Experts are waiting to visit with you about the hottest topics in agriculture. It all happens during the virtual Purdue University Top Farmer Conference on Jan. 7. The conference will begin on Zoom live at 10 a.m. EST and will conclude at 3 p.m.

Strategies to deal with the unprecedented rise in crop production costs will be one of the key sessions of the program. An expert panel including Purdue Extension agronomists Dan Quinn and Shaun Casteel, plus Extension weed specialist Bill Johnson and Extension ag economist Michael Langemeier, will discuss how to cope with meteoric price increases and potential shortages of inputs.

Purdue ag economist Todd Kuethe will lead another expert panel discussing what lies ahead for Corn Belt farmland values. Joining him will be R.D. Schrader, president of Schrader Real Estate and Auction Co., and Howard Halderman, president and CEO of Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management. They will dive into the implications for farm finance and cash rents, and discuss how long the boom might last.

Purdue ag economist Nathanael Thompson will lead the discussion on opportunities and challenges around carbon credits. Carson Reeling, another Purdue ag economist, will join him, along with Purdue agronomist Shalamar Armstrong.

Leading off the program will be the keynote speaker, Frank Mitloehner, with his talk: Animal Ag’s Path to Climate Neutrality. An animal scientist and Extension specialist at the University of California Davis, Mitloehner will discuss the relationship between the livestock industry and air quality. His work shows hope that once livestock emission and mitigation processes are better understood, a liability could turn into an asset.

Registration cost for this Zoom event is $50. While virtual, the conference will happen live, and you will have the chance to ask questions. To learn more and register, visit the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture website, email [email protected] or call 765-494-7004.

The Purdue Top Farmer Conference is provided by the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture and sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America.