Participants for the third Feed & Grain LIVE, scheduled for Jan. 8-10, 2019, are registering early, sponsors are lining up, workshops and sessions are being confirmed and venue personnel say they are ready to see LIVE attendees again. Early registrants are getting a great value, too. The rate is $99 until Dec. 8. After that and on site, the rate is $149. Easy registration is available at live.feedandgrain.com.
The sponsor lineup is strong and growing. Already signed up to support and exhibit include: Walinga, APEC, The Essmueller Co., CPM Roskamp Champion, Extron Co., Maxi-Lift Inc., 4B Components Ltd., Neogen, Pneumat Systems Inc., WEM Automation LLC, AgVision Software, CEI Equipment, Comco, and WL Port-LAND Systems Inc. More are coming on board weekly.
Returning and new attendees are expressing enthusiasm about LIVE ’19 and the sessions that have already been confirmed.
Doug Cropp, executive vice president of the grain division with Landmark Service Cooperative, Cottage Grove, WI, was a panelist, as well as a participant in LIVE ’17.
Discussion doesn’t end there. Cropp says being able to have worthwhile conversations with vendors is another advantage that LIVE offers.
Nick Steinbach, safety coordinator and location manager at Two Rivers Co-op in Pella, IA, says the agenda of the last LIVE event appealed to him. Plus, he was able to put what he learned from some sessions directly to work on his return home.
LIVE ’19 won’t be all event veterans, though. Menno Beiler, vice president of the board of directors for Kentucky Organic Farm and Feed Inc., Guthrie, KY, was one of the first to register for his first LIVE event. He is ready to meet peers and learn.
“A lot of our members started out as dairy farmers,” Beiler says. “Now they have backyard chickens and goats. A number of our customers run smaller operations and some drive about three hours to buy feed from us. We also service some larger poultry houses nearby.
Kicking off LIVE ‘19 will be a mycotoxin testing workshop sponsored by Neogen at 3 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 8. This hands-on, hard-working session will be led by Dr. Erin Bowers, associate scientist with Iowa State University. One of the more highly rated programs from the last LIVE, Bowers has a mycotoxin overview planned followed by groups working together running analyses using a rapid testing system.
“One thing we’ll focus on is what type of weather is conducive to promoting various types of mycotoxins, which are produced by fungus,” she says.
“Another item we’ll cover is the basis for how testing kits work,” Bowers says. “Just because a test kit is available doesn’t mean you can use it for any test. Some tests, for example, are only applicable for use testing specific grains or grain products.
Presenting the 2019 Feed Industry Outlook will be Leah Wilkson, vice president of public policy and education, American Feed Industry Association, Arlington, VA. She will outline opportunities, challenges and important regulations for the industry.
Nick Treblik, business operations director for Cargill Feed & Nutrition USA, is slated to present a talk about Cargill’s industry-renowned safety culture and share practices that can be put into place at your own location.
Dr. John Foltz, chair of the Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, will return to present. Foltz is the co-author of Feed & Grain’s “Manager’s Notebook” column, which covers human resources, training and recruitment for feed and grain businesses. His session will be geared especially for up-and-coming managers.