Ag Policy Summit is July 27 at Hendricks County Fairgrounds

DANVILLE, Ind. — The Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee will present the annual Ag Policy Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT July 27 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville. The theme is “Sustainability and New Trends in Agriculture.”

“We, as farmers, have to stay engaged in political policy conversations so that the people making the policies know how those policies will affect our businesses and livelihoods,” said Mike Koehne, a Greensburg farmer and M&P chair.

“Farmers are becoming fewer in number, and it is even more important for us to learn to speak up about political issues that will affect us. The Ag Policy Summit is one of those ways. It offers Indiana soybean and corn growers a place to discuss and learn about potential policy changes that will affect us soon.”

Representatives from Corteva Agriscience, the premier sponsor for the summit, will open the session with a presentation on its sustainability initiatives.

Other sponsors include AimPoint Research, the United Soybean Board, First Farmers Bank and Trust, CountryMark, Farm Credit Mid-America, ISA and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council.

The summit’s featured speakers include:

• Dr. Jayson Lusk, department head of ag economics at Purdue University.

• Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

• Steve Howell, senior director of industry affairs for ISA, ICGA and ICMC.

AimPoint Research, a global intelligence firm, will present findings on a farm trends study conducted in 2019 and 2020. Howell will review newly adopted state and federal policies and forecast future policies with industry experts. Lusk will offer an update on Purdue research in the sustainability sector and what it means to farmers.

Lunch will be provided, and there will be a short award ceremony during the luncheon. After the Ag Policy Summit concludes, there will be time for networking with refreshments.

After a year of pandemic-required virtual meetings and cancellations, getting together with other farmers in the same room may seem like a new trend. Following the meeting, ICGA will host its annual member meeting.

“I’m looking forward to the Ag Policy Summit because I know we have a lot of good information to share. The staff has a great program planned addressing current policy issues that affect corn and soybean farmers,” said Mike Beard, ICGA president.

“This is our first open meeting, and I’m excited for the opportunity to reconnect with farmers from around the state, sharing weather and crop stories and talking about policy issues that could disrupt our business.”

To register, visit www.indianasoybean.com/agpolicysummit.