This year’s Consumer Programs will be more focused on what farmers, ranchers and agriculture professionals are faced with on a daily basis, including topics such as the recent changes in the Farm Bill, new technologies available for use, and precision farming.

The Consumer Program schedule is as follows:

Thursday, July 12
10 a.m. – Water Testing, presented by Fred Vocasek, Servi-Tech
Irrigation waters contain some amount of dissolved materials or “salts.” These dissolved materials come from the weathering or break down of soil minerals. They dissolve and find their way into surface ground water.

The amount and kind of these dissolved materials affects the suitability of water for irrigation. By analyzing the nutrient content of the water applied through the pivots and flood irrigation, fertilizer applications can be adjusted to decrease output and increase your profit. Servi-Tech will discuss the testing process and trends in water quality.

11 a.m. – Trends in Agricultural Financing, presented by Kansas Farm Credit
Finance in agriculture is as important as development of technologies. This session will demonstrate the various risk and efficiency analyses currently used in making agricultural finance decisions.

1:30 p.m. – Farm Bill Update, presented by Troy Dumler, K-State Research and Extension
While high farm income in recent years has decreased dependence on commodity programs, high unemployment rates have significantly increased nutrition program costs that comprise the majority of the Farm Bill spending.

Thus, members of Congress are wrestling with cutting the deficit but maintaining a safety net for farmers and those who need food aid. This program gives a preview on the current state of Farm Bill legislation.

2:30 p.m. – Using Byproducts in Cow-Calf and Backgrounding Operations, presented by Justin Waggoner, K-State Research & Extension
This program will assist beef cattle producers to enhance the sustainability of their operations by evaluating low-input storage of wet distiller’s grain and the utilization of distiller’s grains in cow/calf and grower operations.

Friday, July 13
10 a.m. – Irrigation and Drought, presented by Tracy Streeter, Kansas Water Office
Water is our most precious commodity on the Great Plains; therefore, water legislation varies from state to state to control its usage. With the depletion of the High Plains Aquifer, Kansas sets limits on the amount of water that can be pumped annually, and those limits were hard pressed with last year’s drought.

This program will offer tips on getting the most out of your irrigation and what new tools are available to assist farmers with current water legislation.

11 a.m. – Commodities, presented by Pride Ag Resources
Learn more about the global and national factors driving today’s agricultural industry as well as how today’s farmers and cattlemen can find ways to maximize their opportunities for success.

1:30 p.m. – Today’s Ag Technologies & Precision Farming, presented by Craig Hansen, John Deere
Many industries have developed newer, quicker and more efficient ways to conduct business. Agriculture is no different. In this session, we will discuss and demonstrate some of the newest technology available to farmers and ranchers to improve their daily business operations.

2:30 p.m. – Financing for Startups and Young Farmers, presented by Brandon Baugh, FSA Office
This session will focus on financing opportunities for startup operations and younger farmers. There are many farm loans and grants available to encourage the next generation of farmers and ranchers continue in the agriculture industry.

Saturday, July 14
10 a.m. – Succession Planning for Your Farm, presented by Tamara Davis, Attorney at Law
This session will focus on estate and business succession planning for the multi-generational family farm operation. There are many considerations for protecting farm assets and minimizing estate taxes, including trusts, limited liability companies and family farm corporations.

11 a.m. – CALIN Network, presented by Deputy Travis Clinesmith
In 2009, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department created and implemented an information network designed for people in the agriculture and construction industries called C.A.L.I.N. (Construction Agriculture Livestock Information Network).

The email and text distribution network can be described as an “amber alert” type program designed to pass along information on stolen equipment and livestock. It is a free program. The network has grown across the state of Kansas and has branched into Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas.

1:30 p.m. – Ways to Trim Your Fuel Bill, presented by John Deere
While particular efficiency measures might be more useful to some farms because of their unique characteristics, such as the needs of a farm-type or region, efficiencies can be generally applicable to all farms. Larger farms are certain to implement these techniques, which make it critical that smaller farms also consider them in order to remain competitive.

This session will outline the measures that provide farms with the most potential for savings, or that give you “the most bang for your buck.” 

—From Western Kansas Manufacturers Association news release