Abilene, Texas, USA
July 9, 2014

Farm bill decision making will headline this year’s Big Country Wheat Conference, organizers said.

The conference, conducted biennially by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will be held Aug. 14 in the Big Country Hall located on the Taylor County Exposition Center grounds, 1982 Lytle Way in Abilene.

On-site registration will start at 8:30 a.m. The conference will start at 9 a.m. and end at 4:15 p.m.

“The current farm bill has undergone a considerable overhaul from previous legislation, which has caused no small amount of confusion among many producers,” said Robert Pritz, AgriLife Extension agent in Taylor County. “We have heard a lot of speculation concerning how the newest version is to be interpreted, so our goal for this year’s Big Country Wheat Conference will be to help wheat growers determine fact from fiction while offering them the best possible decision-making tools to better equip them for making the tough choices they will face in the coming months.”

Along with the emphasis on the farm bill, Pritz said this year’s conference will include the following topics and presenters:

• World Wheat Outlook, Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension grain marketing economist, College Station.
• Future of Texas Wheat Production, Steelee Fischbacher, director of policy and marketing, Texas Wheat Producers Board, Amarillo.
• 2014 Farm Bill Update and Decision Making, Dr. Joe Outlaw, AgriLife Extension economist, College Station.
• Data Requirements for Sign Up/Decision Aid and the Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Program, Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist, San Angelo.
• Wheat Variety Performance, Dr. Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains specialist, College Station.
• Weed Control Recommendation in Wheat, Dr. David Drake, AgriLife Extension agronomist, San Angelo.
• Soil Fertility Management for Wheat Production, Dr. Mark McFarland, AgriLife Extension soil fertility specialist, College Station.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Weather Forecasts, National Weather Service, San Angelo.

Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one general, one integrated pest management and one laws and regulations – will be available for private pesticide applicator license holders.

There is no registration fee for those who preregister by Aug. 12, but a $20 fee will be charged thereafter.

For more information and to preregister, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Taylor County at 325-672-6048.
 

Website: http://agrilife.org/

Published: July 9, 2014