By Nicole Pierron Rasul
With crop-program decision windows open, now is the time for producers to think strategically about their farm’s cash flow, exposure to risk, and the means available to manage these risks, said Carl Zulauf, an agricultural economics professor in Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
Zulauf, a farm policy expert in the college’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, will speak Dec. 1 during the kickoff of the 2014-15 Agricultural Policy and Outlook series. The event opens a series of local meetings to be held statewide.
The meetings will feature presentations by AEDE experts on key issues in the agricultural community for 2015, including policy changes, key issues, and market behavior with respect to farm, food and energy resources, and the environment.
In addition to Zulauf, speakers for the series include:
- Matt Roberts, a grain economist who will discuss his outlook for the 2015 grain market..
- Brian Roe, an agricultural economist who will give a presentation on the Lake Erie algae problem from the view of farmers and the general public.
- Ian Sheldon, an international trade expert who will discuss agricultural productivity and the impact of genetically modified crops.
- Brent Sohngen, an environmental economist who will review market-based instruments for reducing phosphorus emissions.
- Douglas Southgate, a development economist who will discuss survey population forecasts for the 21st century and the implications of those forecasts on agriculture.
- Cameron Thraen, a dairy expert who will offer a 2015 dairy outlook and a farm bill dairy briefing.
- Barry Ward, leader of OSU Extension’s Production Business Management program, who will discuss land values, cash rents, crop input costs and potential crop profitability in 2015.
- The county meetings, which are open to the public, will be held at the following times and locations:
- Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. at the Fisher Auditorium at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave. in Wooster. RSVP: Wayne County Extension, 330-264-8722 or lewandowski.11@osu.edu by Dec. 2. Cost: $15.
- Dec. 8 at 9:30 a.m. at the Canfield Fairgrounds, Colonial Inn Building, 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road in Canfield. RSVP: Mahoning County Extension, 330-533-5538 or barrett.90@osu.edu by Dec. 2. Cost: $15.
- Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 400 Eastlake Drive in Ashland. RSVP: John Augenstein, jaugenstein@suttonbank.com or 800-422-3641, or register online at www.suttonbank.com by Dec. 4. Cost: Free with RSVP; $20 at the door if no RSVP.
- Dec. 11 at 4 p.m. at the Attica Fairgrounds Social Hall, 15131 E. Township Road 12 in Attica. RSVP: Eric Gillett, egillett@suttonbank.com or 800-422-3641, or register online at www.suttonbank.com by Dec. 4. Cost: Free with RSVP; $20 at the door if no RSVP.
- Jan. 5, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. at Anderson Ethanol, 5728 Sebring Warner Road in Greenville. RSVP: Darke County Extension, 937-548-5215 or custer.2@osu.edu by Dec. 22. Cost: $20 per person.
- Jan. 5, 2015, at 11:30 a.m. in the meeting room of the Central Services Building, 220 W. Livingston Street in Celina. RSVP: Mercer County Extension, 419-586-2179 or riethman.24@osu.edu by Dec. 22. Cost: $20 with RSVP; $30 at the door if no RSVP.
- Jan. 6, 2015, at 7:30 a.m. at the Circleville Presbyterian Church, 134 E. Mound St. in Circleville. RSVP: Pickaway County Extension, 740-474-7534 by Dec. 29. Cost: $10 per person.
- Jan. 7, 2015, at 4 p.m. at Bellevue VFW Hall, 6104 U.S. Route 20, Bellevue. RSVP: Valerie Bumb, 419-483-7340 or BumbV@fnblifetime.com by Jan. 2. Cost: Free with RSVP; $22 at the door if no RSVP.
Source:purdue.edu