Date/Time
Date(s) - January 30, 2015 - January 31, 2015
5:30 pm - 4:30 pm

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WHAT IS THE YOUNG AG PROFESSIONALS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

It’s an opportunity for leadership experience, building personal and professional skills, networking with agricultural leaders, and making a difference in our communities, Farm Bureau and agriculture. Join us for a time of personal and professional development, meeting other young professionals from around Ohio, fun, food and fellowship!

WHO ARE YOUNG AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS?

Agriculture has many faces, just like our young ag professionals. We are young adults ages 18-35, single and married, who share a passion for farming, rural living, and/or local foods. We’re full and part-time farmers, Extension agents, teachers, consumer educators, media reporters, livestock and equine enthusiasts, beekeepers, green industry employees, gardeners, foodies and more! Whether you have half an acre or 5,000 acres, we have a place for you!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

All reservations must be submitted to Ohio Farm Bureau by Dec. 19. Register using the brochure/form attached to this post or register online.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Peterson Farm Brothers

These three brothers from Kansas became a YouTube sensation after they created parodies of songs that brought agriculture to the public.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Mike Pearson

Get ready to laugh and learn with Mike Pearson as he takes you on an entertaining journey – a look ahead at the outlook for the farm markets, and global trends impacting these markets.

DISCUSSION MEET

The Discussion Meet is not a panel discussion or debate, but rather an exercise in cooperative problem solving, designed to give participants experience in leading a group discussion and in chairing a committee. If you are interested in participating in the 2015 Discussion Meet on Jan. 30, please contact your county office. Deadline for applications is Jan. 9.

MANY COUNTY FARM BUREAUS OFFER FULL OR PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THIS CONFERENCE. THE COUNTY THAT SENDS THE MOST REPRESENTATIVES RECEIVES TWO REGISTRATIONS FREE.

Cost for the conference: $150/single; $200/couple

 

16 WORKSHOPS TO CHOOSE FROM

GROWING FOR OHIO’S MICRO-BREWING BOOM

Brad Burgefurd, OSU Extension

Come learn about starting your own hops production, start-up expenses, labor, variety selection, economics, pest control, irrigation, packaging and processing, and marketing techniques.

FARM RECORD KEEPING IN 2015

Dianne E. Shoemaker, OSU Extension

Learn the importance of better record keeping to keep your farm business running smoothly and your spousal frustrations to a minimum. Participants will learn about record keeping methods and how to analyze your farm businesses performance.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN OHIO AQUACULTURE AND AQUAPONICS

Dr. Dave Smith, Freshwater Farms of Ohio

Imagine an agricultural endeavor that grows a product that does not need to be introduced to the consuming public, it’s more than 90 percent imported to the United States and is failing to meet demand more and more. Now imagine raising an animal that gets a feed, uses less water to raise than beef, is the healthiest source of protein for humans, and according to scientific consensus, the more people eat, the better their health… intrigued?… Welcome to the world of aquaculture.

WORK & FAMILY: WHERE IS THE BALANCE?

Marcie Williams, American Agri-Women

Don’t get bogged down in work and forget you have a family. Learn Marcie’s secrets to balancing it all.

MICRO BREWS IN OHIO

Rick Seemueller, Your Beer Ambassador, LLC.

The “micro brewery” market continues to expand enduring thousands of new entrants each year. Join Rick Seemueller as he shares more than 41 years of his personal brewing industry insights on what it takes to be a successful craft beer brewer in today’s highly competitive market. The importance of beer style focus, local specialty ingredients, conveying flavor descriptors, and beer-food pairing are among the aspects included.

GMO VS. NON GMO DISCUSSION

Bryn Bird Walsh, Bird Haven Farms

Bryn is a farm girl hailing from a dirt road outside Granville, Ohio. She grew up on her family’s 100+ acre produce farm but moved to Washington, DC for her master’s. With the ability to see both sides of urban and rural communities, Bryn is now committed to empowering the rural lifestyle while carrying out Rural Coalition’s mission, “to work together for a just food and farm policy.”

Jeff VanderWerff, president, AgChat Foundation

Jeff is a fourth generation farmer from Sparta, Mich. where he and his family raise corn, wheat, soybeans, apples and peaches. Prior to coming back home to the farm, Jeff spent nearly a decade in the ag retail industry, working in a variety of roles for co-ops and national retailers.

BIG DATA AND UAVS: THEIR IMPACT ON YOUR FARMING OPERATION

Dr. John Fulton, Ohio State University

Learn about the advancement in agricultural technologies and how you can use them within your farming operation. The session will highlight the benefits and current limitations of integrating Big Data and UAVs into farm management.

TELLING YOUR FARM STORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

Erin Ehnle, Erin Ehnle Photography

Today, the average consumer is removed from the farm and is susceptible to believing the vast amount of negative misinformation about agriculture. It’s our job to reverse that trend, and photography is one of the easiest and most effective ways to educate and tell our farm story. This session will cover photography basics from iPhone to DSLR, the best platforms to share your story, the messages consumers need to hear from us as well as various tips and tricks Ehnle has learned along the way.

CONTROLLING WEEDS IN 2015, 2017, AND BEYOND

Justin Petrosino, Stewart Seeds

Managing weeds in soybeans is going to change drastically in the next few years. Learn how to control weeds this next season, as new technologies launch, and see what future technology will bring to weed management.

BACKYARD POULTRY

David Blankenship, Blankenship Consulting

Learn the basic information you will need to know to start your own backyard poultry flock. David has been caring for chickens for years and can teach you how to practice chemical free bug control, receive the benefits of amazing fertilizer for your garden, learn chicken laws and local city ordinances, how to pick a breed, and if you should build or buy a chicken coop.

MAKING YOUR LOCAL FARM PRODUCTS MARKET READY

Mary Griffith, OSU Extension

From cottage foods to local foods, learn to be prepared for the marketplace. We’ll cover Ohio’s cottage food laws, marketing, selling and more. Gain the materials and insight you need to grow your farm business in these areas.

OHIO’S ROAD LAWS IMPACTING AGRICULTURE

Leah Curtis, director of agricultural law, OFBF

Ohio has many road laws that impact your farm. Leah will share what you need to know to keep your farm in compliance.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR OHIO SOYBEANS

John Motter, United Soybean Board, farmer-director

Ohio-grown soybeans play a vital role in the global economy. Ohio’s location allows for many types of transportation which can affect where and how they are used compared to soybeans grown in other states. Ohio soybeans have a unique marketing opportunity because the state is located close to two thirds of the nation’s population. The session also will address how new uses for soybeans are creating new markets.

GETTING STARTED IN HYDROPONICS

Beth Scheckelhoff, OSU Extension

This session will discuss how to select hydroponic crops, set up a system, and where you can market the crops.

VOLUNTEERING AND WORKING WITH ALL FOUR GENERATIONS

Jake Carter, AFBF YF&R Chair

Working with several generations on a family farm can be tough. Visit with the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee chair as he shares his unique perspective of working with several generations on a family farm.

FOOD AND ANIMAL ISSUES

Dr. Leah Dorman, senior director of animal & food policy, OFBF

There is nothing constant in agriculture but change. Visit with Dr. Dorman as she discusses the latest trends and topics in food and animal issues.

*Sessions and speakers are subject to change

Attachments

YAP_2014Winter_book_Final81.pdf