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From it’s humble but effective beginnings 44 years ago, the San Luis Valley Extension Potato and Grain School in southern Colorado has burgeoned into a highly respected, regional Agricultural Conference and Trade Show. In the past two years, it has drawn presenters, participants, and vendors from 26 Colorado counties and eight states.
This year’s Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference is February 3-5 in Monte Vista, Colorado at the spacious, comfortable, and professional Ski Hi Conference and Event Center.
The educational program will sport a record 50 sessions, including talks, panels, lightening rounds, poster presentations, and demonstrations. More than 65 industry professionals and producers have committed their time and expertise to present relevant information on a myriad of topics, all aimed to tame the chaos of modern agriculture and foster profitable farms and ranches, healthy rural families, and healthy and resilient water and land resources. It will also be the home for three days, and your chance to meet and learn from 110 vendors from across the state and nation.
“The theme, Managing the Chaos: Harnessing Complexity – Planting Hope, hits at the heart of what Ag producers are facing these days”, says Larry Brown, CSU Extension Ag Agent and Director in the San Luis Valley Area.
Two keynote speakers will headline the event. Michelle Miller, AKA the Farm Babe, who has found her calling educating consumers on how their food is actually produced, will advise producers on ‘Managing the Message: Cutting through the chaos to connect Farmers and Consumers’.
The second keynote address is ‘Welcome to the Underground: Passion, perseverance, and patience in the pursuit of a more perfect paradigm’. That is quite a mouthful, and the presenter, David Oein, has the moxie to back it up. He is a retired Montana farmer, and the co-founder of Timeless Seeds. He returned to the family farm in the hardest of times in the 80’s, and discovered alternative crops and alternative production and marketing paradigms which not only grew into a multi-million dollar business for his family, but also which helped many other farmers and neighbors.
Day one of the conference is strong in legislative and potato industry issues updates, macroeconomics and how agriculture is affected, and specific sessions on potato seed law, managing soil-borne potato diseases, and changes in farm worker protection standards.
Concurrent sessions on day one will address: forage and alfalfa hay markets, deficit irrigation, and insect pest management, and innovative production systems; satellite yield mapping technology, cyber security, family communications, and building a legacy business; and sessions on water quality, revegetation, noxious weed management, and program highlights of from our local conservation districts.
Day two features the keynote addresses and then concurrent sessions: Topics for livestock producers including grazing management for healthy soils, sheep and cattle diseases, and methods to reduce predation; research updates from the SLV Research Center and a poster session on potato pathology, production and genetic improvement programs, and seed certification; small acreage topics including horse nutrition, building healthy laying hen flocks, and greenhouse pest management; and alternative crops sessions focusing on rye, peas, beans, and building value through vertical integration.
Day three is a half day focusing on water issues specific to the Valley, including changes in ditch water yield, understanding the closed basin project, and updates from the Division of Water Resources and the Rio Grande Water Conservation District.
Each day begins with breakfast, ends with a social hour, and includes lunch and snacks in between. You get all the education, meals, trade show, and camaraderie for $100 for the entire conference or $50 for a single day. Whether you are local or live across the country, we invite you to come join us for this remarkable experience.
Find more information and registration links at agconferencesrm.com or call the SLV Area Extension Office at 719-852-7381. Preregistration is strongly encouraged, but registration is always accepted at the door.
CSU educational programs, including the Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference are available to everyone without discrimination.
