Western WI Ag Lender Conference

January 4, 2024

Save the date for the annual Western Wisconsin Ag Lender Conference.

New Venue

Hosted at River Prairie Center | 1445 Front Porch Pl | Altoona, WI 54720

View Google Map to Venue

Cost

Early Bird Registration by December 15 is $60

December 16 – 20 is $85

No registrations after December 20

Agenda

8:30 am	Registration
9:00 am	Welcome & Introductions
9:05 am	Dairy Outlook Dr. Marin Bozic, Assistant Professor, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
10:00 am	Back to the Future: A Rerun with a Twist Bob Craven, Extension Economist & Director of Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota
10:55 am	Grain Outlook Dr. Dan O’Brien, Professor & Extension Agriculture Economist, Kansas State University
11:40 am	Insight into Precision Agriculture Technology Investments Dr. Brian Luck, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, UW-Madison
12:25 pm	Lunch
1:10 pm	Dairy Policy Developments Dr. Marin Bozic
2:15 pm	Specialty Crop Panel Chippewa Valley Bean, SB&B Foods, Les Danielson (invited)
3:15 pm	Wrap-Up and Safe Travels Home

Speaker Biographies

Dr. Marin Bozic

Dr. Marin Bozic is the founder and CEO of Bozic LLC, a global provider of technology solutions for commodity markets analytics and designer of three major livestock insurance programs in the United States – Dairy Revenue Protection, Livestock Gross Margin and Livestock Risk Protection. In addition, Dr. Bozic is a board advisor to Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and a nationally popular consultant and speaker on economics of dairy markets and policy issues.

Mr. Robert Craven

Robert is an Extension Economist, Farm Management and Director of the Center for Farm Financial Management. Areas of specialty include business management for farmers and credit analysis for agricultural lenders with emphasis on financial planning and analysis. His work for the Center has focused on development of FINPACK. He also has worked to develop the crop marketing programs at the Center, i.e., “Winning the Game” series of workshops. He also played a key role in the development of the National Risk Management Education Library.

Dr. Brian Luck

Brian Luck is an Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Luck specializes in Machinery Systems and Precision Agriculture. His research interests include machinery logistics and movement, remote sensing, planting technology, and soil/machine/plant interactions. Dr. Luck received his BS and MS degrees from the University of Kentucky and his PhD from Mississippi State University.

Dr. Dan O’Brien

The focus of Daniel O’Brien’s extension and applied research efforts have been in the areas of grain and bioenergy market analysis – with emphasis on of wheat, feed grain, oilseed, and ethanol supply-demand and prices. He also has been working in the areas of irrigated and dryland cropping systems and natural resource-related issues in western Kansas. He also works extensively with agricultural audiences on issues such as farmland leasing and crop enterprise profitability.

Chippewa Valley Bean

Using non-GMO technology perfected over three decades, Chippewa Valley Bean creates and sources seed that produces the highest-quality dark and light red kidney beans in the United States. The end result is clear—better seed through stringent growing and harvesting practices results in a superior bean quality that requires less expensive inputs. Lifetimes of knowledge and experience goes into bringing a “Chippewa Valley” quality to our grower’s light and dark red kidney beans.

SB&B Foods

SB&B is a family-owned producer, processor and supplier of safe, reliable, food grade crops to markets around the world. Crops include soybeans, black soybeans, white sorghum, wheat, barley, & rye. SB&B markets non-GMO and organic soybeans around the world. SB&B contracts with farmers to raise soybeans for overseas customers. When they contract soybeans, they already have a contract with their buyer. Soybeans get delivered to either Bloomer, Wisconsin or Casselton, North Dakota. From there, they will go by rail to the PNW and get loaded on ships headed for overseas buyers. It will take 1 month from the time it leaves the SB&B facility to reach the buyer facility half-way around the world.

Troy Berndt

Troy is a Grower Relations Specialist at SB&B, and focuses on the company’s Wisconsin & Southern Minnesota production regions. Troy graduated from the University of Minnesota – Crookston with an associate degree in diversified agricultural production. Troy then went on to the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture production.