Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma is launching a new event designed to help producers prepare for the future of agriculture while gaining practical insight from leaders across the industry.
Speaking with associate farm reporter Carli Davenport, Greg Livingston, President and CEO of Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, said the upcoming AgNext Summit grew out of the organization’s longtime work with young farmer groups across western Oklahoma.
“We have been gathering together young farmer groups for a number of years here in western Oklahoma with the mindset of determining important issues to them at their local level,” Livingston said.
Those groups have traveled to Washington, D.C., meeting with elected officials, federal agencies, and agricultural organizations including NCBA, Farm Bureau, USDA, and others. Livingston said the summit became a natural next step after participants encouraged Farm Credit to create a larger educational event for the next generation of producers.
“This was their idea that we helped them with, and they’re going to be involved in this summit as well introducing speakers,” he said.
Investing in the Next Generation
Livingston said focusing on young, beginning, and small producers is critical because they represent the future of agriculture in the region.
“That’s our future customers,” Livingston said. “We’ve got to get an opportunity to get in front of the young and upcoming producers and customers that will be taking over the farming and ag operations around our area.”
He added that building relationships now is an important part of helping those future producers succeed. “It’s important to put a face with a brand,” he said.
Full Day of High-Level Content
The AgNext Summit will feature six speakers covering a range of timely agricultural topics.
Among them will be Tyler Norvell of Norvell Consulting, who will discuss Oklahoma legislative issues and upcoming elections. Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, will provide an outlook on cattle markets and the cattle industry. Climatologist Matt Makens will speak on weather trends and what they could mean for agriculture.
Dr. Bart Fischer will deliver an update on federal agricultural policy, including developments related to the farm bill. Additional sessions from Farm Credit experts will focus on fraud prevention, succession planning, farm transition, and estate planning. “It’s going to be a really, really packed day with a lot of content that’s vitally important to all of our farmers and ranchers,” Livingston said.
Why Attend
Livingston said producers of all sizes can benefit from the information being shared. “This is information that’s very important to all of our producers, whether big or small,” he said. “These are industry experts that are highly energized and professionals in their field.”
The inaugural AgNext Summit will be held Friday, May 1, at the Express Ranches Clydesdale Barn in Yukon. The event begins at 10 a.m. and runs until approximately 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and attendees will also be eligible for door prizes. Attendance is free. Producers can register through Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma.
