The 2017 Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic has new name

Madison — Agribusiness industries of Wisconsin will come together at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Jan. 10-12, 2017 for the Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic.

Formerly the Wisconsin Crop Management Conference, this event has been renamed to better reflect the addition of programs on feed, agribusiness, and grain management, along with a newly added session for spray rig operators. All the classic program areas — weeds, insects, disease, forages, vegetables, economics, soil and water, nutrient management — are still part of the conference.

“The 2017 event has over 40 educational sessions and 100,000 square feet of agricultural equipment and services exhibits,” said Matt Ruark, University of Wisconsin-Extension soils specialist at UW-Madison and conference co-director. “This event has drawn over 1,600 attendees in previous years, making the Classic the largest agri-industry conference of its kind in the state of Wisconsin.”

Two keynote speakers will kick-off the conference: Tim Baker, tornado chaser extraordinaire, and Ahman Green, all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers and Packer Hall of Fame inductee.

Educational session highlights include: an industry roundtable on the herbicide resistant trait pipeline in soybean; presentations on minimizing soil erosion and the value of conservation; and fertilizer market and commodity futures outlooks.

"All sessions will include presentations of the latest and greatest research from UW-Madison researchers such as fertilizer technologies, manure irrigation, and all the latest issues in pest management. The feed, grain, and agribusiness sessions will highlight employee management challenges, crisis management, and the Food Safety Modernization Act," said Shawn Conley, UW-Extension soybean and small grains specialist at UW-Madison.

Basic and advanced SnapPlus training sessions will also be available. The conference is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and UW-Extension. Advance agenda and registration information can be found on the conference website at www.agclassic.org.