Tickets on sale now for “Future in Farming” Ag Conference – Indiana

The Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce 2011 Southeastern Indiana Ag Conference, “The Future in Farming,” will be held on Friday, March 4, at Wolf Theatres in Greensburg.

Tickets are $20 and available at MainSource Bank, including locations in Greensburg, Westport, Batesville, Brookville, Shelbyville and Rushville; Smith Implements , 3871 W. SR 46, Greensburg; Obermeyer AgriGroup, 4814 W. Old St. Rd. 46, Greensburg and the Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, 125 N. Broadway St., Greensburg.

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The event will feature United State Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service Economist Oliver Flake, Indiana State Agriculture Director Joe Kelsay, Indiana State Veterinarian Dr. Bret Marsh and others.

Keynote speaker, Oliver Flake, is with the United State Department of Agriculture, and is the Foreign Agricultural Services Economist, overseeing and promoting U.S. products and serving as an International Grain Market analyst. Flake obtained his undergraduate degree in Agronomy from Brigham Young University and his graduate degree from the Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management at Arizona State University.

The M.S. in Agribusiness provided Flake with the curriculum he sought in international trade, agricultural policy and agricultural development. Besides serving as a grain market analyst, Flake also devotes his time to gaining international market access for U.S. products.

Flake’s presentation will include time for questions from the audience.

Joe Kelsay, is a sixth generation dairy and crop farmer and is the Indiana Agriculture Director for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. In this role, he serves as the state’s top agriculture official and is an advisor to Governor Mitch Daniels on agriculture policy. He was appointed to this position Oct. 5, 2009 by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Kelsay is a 1999 graduate of Purdue University and in addition to milk production, he and his wife Amy operates a farm tour business, Kelsay Farms Tours, LLC, which teaches thousands of children and their families each year about life on the farm, the nutritional value of dairy products, where milk comes from, technology used in a milking parlor and how farmers keep cows comfortable and healthy.

Sara Beth Aubrey is the owner of Prosperity Ag Communication and Prosperity Ag & Energy Resources. She focuses on securing funds for clients through the use of government programs such as grants, loan guarantees, direct loans and tax credits. Since 2007, Aubrey has written over 400 successful grants dispersed among clients in 29 states, funding for these awards has yielded nearly $50 million. The majority of her clients are pursuing projects to create or expand ventures on farms, in rural small businesses, and in both small and large communities all wishing to utilize or develop renewable energy or energy technologies.

Aubrey is a lifelong farm resident and has served as Madison County Woman leader for Indiana Farm Bureau and she devotes her time to raising beef cattle along with her husband, Cary, in Morgan County, Indiana.

Dr. Bret Marsh, DVM , Indiana State Veterinarian, was appointed by then Gov. Evan Bayh in 1994. As the state veterinarian, Dr. Marsh is responsible for a staff of 140 people, including 15 veterinarians and an agency budget exceeding $8 million. He is a 1984 graduate of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Other speakers that will be presenting during break-out sessions include Mike Dunn of Indiana Department of Environmental Management; Don Biehle, Southeast Purdue Ag Center speaking about farm safety; Tom Reddish from John Deere speaking on the Future of Farm equipment and technology; Andrew Stewart speaking about credit, leasing and financial aspects in farming.

For more information call 812-663-2832 or on the web at www.greensburgchamber.com