Farming is an institution as old as civilization itself, but the Great Lakes Crop Summit is looking to change things up in Michigan farms. The annual conference will be focusing on business and practical farming issues that affect corn, soybean, and wheat farmers across the state.
Freezes, droughts, and pests are all things Michigan farmers expect will affect their crop value. Something most farmers aren’t used to is being in the middle of an international trade war. The sixth annual Great Lakes Crop Summit will prepare farmers for new challenges facing the soybean, corn, and wheat industries.
Natalie Rector is a research coordinator for the Michigan Corn Marketing Program. She said international demand for Michigan crops will be a big issue this year.
“Well, the international trade trickles right down to the Michigan farms,” Rector said, “and we have several topics with Great Lakes Crop Summit this year actually specifically talking about world markets, global demands for corn, wheat, and soybeans and how farmers can use commodity market to market their crops.”
Rector also said farms are modernizing, and technology has become the modern farmer’s best friend.
Technology has advanced for farming just about has fast as it has for everywhere else, and “precision farming” is what we call it,” she said, “we have several sessions this year about how to use the precision data you can glean from your fields and turn it around to make decisions for what you’ll do next year in the field.
Rector says in the past, the conference has drawn as many as one thousand participants. It’s planned for January 30th through the 31st at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant. Registration ends January 8th.
More information on the Great Lakes Crop Summit can be found at http://www.greatlakescropsummit.com/