Industry Events
Sept. 24, 2008

Bioeconomy Conference Nears
Oct. 15-16, Saint Louis, Mo.

Early-bird registration ends Sept. 30 for the Oct. 15-16 conference, Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts. The conference is at the Hyatt Regency-Union Station, Saint Louis, Mo. The third in the Transition to a Bioeconomy series, this conference will examine how environmental resources and rural communities will be affected by the evolving biofuels industry. Speakers from industry, government, special-interest groups and academia will address such topics as land use, water quality issues, jobs in the bioeconomy, green technologies, capital formation and governance issues.

Featured speakers include U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, who will discuss public policy challenges for the bioeconomy, and Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas Dorr. Early-bird registration is $225 if paid by Tuesday, Sept. 30. After that date, registration will be $300.

Conference program details and registration information are available at the Farm Foundation web site, www.farmfoundation.org. The Transition to a Bioeconomy conference series is a collaboration of Farm Foundation, and four U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies: Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Rural Development, Economic Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The U.S. Forest Service is also a collaborator for this event. The first two conferences in the Transition to a Bioeconomy series addressed the integration of agriculture and energy systems, risk and infrastructure.

Cattle AI School: Steps to Better Genetics, Performance
Oct. 20-22, Belle Valley, Ohio

Learn ways to boost the genetics and performance of your cattle at the Ohio State University’s Cattle Artificial Insemination (AI) School, Oct. 20-22, at the Eastern Agricultural Research Station in Belle Valley, Ohio.

Reproductive physiology, cattle heat synchronization, and utilization of insemination equipment and practices are among scheduled topics.

The event will take place

• 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 20: Reproductive tract anatomy and physiology; estrous synchronization. Speaker: Mike Day, Department of Animal Sciences, OARDC.
• 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21: Basic AI instruction. Speakers: Clif Little and Carol Wheeler, both of OSU Extension.
• 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22: Cattle artificial insemination. Speakers: Little, Wheeler and John Groah, DVM, McConnelsville, Ohio.

Registration, due by Oct. 13, costs $75 and includes program materials and lunch. Space is limited to the first 20 registrants.

Registrants will be notified when they are accepted into the class. The registration fee is nonrefundable. Space will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information or to register, contact Little at 740-432-9300 or little.16@osu.edu; or Kaye Clay in OSU Extension’s Guernsey County at 740-489-5300 or clay.89@cfaes.osu.edu.

Food and Fuel Forum
Oct. 23, Kansas City, Mo.

The national debate over food and fuel uses of grain will be in the spotlight Oct. 23 in Kansas City, Mo., at a one-day forum being sponsored by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and co-hosted by the AgriBusiness Club of Saint Louis; the Agri-Business Council of Wichita; the Saint Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee; Sosland Publishing; and Vance Publishing.

“The rapid emergence of bio fuels has brought changes to the agricultural economy that may be unrivaled dating back to the introduction of McCormick’s reaper,” said Bob Petersen, chairman of the Agricultural Business Council. “This trend has a huge impact on agricultural and food businesses as well as academic and research institutions right here in the Heartland and surrounding states. They will, in fact, be among the nation’s solution-makers.”

The event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the American Royal (lunch provided), will be moderated by Mike Adams of Agri-Talk and will feature nationally-recognized speakers.

According to Petersen, the goal of the forum is to lead to a greater understanding of differing perspectives of the food and fuel discussion. “The sponsoring organizations have gone to great lengths to ensure the forum will be a neutral venue for the differing perspectives, offering each the opportunity to make its case in an objective fashion,” Petersen says. The event costs $75 per person. Online information and registration is available on the Council’s website at http://agribusinesscouncilofkc.com; or inquiries can be directed to erica@petersenconsultingllc.com. The American Royal is located at 1701 American Royal Court, Kansas City, Mo.

2008 Beef Quality Summit
Nov. 6-7, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Penton Media’s BEEF® magazine will host its third annual BEEF Quality Summit Nov. 6-7, 2008 at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs, Colo. The theme of this year’s conference is “Quality — A Solution to Rising Costs.” The BEEF Quality Summit provides attendees with the opportunity to network with producers, vendors and others in the industry, and to learn how to increase the value of their beef-cattle production. Full conference details are available at www.beefconference.com.

Sign up by Oct. 1 and save $25 off the $150 registration cost, which includes the program, a trade show, two breakfasts, two lunches and a reception. The program features some of the nation’s top experts providing participants with background and insight into the considerations, tools and practices that can help producers optimize beef quality as a competitive tactic in these challenging times.

Among the highlights of the 2008 BEEF Quality Summit will be the opening general session focusing on the long-term effects of rising costs on beef quality, demand and profit.

The producer panel, which is always popular with attendees, is on Thursday afternoon and the session is titled, “Producer Perspectives – Managing Costs & Product Quality for Profit.”

With the BEEF Quality Summit scheduled just days following the 2008 election, the timing is perfect to have Terry Stokes, chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and J. Burton Eller, NCBA senior vice president of government affairs, analyze and discuss the potential effect of the election on the beef industry. Troy Marshall, BEEF magazine contributing editor, will moderate this session. Alex Avery, director of research for the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues, closing the meeting by addressing the topic: “Benefits And Acceptance Of Pharmaceutical Technologies In Beef Production.”

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.