Education

Meetings of Interest

July 17 through July 20, 2005: Purdue Top Crop Workshop. This workshop is held annually and covers a number of financial and agronomic topics. Held at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, Ag Executive feels this is the best 3- day workshop available to producers in the U.S. For additional information you can contact Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer at Agriculture Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2056 (765) 494-4250 or visit the Top Crop Website at www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer

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November 2005 through March 15, 2006: Multiple locations. “Surviving the Coming Storm”. Ag Executive and the Farm and Ranch Tax Letter will sponsor this workshop. The workshop will start at 1:00pm and end at 11:30 am the following day with an evening session on the first day. Registration will be limited to 15 producers at each site.

The workshop is a direct response to the problems that we believe will arise from the reduction or elimination of government farm programs at the end of our current farm program. Farm and Ranch Tax Letter subscribers may want to go to our website (or drop us a note at 115 East Twyman, Bushnell, Illinois and include a self addressed stamped envelope) at www.agexecutive.com to read a complete analysis of the concerns we expressed in an article that was published in the January, 2005 issue of Ag Executive.

The workshops will provide the answers to where your operation is today, how your operation stacks up against other operations, and where your operation will be if government program payments are eliminated. You will use your data and will develop a plan to help your operation survive “the coming storm”.

You’ll be provided with a checklist of financial information to bring to the workshop and will be required to complete some detailed worksheets to be submitted prior to the workshop. At the workshop you will create ratio reports, enterprise analysis reports, and pro-forma cash flow reports specific to your operation..all to help you to develop your survival strategy.

Cost for the workshop is estimated to be $ 250.00 for each operation for Ag Executive or Farm and Ranch Tax Letter Subscribers. Additional attendees from the same operation will be charged $ 45.00 to cover meals and handouts. Nonsubscribers will pay $ 300.00 for the workshop and $ 55.00 for additional attendees from the same operation.

We plan on working with other financial rofessionals as well as producers. Some professionals have expressed an interest in providing this workshop to their clients. We have already talked to individuals in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, and California and will likely hold meetings in the following locations: Amana Colonies, Iowa Jonesboro, Arkansas Columbia, Missouri West Lafayette, Indiana Springfield, Illinois Sacramento, California

We will be happy to hold a meeting at any location where we can assemble at least ten operations.

Drop us a note at 115 East Twyman, Bushnell, Illinois or send us an e-mail at agexecutive@earthlink.net if you are interested in participating. We’ll send you further information as we firm up our plans.