HPJ Live speakers, details announced 

High Plains Journal’s new event, HPJ Live, will debut Aug. 6-8 in Wichita, Kansas, at the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. This event will incorporate HPJ’s past educational U events, including Cattle U, Alfalfa U, Sorghum Wheat U, and Soil Health U, into one event with a tradeshow expected to include more than 100 exhibitors. 

 The event will include more than 40 speakers with presentations that apply to farmers and ranchers on topics from wheat genetics to cattle health to regenerative agriculture. In contrast to previous U events, HPJ Live will also offer education catered to farm and ranch wives to provide an all-inclusive experience for everyone involved in agriculture to learn and network during this inaugural event. The topics will range from farm photography to small businesses to balancing the family and farm and ranch life. 

Featured speakers 

Gregg Doud, president and chief executive officer of the National Milk Producers Federation will kick off the event with a keynote centered on trade and tariffs. Doud formerly served as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the office of the United States Trade Representative from 2018 until 2021. 

One of the keynote speakers will be Shannon Ferrell, professor of agricultural law at Oklahoma State University, with a presentation titled “Five steps toward your farm’s future.” Ferrell will discuss transition planning strategies all farmers and ranchers can do right now to prepare their operation to be passed to the next generation.  

Keynoting the alfalfa education will be Ian Ray, emeritus professor of agronomy at New Mexico State University. Ray will present “Drought-resilient alfalfa varieties and deficit irrigation management strategies.” Don Miller, forage technical consultant at Mountain View Seeds, is set to present “How to pick the best alfalfa variety for your production needs.”  

Jeff Whitworth, Extension entomology specialist at Kansas State University, will breakdown pest problems in alfalfa with a session called, “Alfalfa weevil, and other competitors for the alfalfa crop.” Additionally, Jeff Jackson and Leta Larsen, alfalfa and forage specialists at Croplan, will co-lead “Uncovering alfalfa’s hidden yield.”  

On the cattle side, Shane Tiffany, of Tiffany Cattle Co., Inc will give a keynote entitled, “The value of mentors.” Cody Jorgensen, of Jorgensen Land & Cattle, will present a breakout called, “Using DNA to make sound breeding decisions.”  

Rosslyn Biggs, DVM, and beef cattle Extension specialist at Oklahoma State University, will give a presentation called “Emerging diseases in bovine health.”  Glynn Tonsor, K-State agricultural economics professor, will address cattle markets with a breakout session called, “Beef-cattle situation and outlook.” 

Jennifer Ifft, Flinchbaugh agricultural policy chair at K-State, will lead a breakout session titled, “Livestock risk management and insurance options.” AJ Tarpoff, DVM, beef Extension veterinarian at K-State, will also provide Beef Quality Assurance certification for attendees.  

Brian Arnall, precision nutrient management specialist at OSU, will present a session called, “Where to cut inputs without yield loss.” Brett Carver, regents professor of wheat breeding and genetics at OSU, is set to give a breakout session called, “Moving the fences back in HRW wheat breeding for a better consumer experience.”  

Brent Bean, director of agronomy at the United Sorghum Checkoff, will speak in a session called, “Advances in forage sorghum—water savings and quality.” Doug Spencer, Kansas state grazing specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, will present, “Defending grasslands with satellites, strategy and stewardship.”  

Bryan Jorgensen, of Jorgensen Land & Cattle, is scheduled to give a presentation called, “Cropland livestock integration and soil health impacts.” Steve Swaffar, regenerative ranching adviser at Noble Research Institute, will present a session titled, “Opportunities for diverse forages in a regenerative grazing system.”  

Panels and awards 

HPJ Live will also include several panel discussions, including an alfalfa grower panel; a sorghum marketing fireside chat; chinch bug management panel; cattle marketing discussion; high yield commodity panel; GMO wheat roundtable; cover crop panel; and grain marketing and storage discussion.  

Several of the panels lined up to speak include Brad Erker, executive director of Colorado Wheat; Scotty Herriman, owner/operator of Herriman Farms; Amy France, National Sorghum Producers chairwoman; Keith Berns, co-owner at Green Cover; Ken Eriksen, managing member of Polaris Analytics and Consulting; Barrett Broadie, Superior Livestock representative; Alex Noll, farmer from Winchester, Kansas; Scott Sartor, founder of Croptell; Sarah Sexton-Bowser, managing director for the Center for Sorghum Improvement; and Jason Warner, Extension cow-calf specialist at K-State. 

Several awards will also be presented at HPJ Live. The “The Greater Good Community Award” will be presented to an individual who has gone above and beyond to help High Plains farmers and ranchers make their operations become more profitable. 

Another award that will be bestowed is the “HPJ Legacy Award.” This award is to honor a farm or ranch that has stood the test of time and prevailed through the challenges of the agricultural economy. The HPJ Live award nominations will open May 1, and nominations can be made through the HPJ Live website. 

Early bird registration—which runs through May 25—is $95 or $65 for HPJ subscribers. May 26 to Aug. 5, registration costs will be $125 or $95 for subscribers. Onsite pricing will be $145 or $115 for subscribers. 

To learn more about the schedule, speakers, lodging, and to register, visit www.live.hpj.com. For more general information about the event, contact Emily Tintera at 314-805-1395 or [email protected]. To learn more about exhibiting or sponsoring HPJ Live, contact Jason Koenig at 314-873-3125 or [email protected].