A grain outlook, weather patterns, hay crops and forestry will be part of a daylong seminar for farmers and others Dec. 19 at Lewis-Clark State College.
The Idaho Ag Outlook seminar will be hosted in four locations around the state as the University of Idaho resurrects a popular event that drew large crowds prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had a lot of feedback from folks who were involved. It was a good event and something people enjoyed going to,” said Brett Wilder, a UI Extension agricultural economist who is organizing the event. “It’s valuable for agricultural producers to have an idea of what the year looked like on a bigger scale than their own operation and what to expect moving forward.”
Registration is $30 per person, and booklets with information from the presentations will be available to order for $20 each following the sessions. Lunch is included. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m., and seminars will start at 9 a.m. and should conclude by or prior to 3 p.m. local time.
There will also be in-person seminars at Idaho Falls on Dec. 12, Twin Falls on Dec. 13 and Nampa on Dec. 16. Registration is open now for all four sessions and starts to close Dec. 4. Those interested can register at bit.ly/3R675jj.
The unveiling of the annual UI Extension report estimating the gross income and net farm income of Idaho agriculture for the year that’s ending has been a highlight of past seminars. Wilder, who will present that data during the upcoming seminar, noted 2022’s gross income estimates for Idaho agriculture proved to be extremely accurate, though their estimates of input costs came in high.
“In 2022 we had all-time high numbers for these commodities, and we were within a percentage or so with our estimates,” Wilder said. “It’s a good benchmark number for how the agriculture industry is doing in the state of Idaho.”
Experts with the Idaho Wheat Commission will talk about input cost trends and grain outlooks. Troy Lindquist, senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Russell Qualls, the state’s climatologist, will cover presentations on weather patterns. UI Extension educators Joseph Sagers and Doug Finkelnburg will cover hay presentations. UI Extension agricultural economist Patrick Hatzenbuehler will give an outlook for potatoes, and Greg Latta, an associate professor of forest economics in the College of Natural Resources and director of the Policy Analysis Group, will cover forestry in Lewiston.
Anyone seeking more information may contact Wilder at bwilder@uidaho.edu.
