Case IH Discussion Series Helps Farmers Connect with Ag Issues

Case IH launched its BE READY Discussion Series at the 2011 Ag Connect Expo to provide attendees with insights into opportunities and challenges facing the industry. The educational discussions brought together leading experts from both inside and outside the industry with unique perspectives on key issues impacting agriculture today with the purpose of empowering producers.

“Working alongside farmers every day, Case IH is well-aware of the growing demands on agriculture and the challenges farmers contend with – from feeding an expanding global population while meeting strict new emission requirements, to producing more food on fewer acres while minimizing our environmental footprint,” says Ryann Greve, Case IH marketing communications manager. “Our goal for the BE READY Discussion Series was to provide farmers with unique insights to they need to be ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead.” 

The Series kicked off with a special VIP panel entitled, “The World of Farming is Changing – Will You Be Ready?” giving attendees insights into the key issues that could influence their decision making in 2011. The panel included: moderator John Phipps, an Illinois farmer and host of the U.S. Farm Report, and guest panelists Dan Basse, president of AgResource; Tom Dorr, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council; Rep. Jim Nussle, former U.S. House of Representatives; and Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.

The panelists covered a range of topics, including public policy, global market influences and the future of ethanol, but, their resounding message was the importance of industry engagement: “As producers we have got to be creative. We’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got to be informed. But more important than anything else, we’ve got to be engaged,” said Rep. Jim Nussle. Tom Buis added, “You all need to participate. Whether it’s in a commodity organization or a general farm organization, get your views known.”

Dan Basse and Tom Dorr headlined the second BE READY Discussion – Global Markets. In their remarks, Basse and Dorr explained that in order for farmers to make sound marketing decisions and control how agricultural commodities compete in the global marketplace, they need to understand how issues, such as political concerns and food safety, influence trade relationships. “We as producers really need to engage so that we stay at the front end of these issues,” Dorr explained. “We need to think how they’re going to drive our policy and global policy in order to make sure that we meet the demand.”

General Wesley K. Clark, a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army and co-chairman of Growth Energy, drew a record crowd on Ag Connect Opening Day for a discussion on Alternative Energy and National Security. His comments focused on the national security implications of the United States’ foreign oil dependence and agriculture’s role in providing alternative energy sources, such as ethanol. “In the agricultural business, you are the most productive sector of America. You’re the sector that made America great,” declared Clark. “Now we’ve got to take that productivity out of agriculture and move it to the next level. And that is to produce a liquid fuel that will free us from dependence on imported oil in the near term.”

In addition, Brian Hefty, farmer and host of RFD-TV’s AgPhD, was also on hand to provide updates on resistant weeds and current weed management strategies in his presentation, “Weed Resistance Around the World.” According to Hefty, application equipment, timing, weather, field conditions, and weed type all play a role in weed resistance and effective weed management. However, he explained that “if you have good drainage, good fertility, control your insects and diseases, plant earlier and do everything possible to get a great crop, late season weeds will be a lot less of an issue.”