Jim Mintert and other Purdue Extension ag economists at the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture will ring in the new year with the Top Farmer Conference on Jan 5.

Plan to be at Purdue’s Beck Agricultural Center near West Lafayette, Ind., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. If you can’t attend in person, there is a virtual option to join the event live. Pick whichever method works best for you.

“You will have a chance to stimulate your thinking about agriculture’s future and how you can best position your farm to be successful in the years ahead at the conference,” Mintert says.

Here are key topics that will be covered:

State of the economy. James Bullard, Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business at Purdue, will lead this session.

Farm bill direction. The farm bill has been extended for a year, but what happens after that? Brad Lubben from the University of Nebraska will lead this discussion.

Farm agility. Purdue’s Michael Langemeier, author of the Farm Business column in Indiana Prairie Farmer, will explain key ways to size up your financial agility.

Future for biofuels and soybeans. Scott Irwin from the University of Illinois will lay the background for this discussion.

Long-term outlook for corn and soybeans. Chad Hart, economics and crop marketing specialist at Iowa State University, will look way down the road and outline what he sees ahead.

Registration cost is $150. For more details, see purdue.edu/commercialag, email [email protected] or call 765-494-7004.

Beef Basics

Want to bone up on the basics of raising beef cattle profitably? Don’t miss the chance to participate in Beef Basics, a multiple-session, virtual program for beef producers offered during February and March. The program includes sessions every Tuesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m. EST and every Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. EST, Feb. 6 through March 26.

“It’s geared toward producers with less than five years of experience, but anyone interested in exploring the industry will benefit,” says Keith Johnson, Purdue Extension forage specialist. Topics include an overview of the beef cattle industry, behavior and facilities, herd health, genetic selection, forages, nutrition and reproduction.

Registration is $50, and the deadline is Jan. 24. Register online. For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected].