Farm Assets Conference to explore “Big Data” and more Nov. 24

Nov 06, 2015

URBANA, Ill. Farmers consistently hear about field-level, data-driven decision making. Data collection sensors and GPS units have been implemented in combines, tractors, and planters. Aggregated together, this information becomes “Big Data.” WILLAg.org, the farm broadcasting partnership of Illinois Public Media and University of Illinois Extension, will explore how this data can be turned into a valuable asset and where data goes to be transformed during the 2nd Annual Farm Assets Conference.

The one-day conference will be held Tuesday, Nov. 24, at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal. Organizer Todd Gleason is hopeful that farmers and landowners will find the big data keynote address by John Janssen valuable. Janssen is vice president of Climate Ag Services at Monsanto Company. Others taking the stage throughout the day will discuss topics from Illinois farmland values to the specter of water regulations and the effect on private property rights.

“WILLAg.org is known for its on-air market information,” said Gleason. “Eight well-known commodity analysts will be on hand at the conference to talk about the price of corn and soybeans.” The analysts include Bill Gentry, Jerry Gulke, Sue Martin, Pete Manhart, Bill Mayer, Wayne Nelson, Jacquie Voeks, and Mike Zuzolo.

Online registration for Farm Assets Conference is now open. The cost of $30 per person includes lunch and parking. Tickets and more information are available online at www.farmassetsconference.com or by calling 800-898-1065. Day of registration is available, but pre-registration is preferred.

According to Gleason, this year’s Farm Assets program replaces the retiring Commodities Conference. “The Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, and Illinois Pork Producers Association, along with major sponsors Farm Credit, TIAA-CREF, and Syngenta, have been instrumental in keeping the registration fee affordable.”

Source: University of Illinois Extension

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.