Colorado, USA
December 20, 2013
Over 200 farmers, legislators, and agribusiness representatives participated in the Colorado Ag Classic event held December 11-12 at The Embassy Suites in Loveland. The ninth annual event was jointly hosted by the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG)/Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee (CWAC)/Colorado Wheat Research Foundation (CWRF), Colorado Corn Growers Association (CCGA)/Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC), Colorado Sunflower Administrative Committee (CSAC), and Colorado Seed Growers Association (CSGA).
The Colorado Ag Classic opened the afternoon of December 11 with a Legislative Town Hall. Several state legislators and representatives of national legislators were present, and after brief introductory remarks, interacted with farmers at individual tables. That evening, a dinner, casino night and auction raised funds for CAWG and CCGA state and national legislative efforts.
December 12 started with a unity breakfast hosted by Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar. The boards of the host organizations discussed issues of common interest to all of the participating organizations.
Dr. Craig Beyrouty, Dean of the College of Agriculture at Colorado State University (CSU), opened the general session with information about how CSU plans to participate in a national initiative to message agriculture to the general public. Keynote speaker Dr. Jay Lehr spoke on “Today’s Golden Age of Agriculture in a Resilient Economy.” Lehr’s presentation was sponsored by CoBank.
“The Colorado Ag Classic gave us farmers much food for thought. Whether one is an optimist or a pessimist or just a realist, there was something for everyone. For the optimist, Dr. Jay Lehr, a futurist, gave a very inspiring talk on not only the future of agriculture but also the overall economy here in America. The ingredients are all there for agriculture and energy to continue to take off,” said Mark Linnebur of Byers, CAWG president.
Additional sessions on December 12 included a farm safety meeting and session on grain marketing, planning for weather in 2014, effects of healthcare reform on agriculture, the quest for high yield, and the future of farming in Colorado, featuring new research and tools for Colorado farmers.
Recorded webcasts of the December 12 sessions are available to watch at http://www.ihigh.com/barnmedia/.
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