2018 Ag Expo

44TH

ANNUAL

AG

MEE TING

OWENSBORO, KY

JAN. 31, 2018

EXPO

P R E S E N T E D B Y G R A I N D AY I N C .

OWENSBORO CONVENTION CENTER

2 AG EXPO

Messenger-Inquirer Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Ag Expo returns to downtown for fifth year

BY STEVE VIED

The 44th annual Ag Expo — it used to be called Grain Day — will open for a day long trade show and series of informational sessions that promises to help local farmers and agribusinesses connect, network and learn about challenges facing the agriculture community and strategies to help overcome them.

Ag Expo, sponsored by the local Grain SEE RETURNS/PAGE 3 Photo by Alan Warren, Messenger-Inquirer

Clero Schmitt, left, and Marvin Schmidt, center, farmers from Vanderburgh County, Indiana, sit on the front loader of a New Holland T4.75 tractor as they talk with Jordan Ward of Ward Implement Company of eech Grove, Ky, on Jan. 25, 2017, at the 43rd Annual Ag Expo at the Owensboro Convention Center.

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RETURNS

“The focus is always to help position people for profitability for the upcoming season,” Hardy said. “We have a couple of sessions on weed manageFROM PAGE 2 ment and the use of the herbicide Day Committee, is set for Jan. 31 at the dicamba.”

Owensboro Convention Center. The According to an internet source, trade show will open at 7:30 a.m., and dicamba is a benzoic acid herbicide the first sessions begin at that can be applied to the 8:30 a.m.

“The focus is always to leaves or to the soil to The downtown Con- help position people control annual and perenvention Center will host nial broadleaf weeds in the Ag Expo for the fifth for profitability for grain crops and grassthe upcoming season. lands, killing broadleaf consecutive year.

T wo years ago, Ag We have a couple of weeds before and after Expo focused on the they sprout. sessions on weed futur e of agricultur e Hardy said Travis and last year’s event management and the Legleiter, assistant extenc o v e r e d a r a n g e o f use of the herbicide sion professor of weed issues and oppor tuni- dicamba.” science in the Plant and ties anticipated for 2017.

Soil Sciences Department Part of this year’s focus — Clint Hardy at the University of Kenwill be on improving tucky, will lead the weed farm management techniques, said management sessions.

Clint Hardy, a member of the Grain The keynote speaker for the lunch Day Committee and Daviess County session will be David Kohl, a retired Cooperative Extension Ser vice agent professor at Virginia Tech University, for agriculture and natural resources. who will speak on the topic of 10 tips The Extensive Ser vice coordinates for better overall farm management, Ag Expo, with lots of involvement by Hardy said. the local ag leadership and agribusinesses.

SEE RETURNS/PAGE 4

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Messenger-Inquirer Wednesday, January 24, 2018

RETURNS FROM PAGE 3

Another featured speaker and session leader will be Bob Nielsen, a corn production specialist and professor of agronomy at Purdue University. Nielsen created the websites Corn Growers’ Guidebook (http://www.kingcorn.org) and the Chat ‘n Chew Café (http://www.kingcor n. org/cafe). According to his webpage, Nielsen’s current research involves “investigations into the relationship between crop canopy reflectance and optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates in corn, onfarm seeding rate trials, on-farm nitrogen rate trials, and the productive utilization of site-specific crop management tools.”

This year’s Ag Expo will include an acknowledgement of the contributions of former extension agent Tom Curtsinger, who died this year. Cur tsinger was one of a few who spearheaded the creation of Grain Day in the early 1970s, with the first one held at

the Dugan Best Community Center.

About 500 people usually attend Ag Expo each year, Hardy said, including about 300 farmers.

Ag Expo typically includes 16 sessions with expert speakers, as well as the Ag Industry Trade Show. About 100 agribusiness partners financially support the event by purchasing booths for the trade show, Hardy said. Businesses that would like to have a booth at Ag Expo may contact Hardy for information.

Ag Expo is a large event with a large budget that helps prepare farmers for the spring planting season, where they can expect to learn about practical farm production and management, Hardy said. It is open to the public at no cost. Anyone interested is welcome.

The Extension Service coordinates the Ag Expo, but he said it is made possible through involvement of the local agricultural leadership.

For more information or vendor registration, call Hardy at 270-685-8480.

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Myles Murphy, 3, tells his mother, Angie Murphy, “Bye, I got to go dig,” as he climbs into the cab of a John Deere 50G compact excavator Jan. 25, 2017, at the 43rd Annual Ag Expo at the Owensboro Convention Center.

Photo by Alan Warren, MessengerInquirer/ awarren@ messengerinquirer.com

AG EXPO 2018 PROGRAM

Register by 10:30 a.m. to receive lunch ticket - tickets are limited.

Coffee and doughnuts provided by Ohio Valley Insurance Attending at least three sessions in Ballroom C will qualify for Private Pesticide Applicator Certification.

Jeff Nalley WBIO Farm Director, broadcasting live 7:30 a.m.

Registration in Lobby

SESSION I: 8:30 - 9:10 a.m.

East Ballroom A/B Grain Market Outlook Speaker: Dr. Todd Davis Moderator: Greg Comer East Ballroom C Infurrow & V Stage Corn Fungicide Speaker: Dr. Kiersten Wise Moderator: Philip Anderson Meeting Room 230 Management Tips for Continuous Soybeans

Speaker: Dr. Carrie Knott Moderator: Jeff Rice 9:10 - 9:40 a.m.

BREAK TO VIEW EXHIBITS

SESSION II: 9:40 - 10:20 a.m.

East Ballroom A/B Grain Profitability and Crop Insurance for 2018 Speaker: Dr. Todd Davis Moderator: Scott Kuegel East Ballroom C New and Re-occurring Soybean Disease Issues

Speaker: Dr. Carl Bradley Moderator: Nick Stephen Meeting Room 230 Agricultural Law & Liability

Speaker: Mr. Clint Quarles Moderator: Annette Heisdorffer 10:20 - 10:50 a.m.

BREAK TO VIEW EXHIBITS

SESSION III: 10:50 - 11:30 a.m.

East Ballroom A/B Top 12 Practices Observed of Successful Farmers

Speaker: Dr. David Kohl Moderator: Jesse Horn East Ballroom C Row Start & 2 x 2 What the Research Says...

Speaker: Dr. Edwin Ritchey Moderator: Paul Winkler Meeting Room 230 Slugs, Voles, and other Soybean Headaches Speaker: Dr. Raul Villanveva Moderator: Evan Tate

SESSION IV: 11:30 - 12:10 p.m.

East Ballroom A/B Crop Resilience to Climatic Variability…Can We Grow Good Corn Consistently?

Speaker: Dr. Bob Nielsen Moderator: Nick Held East Ballroom C Weed Management Update Speaker: Dr. Travis Legleiter Moderator: Camille Lambert Meeting Room 230 Changing Soil Physics with Cover Crops Yes No Maybe

Speaker: Dr. John Grove Moderator: Brad Hagan

Lunch 12:10 - 12:45 p.m. West Ballroom A - E 12:45 - 1:30 p.m.

POSITIONING FOR SUCCESS IN ANY CYCLE KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. DAVID KOHL

SESSION V: 1:40 - 3 p.m.

East Ballroom A/B UK/KDA Dicamba-Specific Training 2018

* Mandatory Training for all who will apply dicamba in KY this year.

Speaker: Dr. Travis Legleiter Moderator: Clint Hardy

The Voice of Kentucky Agriculture

ATTENTION

2018 Scholarship Program

Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 Kentucky Farm Bureau and Daviess County Farm Bureau Scholarship Programs for high school seniors.

Daviess County Farm Bureau Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess

County Farm Bureau member.

Tom Curtsinger Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member pursuing a degree in agriculture or a related field or they are the child of a farm family.

Daviess County Young Farmer Scholarship – awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member pursuing a degree in agriculture or a related field or they are the child of a farm family.

Daniel L. Turley Scholarship - awarded to a high school senior of a Daviess County Farm

Bureau member.

Daviess County Farm Bureau Insurance Agents Scholarship - awarded to a high school

senior of a Daviess County Farm Bureau member.

Please note that the state Farm Bureau office offers other scholarships as well. Visit kyfb.com or daviess.kyfb.com for more information. You can also see your local high school counselor’s office or your local Farm Bureau office to pick up your application. **All applications must be postmarked by February 28, 2018, to be considered.**

Daviess County Farm Bureau is proud to announce the addition of a new agent with Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance: Matt Wheeler has joined the office of Gavin C. Roberts, located at 2645 Ma

Fr Frederica Street in Owensboro. He was born and raised in Daviess County, gr graduated from Daviess County High in 2005, and attended OCC. In 20 2006, Matt married his high school sweetheart, Brandi, and they have

th beautiful kids, Mason (12), Taner (8), and Mia (2). The Wheeler’s are three me members of Owensboro Christian Church. Some of Matt’s favorite things

d with his family f to do are playing golf, hunting, and attending church. Matt would like the opportunity to manage all of your insurance needs! Call him today at

(270)315-2160 – cell or (270)926-9600 – office.

Save the date……….

The 39th Annual Farm/City Breakfast “The Best Breakfast in Daviess County” Saturday, February 24, 2018 Daviess County High School – 7:30a.m.

Tickets $6.00

**Tickets will be available at all Daviess County Farm Bureau offices, the Chamber of Commerce or you may purchase your ticket at the door.

Farm Bureau Membership Doesn’t Cost – It Pays!

Visit our website at daviess.kyfb.com for all your local Farm Bureau information or kyfb.com for all your statewide information.

3329 Wathens Crossing • Owensboro, KY • 683-1715

6 AG EXPO

Messenger-Inquirer Wednesday, January 24, 2018

daviess county cooperative extension service

2018 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY January 17: Intensive Soybean Management Workshop 8:30 am – Holiday Inn, Bowling Green January 18: KY Commodity Conference & Extension Grain Yield Contest Award Banquet – Holiday Inn, Bowling Green January 24-25: Kentucky Nursery & Landscape Association Spring Training – Ramada Plaza Hotel & Conference Center, Louisville January 30: Vegetable Production Meeting 5:30 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office January 31: Ag Expo – Owensboro Convention Center

FEBRUARY February 1: Exciting Plants for Kentucky Gardens and Landscapes 1 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 2: Private Pesticide Applicator Training 8:30 a.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 6: Leading Meetings Effectively (Roberts Rules of Order Made Easy) 11:30 am – Logsdon Community Center February 8: Farmers Market Sign Up Meeting 5:30 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 12: Private Pesticide Applicator Training - 6 p.m.

February 13: Leading Meetings Effectively (Effective Communication) 11:30 a.m. – Logsdon Community Center

February 13: Youth Feeder Calf Sign up Meeting 6 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 14-17: National Farm Machinery Show – Louisville February 19: Beef Quality Care Assurance Certification 4 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 19: Beef Nutrition and Distillers Grain Workshop 6 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 20: Leading Meetings Effectively (Generating Membership and Volunteers) 11:30 a.m. – Logsdon Community Center February 20: Promotion and Merchandizing Planning for Owensboro Regional Farmers Market 5:30 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 20-22: 41st Annual Turf and Landscape Management Short Course – Paraquet Springs Conference Center, Shepherdsville February 26: Private Pesticide Applicator Training 8:30 a.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 27: Leading Meetings Effectively Series (Managing Conflict) 11:30 a.m. – Logsdon Community Center February 28: Stored Grain Management Workshop 8:30 a.m. – Daviess County Extension Office February 28: Commercial Hemp Production Informational Meeting 6 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office

MARCH March 7: 2018 Mid-South Stocker Conference 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Logan County Extension Office March 7: 2018 IPM Training – Christian County Extension Office March 8: Homebased Microprocessor Workshop 9:30 a.m. – Daviess County Extension Office March 8: Tobacco GAP & Production 6 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office March 13: Product Best Management Practices Training 1 p.m. & repeated at 6 p.m. – Daviess County Extension Office

APRIL April 20-22: 4-H Teen Retreat – West KY 4-H Camp April 20-22: 4-H Horse Camp – Sturgis, KY

MAY May 8: UK Wheat Field Day – Princeton Research and Education Center

JUNE June 12 – 15: Daviess County 4-H Camp

JULY July 18-21: Daviess County Lions Club Fair July 24: UK Soybean, Corn Tobacco Field Day – Princeton Research and Education Center

WHO’S WHO AT AG EXPO DR. TODD DAVIS — Extension Grain Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

DR. BOB NIELSEN — Extension Corn Specialist, Purdue University

DR. TRAVIS LEGLEITER — Extension Weed Science Specialist, University of Kentucky

MR. CLINT QUARLES — Staff Attorney, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

DR. CARRIE KNOTT — Extension Grain Crops Agronomist, University of Kentucky

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 Messenger-Inquirer

AG EXPO

DR. JOHN GROVE — Director of Princeton Research and Education Center, University of Kentucky

DR. CARL BRADLEY — Extension Grain Crops Disease Specialist, University of Kentucky DR. RAUL VILLANUEVA — Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky DR. DAVID KOHL — Professor Emeritus Virginia Tech President of AgriVisions, LLC DR. KIERSTEN WISE — Extension Grain Crops Disease Specialist, University of Kentucky

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Messenger-Inquirer Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Don’t base agriculture’s future on numbers alone

Statistics are not friendly to the farming was not even their primar y American farmer. In fact, it can be occupation. Even though farm downright discouraging to productivity has continued to review the data issued by the trend upward, farm income, United States Department especially in the last few of Agriculture. From 2009 to years, has trended downward.

2016, the United States lost The data does not lie, the nearly 110,000 farms and 6.6 vast majority of our farmers, million acres of farmland. those people that feed us all Kentucky alone lost 400 farms three times per day, cannot from 2015 to 2016. The United make a living on their farm. I States also lost nearly 100,000 don’t know about you, but the CHELSEA farmers from 2009 to 2012. The WILLIAMS future of American agriculture average age of the farmer also seems pretty bleak if we base AGRICULTURAL STUDIES ADJUNCT increased and the number of our future on numbers alone.

INSTRUCTOR beginning farmers decreased However, all is not lost. by 20 percent over the same American agricultural time period. In addition, a full 50 exports in fiscal year 2017 were percent of all U.S. farms had less than the third highest on record and the $10,000 of income in 2016. Therefore, trade surplus was 30% higher than it should come as no surprise the previous year. The U.S. has an that for 75 percent of U.S. farm agricultural trade surplus because households, less than 25 percent of we export (or sell) more agriculture their household income comes from products than we import (or buy). their farm. In fact, a full 50 percent Trade is also projected to increase of all of our farmers reported that in 2018. At a local level, farmers

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Wednesday, January 24, 2018 Messenger-Inquirer

AG EXPO

9

GRAIN DAY COMMITTEE

Philip Anderson, Phil Beyke, Jordan Beyke, Anita Fuqua, Jesse Horn, Scott Kuegel, Wayne Mattingly, Tyler Miller, Jeff Nalley, Terry Rhodes, Jeff Rice, Paul Winkler, Nick Stephen, Mary Higginbotham, Annette Meyer Heisdorffer, and Clint Hardy

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Messenger-Inquirer Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Growing need for ag expertise

Not all of the high-paid careers are on the farm

A

s the farming industry faces growing consolidation in the U.S., one might get the impression fewer jobs are now available in agriculture.

In fact, just the opposite is true. Today, one in three people worldwide — more than a billion employees — work in an ag-related industry.

Industry growth and digital innovation combined with retirements are driving significant demand for college grads and other professionals, including those without experience in typical ag-related subjects, and many feature excellent salaries. The USDA and Purdue University predict 57,900 jobs requiring ag skills will become available each year between now and 2020 while only 35,000 grads in food, ag, renewable resources or environment studies will look to fill those jobs each year. Further, the average starting salary in the U.S. for those graduating with bachelor’s degrees in agriculture or natural resources was a healthy $54,364 as of winter 2017, a 12 percent increase from 2016.

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AG EXPO

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CONSIDER THESE CAREERS

FROM PAGE 10

High school grads considering degrees in agriculture might consider one of these highest-paying ag occupations:

“People are starting to discover (agriculture) is a pretty good industry to be in,” Iowa State College Career Services Director Mike Gaul recently told CNBC. “They realize this sector isn’t our traditional what-we-joke ‘cows, plows and sows’ industry anymore. It’s incredibly diverse.”

The expectation is that grads with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and/or the environment will fill 61 percent of all ag-related openings, while employers must seek grads in other majors to fill the 39 percent gap. Notably, women already make up more than half of the higher-ed grads in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environmental studies.

Agricultural company Syngenta is supporting that cause by bestowing multiple college scholarships to ag students each year, and of course hiring many grads in various majors.

“This is an exciting time in agriculture because we have new tools to develop better seeds and crop protection products, as well as digital solutions to help farmers be more productive,” said Ian Jepson, head of trait research and developmental biology at Syngenta. “We encourage students to think about the wide range of challenging and rewarding careers in companies like ours to help develop and deliver what farmers need to feed the world.”

Bottom line: The next generation of ag specialists will be crucial to helping solve the world’s most pressing issues.

1. C-SUITE EXECUTIVES

The CEOs, COOs and CFOs at ag startups or established corporations routinely earn $200,000-plus for overseeing company growth and profitability. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is generally needed in addition to a background in leadership and at least five years’ industry experience.

2. AG LAWYERS

Because ag is so highly regulated, such professionals may handle issues related to water, land use, pesticides, seeds, the environment, labor/HR, immigration, commerce, intellectual property, mergers/acquisitions, etc. Salaries average out at $160,000. Required: a bachelor’s degree followed by a J.D. and completed state bar exam.

3. AG SALES MANAGERS

Those skilled in overseeing sales teams are earning an average $125,000-plus annually. Most hold bachelor’s degrees in agronomy, crop science, soil science, biology, agricultural business or related field.

4. AG SCIENTISTS

Salaries average out at $120,000. A bachelor’s degree is usually sufficient, with in-demand specialties including bioinformatics, animal genetics or the regulatory environment (managing and strategizing a product through the regulatory process).

5. AG ENGINEERS

Among specialties in demand are environmental, ethanol and mechanical engineers, with average salaries running upwards of $80,000 for those holding bachelor’s degrees.

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