Marshall — The 35th annual Farm Outlook and Education Seminar will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m. in the Conference Center Ballroom on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University.

The Farm Outlook and Education Seminar is a scholarship fundraiser for students in SMSU’s agriculture programs.

Three speakers with broad agriculture backgrounds will highlight the event. They will share their expertise on a number of ag topics, including agronomics and economics, cash flow planning in tough economic times, and analysis of current grain and livestock market conditions.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with a welcome and introductions at 9 a.m. Tickets are $75 per person, which includes lunch.

Pre-registration deadline is Feb. 11. The preferred method of registration is online: SMSUFoundation.org/farmoutlook2019. Registration can also be mailed to: SMSU Foundation, 1501 State St., Marshall, MN, 56258.

Speakers

• Jim Emter is the CEO of Van Ahn and Company, Inc., where he started in 2003. The company has been assisting producers with risk management techniques since 1987. Their goal is to help commercial operations, producers and end users establish sound, detailed marketing plans.

• Ken Franzky is the Agronomy Services Manager of Minnesota and South Dakota for Centrol Crop Consulting. He has extensive experience as a crop management specialist, account manager and agronomy service manager with a number of major agricultural companies, including Syngenta and DuPont-Pioneer.

• Kent Thiesse is the Senior Vice President and Chief Ag Loan Officer for MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal, Minn. In 2003, he retired from the University of Minnesota Extension Service after a 28-year career as an Extension Educator in Agriculture. He writes a weekly column, “Focus on Ag,” that is distributed to several Midwest ag publications and web sites. He also writes regular articles for The Land newspaper and other publications.

The Farm Outlook & Education Seminar is sponsored by sustaining affiliates Ag Country Farm Credit Services, First Independent Bank, Granite Falls Bank, F&M Bank Minnesota, Marshall Radio, Midwest Ag Enterprises, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnwest Bank and Ralco.

The schedule:

8:30 a.m.: Registration opens

9 a.m.: Welcome and introductions

9:15 a.m.: Ken Franzky, “Data-Driven Decisions — Agronomics and Economics”

10:15 a.m.: Break

10:30 a.m.: Kent Thiesse, “Cash Flow Planning in Challenging Times”

Noon: Lunch

1 p.m.: Jim Emter, “Analysis of Current Conditions in the Grain and Livestock Markets and How to Adapt to the Changing Markets”

2:45 p.m.: Seminar close