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Midwest Agriculture Conference

Tuesday, 12/03/24
8:15 AM
Breakfast and registration
9:00 AM
Welcome Remarks
Speaker
Leslie McGranahan, Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
9:10 AM
Session I: Agricultural Inputs and Market Shifts
Speakers
Kate Vaiknoras, Research Agricultural Economist, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Brian Briggeman, Professor and Director, Arthur Capper Cooperative Center, Kansas State University
10:40 AM
Session II: Key Topics Related to Farm Inputs
Speakers
Victor Cabrera, Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bruce Erickson, Clinical Professor of Digital Agriculture, Purdue University
12:00 PM
Luncheon and Fireside Chat
Moderator
David Oppedahl, Policy Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Speaker
Matt Carstens, President & CEO, Landus Cooperative
1:30 PM
Session III: Panel on Financing Farm Inputs
Moderator
Nate Kauffman, Senior Vice President, Economist, and Omaha Branch Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Panelists
Michael Gunderson, Chief Credit Officer, Farm Credit Illinois
David Hardin, Hardin Farms
Susan Whitson, CEO, First Bank, and President, First of Waverly Corporation
John Winger, Director, A&T Retail Credit Delivery – US & Canada, John Deere Finance
2:45 PM
Closing Remarks
Speaker
Austan Goolsbee, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Midwest Agriculture Conference

After several strong years, agriculture has generally been less profitable lately, and astute operators have a renewed focus on minimizing input costs. On December 3, 2024, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago held a hybrid event to evaluate shifts related to agricultural inputs for Midwest farming. Every farm operation needs inputs to function, yet in recent years there have been numerous modifications to the structure of input markets. The lay of the land for farm inputs has evolved as technological, financial, and competitive factors have brought change. Experts from academic, industry, and policy institutions gathered at the conference to discuss the altered economics of agricultural inputs.

Transcripts are available for the following panels:

 
 
 
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