2018 Commodity Classic boasts impressive schedule of educational sessions

Education is a hallmark of Commodity Classic and this year’s schedule is one of the most robust in recent memory.

The 2018 Commodity Classic will be held Feb. 27 to March 1 in Anaheim, California. Attendees can register for all three days or for one day only.

Gerry Hayden, a Kentucky farmer and co-chair of the 2018 Commodity Classic, said that every educational session was selected by farmers, for farmers.

“We’re continuing to look for new ways to be more efficient, to learn more about our crops, how to sell our crops, how to market our crops,” he said. “Commodity Classic is a means of putting this all together under one roof. It’s farmer-led, farmer-focused, so we know what the average person that comes needs to understand and what’s on their mind.”

The educational line-up for 2018 features a wide range of presentations and topics including:

Early Riser sessions begin at 7 a.m. each morning. This year’s sessions include a live taping of “U.S. Farm Report,” a forecast for 2018 commodity prices, and a panel featuring some of the nation’s top-yielding farmers.

Learning Centers are in-depth discussion of current issues and topics that have a direct impact on famers. Topics of this year’s Learning Centers include soil health, cover crops, pollinators, marketing, farm policy, trade, and various session on improving yields.

What’s New sessions are concurrent 40-minute presentations showcasing innovations and services from leading agribusinesses.

Mini What’s New sessions are like “speed dating,” allowing a number of companies to give back-to-back 5-minute presentations on key innovations and products. Attendees can discover more by visiting the companies’ booths on the trade show floor.

The Commodity Classic Main Stage is located right on the trade show floor and is presented by Commodity Classic and “Successful Farming.” This year’s programming includes information from Ag PhD’s Hefty brothers on fertility and weed control; Learning Center sessions on pesticide resistance and increased yields; a keynote address on the impact of women in agriculture; a cooking demonstration; a panel discussion featuring agribusiness executives; and a number of presentations from “Successful Farming” editors ranging from marketing to machinery maintenance to efficient farm shop design.

Since many sessions are concurrent, registration also allows attendees to access videos of key educational sessions they may have missed on the days for which they were registered. Videos are available within a few weeks following Commodity Classic.

“I hope that the show helps you raise questions about the way you do things,” said Paul Taylor, an Illinois farmer and co-chair of the 2018 Commodity Classic. “Are we doing this the best way to survive, to be profitable, to be conscientious to our neighbors, to our environment, and are we going to be profitable and sustainable in the long term? That’s what we want the agricultural producers to be. We want them to survive, we want them to be profitable and we want them to be well versed in not only the topic but the technology of the day.”

In addition to an impressive schedule of educational sessions, the 2018 Commodity Classic includes inspiring speakers, a huge trade show, entertainment and the opportunity to network with thousands of famers from across the nation. Review the complete schedule and register online at www.commodityclassic.com. Hotel reservations should also be made through that website.