Editors' Notebook

If you've missed it, the DTN Ag Summit, our annual gathering that dives into the subjects that will be driving your farm business in the coming year, is all virtual in 2022.

It's happening Dec. 12-13, and you can find out all about it, who's speaking and how to register here: www.dtn.com/agsummit.

I have to admit it feels a little odd going through the Thanksgiving holiday and not double-checking on last-minute details for an early December trip to Chicago. For most of the past 16 years, no December was complete without the preparation, the nervousness, and the absolute joy of attending the Summit, which typically took place in downtown Chi-town.

After COVID forced us into a virtual event in 2020, we received a hefty amount of praise for bringing our Ag Summit to the world. As much as a physical event is engaging and fun, not everyone can make the trip; those of you who can't, and many who can but appreciated the change, really jumped on the chance to attend online. So, following us holding the physical Summit last December, we made plans to flip back to an online venue for 2022.

One of the key differences between the physical and the online events is DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick's anxiety level is slightly lower, as we're not constantly pestering him for a weather forecast for Chicago.

But he's working just as hard at putting together a detailed 2023 weather outlook, fueled by DTN's proprietary team of more than 180 meteorologists located around the globe.

Baranick will set the stage for DTN's dynamic-markets duo -- Lead Analyst Todd Hultman and Livestock Market Analyst ShayLe Stewart -- who will walk us through expectations for the upcoming grains and livestock marketing year.

While the trip to get to Summit is easier this year, the sessions will be no less thought provoking. In fact, the virtual format allows us to bring some truly unique voices to the Summit stage that might not be possible in a physical event.

Best example of that is our much-anticipated conversation on the 2023 Farm Bill with the two men at the heart of ag policy for the past many decades: retired Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts and former Minnesota Representative Democrat Collin Peterson. These two came from opposite sides of the aisle, but they regularly showed that great things could be done when leaders put constituents, and the country, ahead of party politics. So, I'm anxious to hear their take on the upcoming Farm Bill process. They may not be in DC every day, but you can bet these two are still plugged in and they have fewer reasons than ever to be anything but blunt about the road ahead.

We'll have a deep dive in the high-interest world of carbon credit markets. Regular readers will know we recently had a series of articles both online and in the November Progressive Farmer magazine on the issues of sustainability, climate change, and on-farm programs paying farmers to sequester carbon. (If you missed any of them, go to https://www.dtnpf.com/… for the last of the stories and at the bottom of it are links to the other series stories). Ag Summit is your chance to hear even more details and ask questions of a panel of leaders in the carbon market arena.

You'll also find sessions on current farm business issues and get the chance to meet the 2023 class of America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers. I write this having just spent some time with these five bright young farm business leaders, and I know you'll be impressed with their operations and their passion for farming and ranching.

So, take a few moments between Thanksgiving leftovers and log in to our registration page, and make plans to attend the 2022 DTN Ag Summit. We will miss seeing some of your faces in person, but we look forward to having you and your peers take part in one of the truly unique business events for anyone involved in U.S. agriculture.

You can see a Reporter's Notebook video where I talk more about the upcoming Summit at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Greg D. Horstmeier can be reached at greg.horstmeier@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @greghorstmeier

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