By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — For the first time, commodity groups from diverse sectors of the state’s agricultural industry will be teaming up to present the Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain forum in Indianapolis, and provide Hoosier farmers with the latest news, trends and issues affecting those industries.

The forum will take place Jan. 15, 2010, at the Indiana Convention Center, and it will be the first-ever combination of the Indiana Livestock Forum, which has been sponsored the last two years by the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), and the Indiana Forage Council/Indiana Cattle and Forage Symposium, previously hosted by the Indiana Beef Cattle Assoc., Indiana Forage Council, Indiana Professional Dairy Producers and Milk Promotion Services of Indiana.

The forum will kick off at 9 a.m. with a general session for all participants. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Lowell Catlett, an agricultural economist from New Mexico State University, who works nationally and internationally with corporations and organizations including the USDA and U.S. departments of Labor, Interior, Defense, Education and Energy and the World Bank.

The morning session will also include the announcement of an exciting new consumer outreach program that unites all sectors of Indiana agriculture.

“This forum is a very exciting opportunity for Hoosier livestock, grain and forage producers to come together and learn from each other,” said Doug Morrow, ISA president. “As farmers, we sometimes categorize ourselves into these different segments of the Indiana agricultural industry, but the truth is that we are connected, interdependent components of Indiana agriculture.
“We all have common issues, challenges and opportunities, and the success of each of these segments of Indiana agriculture is directly tied to the success of each of the others.”

In an effort to encourage that sense of union and increase networking opportunities, the forum will include a “progressive lunch,” in which participants will be encouraged to reach beyond their traditional comfort zones and meet farmers from other commodities and areas of the state. As the meal starts, attendees will be assigned to a table with other producers from different areas and commodities. During each course, they will communicate and share with the other producers at their table before moving to a different table for the next course. This will continue throughout the meal.

Following lunch, each commodity group will offer three breakout sessions where participants can mix and match sessions from any of the commodity topics that interest them.

The event will cover a wide range of topics, including using social media to tell agriculture’s story, a view of agriculture’s future, how to farm in today’s environment, annual meetings for various commodity organizations and Private Pesticide Applicator Training Recertification.

Attendees may visit an event trade show throughout the day, featuring a variety of companies and organizations that farmers do business with on a daily basis. A complete listing can be found online at www.indianasoybean.com/forum prior to the event.
The day will conclude with a reception sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau from 5-6:30 p.m., giving attendees one last chance to visit the trade show and talk with other farmers about what they have learned.

Registration is limited and costs $25 per person; pre-registration is required, as no on-site registrations will be accepted. An agenda and additional information may be found at www.indianasoybean.com/forum and online registration is available.