

Farmers benefited from a surge in government payments in recent years. In this session learn more on whether that will continue going forward as well as an outlook on trade, legislative, and regulatory issues impacting the ag sector. Award-winning Farm Futures policy editor Jacqui Fatka also provides insight on the political dynamic leading up to 2022 midterm elections. 

2:00 - 2:45 P.M.

Cash for carbon? What you should know before signing a carbon contract**

Speaker:   Todd Carlton,  Anastasia Pavlovic

Moderated by: Willie Vogt

Farmers who want to unlock a new revenue stream, future-proof their land and improve soil health are investigating carbon markets. What should they know before signing on the dotted line? Where are carbon markets headed? This session will answer all the questions you've had about this fast-changing marketplace.

2:45 - 3:15 P.M.

Coffee Break

3:15 - 4:10 P.M. 

Concurrent learning session 1 - Fertilizer outlook for 2022**

Speaker:   Jacqueline Holland

Labor issues, geopolitical forces, and COVID have all disrupted the fertilizer supply chain causing high prices and potential shortages. Farm Futures grain market analyst Jacqueline Holland offers insights on what has happened and what to watch for in 2022.

3:15 - 4:10 P.M.

Concurrent learning session 2 - What is king in your farm operation: Cash or cash flow?

Speaker: Mike Downey

Cash and cash flow are important in every family farm operation. Which one is more important, however?  In this session, we will discuss examples of both to help you decide for yourself which one is truly king.

3:15 - 4:10 P.M.

Concurrent learning session 3 - How traders manage risk through technical analysis

Speaker:  Brian Splitt

Technical analysis is a tool that anyone can successfully use to determine which price levels are important, and why. Using technical analysis takes emotion out of marketing and offers 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 isn’t theory; it’s real-world advice you can put to use in your marketing plan starting tomorrow.

4:15 - 5:15 P.M.

Concurrent learning session 4 - Pros and cons of a hot farmland market

Speaker:  Dave Muth

When will the hot farmland market cool off, and how is it impacting the farm economy? Take a closer look at where land values are headed and the factors that could impact sales and values in 2022.

4:15 - 5:15 P.M.

Concurrent learning session 5  - Estate planning: Who packs your farm transition parachute?

Speaker:  Mike Downey

Most successful farm operations have a team of trusted advisors and specialists they rely on to continually improve the family farm business. In this session, we will discuss who you should have on your team and why.

4:15 - 5:15 P.M.

Concurrent learning session 6 - Leading tomorrow: Critical skills for the multi-generational farm**

Speaker:   Dean Heffta

Leading when you don't have financial control of the business can seem filled with uncertainty and frustration. This interactive session equips attendees with tools for clarifying vision, uncovering critical roles required for every farm business, and creating an action plan for next generation leadership. 

5:30 - 6:00 P.M.

Cocktail hour

Sponsored by: FarmOp Capital

6:00 - 7:00 P.M.

Dinner

Sponsored by: Farm Credit

Speaker: Max Armstrong

7:15 - 8:00 P.M.

Supply chain management: Disruption triage, or structural change?

Speaker: Dr. Bobby Martens

Agriculture has faced its share of supply chain disruptions, and the challenges are far from over. But what is really a supply chain issue and what is not? What needs to happen for these issues to be resolved? Iowa State economist and veteran supply chain expert Bobby Martens offers an inside look at the future of supply chain management.

Farm Futures Business Summit 2022

Unlock Your Competitive Advantage

January 21, 2022

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