Prairie Grains Expo Details

Can Our Wild, Wild Weather Get Any Wilder?  -- Leon Osborne, Meridian Weather
This nationally know weather expert will provide a sneak preview into the short-term weather that will effect the 2002 wheat crop around the world. He will also take a look at the long-term weather cycles that have and will influence our weather and crops in North Dakota and Minnesota. What are El Niño and La Niña saying about how our spring and summer will shape up?

Prairie Grains Trade Expo
Growers and suppliers can sit down together and work out solutions to specific problems and needs at the Prairie Grains Conference & Exposition. Relax around a table over coffee with any of the seed and chemical suppliers, technology companies, grains and chemical handling manufacturers, marketing and investment specialists or your favorite ag media personality at the Prairie Grains Conference and Exposition.

Are Green Payments in Your Farm’s Future?-- Susan Keith, Sen. Tom Harkin’s Staff
Information on the Conservation Security Act and its influence on the Farm Bill.  Details on how it could effect  producers in North Dakota and northern Minnesota.

Creating Agriculture’s Future with Legislation on Farm Programs and World Trade
Listen to the staff people directly responsible for the legislative work done behind the scenes. Senior Agriculture Analyst and Budget Committee staff member Timothy Galvin; House Ag Committee staff member, Jeff Harrison; and Senate Ag Committee staff member, Susan Keith.

General Session Marketing Panel
Minneapolis Grain Exchange Board Member, Scott Cordes will discuss the changes taking place with futures trading at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange including electronic trading and cash price options; Agri-Mark’s Mike Krueger will present his views on the grains markets. Krueger is sure to provide an important take home message that will be valuable for everyone to hear; and producer and Marketing Group Leader, Mike Lockhart will provide a grower’s perspective on marketing, along will some insight into the marketing strategies that marketing groups are using this year.

The Nuts and Bolts of the New Farm Bill: Discover the details and hear about the politics that are shaping the new programs.
Featuring Jerry Hagstrom, Washington D.C. Ag Correspondent with the National Journal.  In this presentation, sponosored by AgWeek, you’ll learn about the changes to base acres, payment limitations, payment levels and how you qualify for the payments. This is a must-hear presentation if you want to get a jump on understanding the new farm bill.

Use the Plan-Ahead Method When Marketing Your 2001 and 2002 Wheat, Barley and Oilseed Crops
Just don’t sell it when you need cash because everyone knows when that will be. It’s not too early to be writing down your marketing plan (price goals and selling dates) for a portion of your 2002 crop. Sit in on this informative seminar and walk away with some valuable hand out material and a start on writing your own plan. You will be able to sign up for a free subscription to a marketing newsletter and there will be time after the session to talk one-on-one with all the marketing speakers from the last few days.

Wrap-Up Reception 
A closing reception to socialize with other convention-goers, and also “one-on-one” discussions with each of the marketing people who made presentations or exhibited at this year’s conference.