Local bank sponsors agricultural business conference

MENDOTA, Ill. — The 24th annual First State Bank Ag Conference, a special forum for area farmers, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 25 at the Mendota Civic Center.

Starting the program will be Kelly Jackson Hardy, principal, of Clifton Larson Allen. She serves client needs related to tax consulting, planning and compliance.

Hardy serves primarily the agribusiness industry and cooperatives. She comes from a farm background and understands the nuances of agriculture. Her talk will focus on the areas of ag taxation and farm succession planning.

Following Hardy will be will be Daniel Overberg, director of customer risk for Archer Daniels Midland Co.

Overberg specializes in risk management solutions for producer and end use customers. He has been with ADM for 17 years in various trading and risk management roles.

Keynote speaker Mike Pearson will take a deep dive into “What is Driving Agriculture Now?”

Pearson interviews over 1,000 professionals in the ag industry each year. They range from experts on the volatile commodity markets to D.C. politicians and trade experts from around the world.

In his talk, Pearson will synthesize what he has learned from these professionals and help the audience understand what might be ahead in the markets, ag policy and trade.

Pearson was born and raised in south-central Iowa, where he grew to love agriculture on his family’s hog and cattle farm. He previously hosted “Market to Market” on public television and the Ag News Daily podcast.

Currently, viewers can find him behind the anchor desk on “This Week in Agribusiness” on RFD-TV, and listeners can hear him every day as the host of “Agriculture of America,” a daily ag-focused radio show carried by affiliate stations across the country.

Area farmers are encouraged to contact First State Bank at 815-539-3834 prior to Jan. 20 to confirm reservations for the event.

ADM Grain Co. and Prairie State Tractor will serve as major cosponsors of this event and will provide lunch for all those in attendance.

First State Insurance will sponsor the morning coffee and doughnuts. Clifton Larson Allen is sponsoring the soda.

Door prizes are being provided by several area businesses, including Amanda Andreoni — Hageman Realty, Beck Oil Co., Cantlin Law Firm, Chris Eller — the Retirement Specialists, Country Village Meats, Crop Production Services, Dinges Fire Co., Earlville Farmers Coop, Guilfoyle & Stevenson Law Firm, Hornung Tiling Inc., Foster’s Tax & Accounting LLC, Leffelman & Associates, Leone Grain & Supply, Maplehurst Farms, Mendota Mutual Insurance, Meriden Grain — Pioneer Seed, Northern Partners Cooperative, Prescott Bros. Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Schimmer Automotive Group, Sublette Farmers Elevator Co., Sublette Mechanical, Troy Grove Coop, Vaessen Bros. Chevrolet, Vaessen Implement Repair, and West Brooklyn Farmers Coop.