The Northwest Farm Managers Association will hold its 109th annual meeting for producers and others interested in agriculture on Jan. 31 at the Holiday Inn in Fargo.

Presentations will focus on providing information to help guide producers through the current challenges in agriculture. Topics include farm financial management, grain market outlook and strategies, the land market, projected weather patterns for the next growing season, the economics of precision agriculture and how new federal tax legislation will impact farmers.

The meeting speakers and their topics are:

• Why prices go sidewise but farm income rises and taking what the land market offers - Michael Swanson is an agricultural economist and consultant for Wells Fargo. He does forecasting for grain and livestock sectors, develops credit and risk strategies, and conducts macroeconomic and international analysis on agricultural production and agribusiness. Swanson will give two presentations.
• Crop price outlook and marketing strategies - Darin Newsom, DTN senior analyst, has nearly 30 years of experience analyzing commodity markets and developing risk-management strategies. Besides DTN, his commentary is featured in industry publications and agricultural news media throughout the country. He will provide the grain market outlook.
• The economics of precision agriculture - Kelly Sharpe is owner of GK Technology Inc., Halstad, Minn. The company specializes in agricultural geographic information system software and image processing, drainage tile design and control, yield monitor and mapping, and site specific services. Sharpe will explain how to get the most return for your investment options in drainage, fertilizer, seed and herbicide.
• Projected weather patterns for the 2018 growing season - Daryl Ritchison does climate research and is the interim director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN), a network of 91 weather stations in North Dakota, eastern Montana and western Minnesota. Previously, he worked for 25 years as a meteorologist at various Midwestern television stations.
• How the new federal tax legislation will affect your farm operation - Mark Giddings, CPA and CGMA, is the founder and CEO of Giddings and Associates, which has provided accounting and tax services, and business planning for 28 years. Giddings will explain how recent tax legislation will impact agricultural producers, its complications and possible unintended consequences.

The meeting is open to the public. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the meeting at 9. The fee for attending is $75, payable at the door. The fee includes a noon meal and breaks. For more information, call 701-231-7393.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Jan. 18, 2018