Wisconsin farmers can save $50 on Corn/Soy Expo registration if they pay for the event by Jan. 15; additional discounts are available for members of the Wisconsin Soybean Association and the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association.

Corn/Soy Expo, the state’s hallmark event for row-crop farmers, is set for Feb. 1-2 at the Kalahari Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells. The program will feature general sessions with Pro Farmer’s Chip Flory examining the grain markets’ rebalancing of supply and demand and agricultural economist Barry Flinchbaugh offering his take on how national policy is influencing markets.

Leaders of the U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Soybean Export Council and the National Pork Producers Council will provide their outlooks for export potential in the year ahead while state association leaders will look at issues closer to home. Early Riser sessions both days will concentrate on marketing issues, and educational breakout sessions Thursday afternoon, Feb. 1, will cover timely crop production information. Corn/Soy Expo will culminate with a two-hour corn and soybean agronomic session Friday afternoon, led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension soybean specialist Shawn Conley and Minnesota Extension crops educator Jodi Dejong-Hughes.

Annual meetings of the state soybean, corn and pork groups will start Thursday at noon. While the association annual meetings are free and open to the public without advance registration, admission to all other meetings and the trade show require a registration fee. A special training session on using the new restricted-use dicamba formulation is being offered Thursday afternoon, and continuing education credits are available for many of the educational sessions through Corn/Soy Expo.

A trade show with more than 120 exhibitors will offer time for networking with other farmers and industry representatives. The trade show opens earlier this year, starting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 1 and ending that day with a reception from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The trade show will reopen on Feb. 2 at 7 a.m. for a continental breakfast and will run until 12:30 p.m., when the sit-down luncheon starts.

Friday’s luncheon speaker is Scott Hamilton Kennedy, producer and filmmaker of the documentary “Food Evolution.” Attendees can watch the film in advance during Thursday’s breakout sessions.

The annual Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo is an opportunity to mix farm business with family time. Members of the Wisconsin Soybean Association and the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association save substantially on registration to the two-day event, which includes free admission to the annual Pork Producers Taste of Elegance, morning coffee and rolls, two lunches, afternoon breaks, an evening reception, the industry trade show, and admission to all programs.

Registration for Corn/Soy Expo is available online. Registration material also can be requested by calling the Wisconsin Soybean Program office at 608-274-7522 or the Wisconsin Corn Program office at 262-372-3289. 

Reduced hotel room rates are available at the Kalahari Resort from Jan. 31 through Feb. 3 for registered Corn/Soy Expo attendees, and all rooms include free waterpark passes. Please note that hotel policy requires advance payment for first night stay, a cancellation fee may be charged and availability of Friday and Saturday night rooms are very limited. Weekend rooms also must include a Thursday night stay.

Source: Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo