Idaho’s growers and ranchers will get a chance to take a detailed look at agricultural prospects from the global to local level in 2014 through workshops planned by University of Idaho Extension at Burley Dec. 10 and Idaho Falls Dec. 11.
The Idaho Ag Outlook Seminars will draw in perspectives from Northwest Farm Credit Services, Idaho Barley Commission and UI agricultural economics professionals.
“The seminar starts off with a 30,000-foot view of what’s happening with agriculture globally and what is predicted to possibly occur in the future,” said Cathy Roheim, agricultural economics and rural sociology department head at Moscow and the lead-off speaker.
Global population shifts, consumer preference trends and changing water and land availability and other issues will be discussed.
“It basically gives a sense of globally and 20 years out what the picture might look like. And then the workshop progressively focuses closer and closer to Idaho’s situation,” she said.
The Northwest Farm Credit Services speaker provides a look at U.S. factors, a fellow UI agricultural economist looks at state level factors and then others focus on the outlook for major southern Idaho crops and sectors including grains, potatoes, livestock and dairy. This year’s session will also include important information on the 2014 Farm Bill and how its programs affect Idaho producers.
Presenters include Doug Robinson of Northwest Farm Credit Services; Kelly Olson of the Idaho Barley Commission; and UI faculty members Paul Patterson, Joel Packham, C. Wilson Gray, Ben Eborn and Garth Taylor.
The seminar series launched last year in Burley and Idaho Falls, and proved popular, Roheim said. Preliminary plans called for three sessions this year but the one at Caldwell was cancelled.
The Dec. 10 session at Burley will be held in the Burley Inn. The Dec. 11 seminar at Idaho Falls will be held in the Shilo Inn. Both seminars will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The seminars cost $30 per person and include lunch and materials.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the UI Extension Cassia County office at (208) 878-9461 or jpackham@uidaho.edu.