The Purdue Top Farmer Conference will feature a pre-conference workshop focused entirely on risk management strategies on 9 January. The pre-conference is offered by Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture and will take place at the Beck Agricultural Center located at 4540 US 52 W, West Lafayette.

The pre-conference session, “Ag Survivor – Strategies for Managing Risks in Your Operation,” will provide an overview of potential risks farmers may face in 2020 and offer management strategies that will play a critical role in successful farm practices for the coming year. Experts John Hewlett, ranch/farm management specialist from the University of Wyoming, and Jay Parsons, associate professor of agricultural economics from the University of Nebraska, will lead workshop participants in developing strategies that will enable their farms to thrive in today’s challenging environment.

“Farmers faced difficult decisions this year that had the potential to drastically impact their operations,” said James Mintert, Purdue agricultural economics professor and director of the Center for Commercial Agriculture. “The ag survivor workshop gives farmers an opportunity to analyse potential risks facing their farm and develop strategies to combat those risks in a hands-on learning environment. The pre-conference will equip participants with the tools and confidence they need for future success.”

Used by thousands of farmers across the nation, the workshop will precede the main portion of the Purdue Top Farmer Conference on 10 January, featuring some of the nation’s top experts on marketing, risk management and crop production.