To prepare yourself for the challenges coming in 2023, don't miss these fantastic conversations! This year, our speakers join us from across Canada to talk agriculture, agronomy and markets. Learn about every aspect of agriculture and what you can do to support your farm.
Consultant and researcher Luke Struckman joins us from Ottawa to discuss field crop production and supply chain sustainability. MarketsFarm's own Mike Jubinville will present how you can market crops in turbulent times.
Luke Struckman - Field Crop Production and Supply Chain Sustainability
For the past three years, Luke served as consultant and researcher for agribusiness, farmer-run organizations, and government agencies. He works with farmers directly in the areas of crop diversification and marketing. He specializes in projects that bridge the gap between scientific research, food processing, and production agriculture.
He typically works under contract with non-profit organizations or large food companies. He recently completed work for Environment and Climate Change Canada through Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Currently, he is part of a Sustainable Food Lab team designing a soil health training program for agronomists in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Driven by his desire to learn, he enjoys that every day he gets to learn something new in agriculture through science, policy, or from producers themselves.
Luke brings his wealth of knowledge on field crop production and its supply chain to our conference, February 15. Prairie production systems inspire much of his work, which has him excited to connect with the Alberta agriculture community at the conference. He will discuss the issues he's identified in the agriculture industry and the solutions he sees.
Paramount to his discussion is the relationship between producers, scientists, and processors. Currently, a shortage of communication and collaboration exists between these three branches of agriculture.
"With an increase in funding at the federal and provincial levels, we can increase organizational capacity and achieve successful, long-term relationships between these groups," Luke says.
The goal of his presentation is to highlight the need for these long-term relationships in agriculture.
"Sure, these environmental initiatives work for two or three years, but to make real change we need that long-term communication to ensure the lasting, positive effects are there," he adds.
Luke's hope is that by increasing communication and collaboration we can see an increase in documentation around producer-driven innovation, improve our measurement of environmental and economic outcomes, drive more food processing capacity to small and medium scale businesses and introduce more specialty crops to Canadian and International markets.
Mike Jubinville - Market Crops in Turbulent Times
Mike Jubinville is the senior market analyst at MarketsFarm, a grain market analysis and advisory service of Glacier Farm Media based out of Winnipeg. He will present February 16 and share the array of grain marketing issues facing Canada and how growers can best prepare themselves.
Since his hot start in the industry in May 1988 at Farm Market News ≥ at the onset of the Great Drought of the Prairies, when it was 30-35 degrees every day through May ≥ Mike identified a handful of statistical components, locally and globally, that influence the market.
"I came in at a dramatic time," he recalls. "It was a great start and helped me identify the psychology of markets."
With the vulnerable position of an already constrained supply chain, the risk of poor weather conditions across the globe, and a looming threat of economic recession, it's hard to view the current market as anything other than turbulent.
"We've seen a wild swing in the relationship between input costs and crop prices over the last two years, and external forces like weather or global conditions influenced markets at an exorbitant rate in just this past year. It can be difficult to feel hopeful in turbulent times," he says.
While external forces on a market are out of our control, Mike wants to assure growers that they can set themselves up for success by understanding and following market trends.
"Price trends are important to follow. Not just daily, but weekly and monthly as well. If prices don't move up on bullish news, or down after bearish news ≥ something else is going on," says Mike.
However, without previous experience, it can be challenging to follow. Mike's presentation at the conference aims to help growers identify the important market indicators, and how to properly respond.
Prepare yourself and your farm for a successful 2023! Register for the Farming Smarter Conference & Trade Show to see these two fascinating conversations, and more, February 15 & 16!
To learn more about Luke before the conference, you can follow him on Twitter, or read his blog. Both provide a focus on agronomy, soil science, and land management. They are the best places to learn how his consulting work is guided through his engagement with farmers and scientific research.
Want to learn more about Mike and his market expertise before the conference, visit marketsfarm.com!