Winter meeting season is upon us once again. And just as farmers know the importance of timely planting followed by astute management all the way to harvest, they know that the various crop and commodity meetings are vital to help guide them in their mission. 

There will be no shortage of meetings now through February. And that’s a good thing. Just like farmers have choices when it comes to seed and inputs, they have choices in the meetings they can attend to learn the latest farm trends and gain pesticide credits. Among the more important meetings are the annual North Carolina Commodity Conference and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Ag Development Forum held during the Southern Farm Show. 

The 34^th annual North Carolina Commodity Conference is set for January 11 to 12 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham. This meeting has been one of the most important for North Caroliana corn, cotton, and soybean producers to help map the crop year ahead.  

All the big-name Extension specialists give presentations, and an economic and policy outlook is presented. North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is a regular and will speak once again at the 2024 conference. Artificial intelligence, better utilizing cover crops, and writing a risk management plan will be among the highlights of the conference.  

On Feb. 1, the 18^th annual North Carolina Ag Development Forum, sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, will be presented during the Southern Farm Show at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The meeting is set for 9:30 a.m. at the Holshouser Building and concludes with a sponsored lunch. This is a key meeting where Commissioner Troxler delivers his annual State of North Carolina Agriculture address and  an economic outlook is presented. This meeting has always been a vital forum for focusing on the key issues impacting North Carolina agriculture. 

The meeting has always been an important part of the Southern Farm Show, which is also a vital event each year for farmers across the Carolinas and Virginia. The 2024 Southern Farm Show is set for Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The Farm Show has always been a great place to see the latest technology and of course kick the tires on all of the tractors available.  

Show manager David Zimmerman says precision agriculture will be an important focus of the 2024 show, with 10 precision agriculture companies exhibiting. 

Contrary to popular belief, winter is not a downtime for farmers. Farm Shows, meetings, and time spent on careful planning for the crop year to come as well as equipment maintenance and other tasks fill the winter days. In many ways, winter meeting season is just as important as planting time and harvest.