Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Networking Hospitality Suite Open

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Event Kick-Off

The Growing Season, How I Built a New Life and Saved an American Farm

Sarah Frey, CEO of Frey Farms

Sarah says education is about learning from those who have gone before us, whether it is in the classroom, in the marketplace or in the field. Watching, listening and learning from the successes and failures of others schools us on how to avoid the same mistakes while achieving a success of our own that we might one day share with others. This too is a crop that also begins by getting dirty and planting seeds in fertile ground.

Networking Break

Technical Assistance with Farm Service Agency (FSA) Loan Applications

Derek Farnsworth, Ph.D., Associate Professor Food and Resource Economics UF/IFAS

Dr. Farnsworth has reserved space at the conference to provide informational materials and one-on-one technical assistance to support agribusinesses managers in accessing U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans. Participants will receive guidance from financial experts on application requirements and preparing necessary documentation. The goal is to reduce the rate of rejected or withdrawn loan applications by ensuring producers are better equipped to complete and submit successful applications. Wednesday 1pm-5pm, the space will be open to distribute informational materials and host public discussion. Thursday 9am-12pm, individuals can reserve time slots for one-on-one technical assistance.

Fraud Isn’t Just in the Headlines – It Could Be Affecting Your Business

Alison Bogart, President of Bogart Risk Auditing LLC

Have you noticed the prevalence of news stories about fraud?  That’s because in tough times, some people compromise their morals to maintain (and then increase) their standard of living.

Certified Fraud Examiner Alison Bogart will speak about two fraud topics:  1) external – cyber safety and 2) internal – employee embezzlement.

She is passionate about educating business leaders to understand why their company is vulnerable and to learn how to protect profit as well as personal assets. Alison will share fraud statistics, myths, case studies, warning signs, and prevention tips.

Co-op Panel

Lunch

Ag Policy Update

Mike Joyner

USDA Update

Marcinda Kester, State Executive Director, USDA Farm Service Agency

Networking Break

Income Tax and Farm Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill

Paul Neiffer, AgCPA

Paul provides a comprehensive explanation of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), focusing on crucial developments in both income-tax and farm-specific provisions. Topics include increased subsidy support for Specialty Crop Crop Insurance programs, permanent 100% bonus depreciation, updated SALT deduction limits, and qualified overtime pay deductions—all tailored to benefit farmers and rural taxpayers.

Trade Offs of Leasing vs Buying with OBBB Changes

Clayton Willis, Senior Relationship Manger at CoBank Farm Credit Leasing

Under the OBBB, businesses weighing leasing versus buying equipment face a trade-off between flexibility and ownership. Clayton will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. Leasing means predictable costs, simple tax treatment, and easy upgrades. Buying delivers the biggest tax savings and long-term ownership but requires more cash and carries obsolescence risk. Leasing gives you flexibility, buying gives you control—OBBB just makes the choice clearer.

The Antifragile Approach of Legacy Transfer

Elio Chiarelli, PhD, AIF^®, CFPA Financial Advisor & CEO Capital Defender Advisors

Family farms, ranches, and agricultural businesses carry more than crops and cattle — they carry legacy. Yet, passing that legacy from one generation to the next can be one of the most challenging transitions a family will ever face. In this engaging and thought-provoking workshop, we’ll explore how to help farm families move beyond fragile succession plans toward antifragile structures — frameworks that grow stronger through uncertainty, change, and time. You’ll learn how to blend financial planning, family governance, and values-based decision-making into a resilient system that preserves both wealth and relationships.  Whether you’re a producer, advisor, or family member involved in the transition, this session will give you the mindset, tools, and strategies to protect your family’s legacy and empower the next generation to thrive. Come ready to think differently, plan boldly, and build something that lasts.

Reception

Dinner On Your Own

Networking Hospitality Suite Open

EBITDA is Not Cash Flow

Todd Doehring, Director Centrec Consulting Group

This session will cover the relationship between cash flows and EBITDA and how they are different. It will introduce an approach to thinking about repayment capacity that in our experience resonates with agricultural producers by considering sources and uses of funds. The session will also review the key financial analysis ratios that lenders generally focus on and will point to the benefits of profitability analysis in understanding long-term viability and to aid in discussions with customers.

Networking Break

Get a Grip on Your Business with EOS®

Jeff Ruby, Author of Redrock Leadership: Transform Your Company and Unleash the Potential for Exponential Growth

Jeff Ruby helps entrepreneurs, and their leadership teams solve root problems, lead more effectively, and gain Traction® in their businesses through a simple, proven operating system. Jeff will introduce proven strategies and real-life examples of people who are just like you, in organizations just like yours, who have embraced his leadership methods to transform their company’s culture and unleash the potential for exponential growth!

Regarding personal leadership, you’ll learn to:

• Build and sustain mental toughness and become more emotionally intelligent.
• Forge positive relationships by becoming more personally and socially aware.
• Create actionable goals that match your life priorities and vision for the future.
• Leverage your time to accomplish all that is necessary to reach your goals.

Regarding managerial leadership, you’ll learn to:

• Motivate your team so they become autonomous and take immediate responsibility.
• Coach your team to enhance personal, job, and strategic performance skill sets.
• Hold your team accountable for being trustworthy and remaining committed.
• Build a culture of trust that attracts and retains the right talent for your organization.

Panel Discussion: Implementing EOS® in your Operations

• Panel Moderator: Jeff Ruby
• Jonathan Watson, CEO and Integrator at Quality By Design, Inc.
• James Watson, Founder and Visionary of Quality By Design, Inc.
• Eric Hjort, President at Tater Farms

Economic Outlook for 2025-2026:  Tarriffs, Interest Rates, and the Evolving Trump Economy

Dr. Edmond J. Seifried, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business at Lafayette College in Easton, PA

It now appears that the Trump administration has completed a U-turn on its highly controversial tariff initiative. The market reactions to the almost daily tariff announcements were unmistakable negative.   However, market chaos was not the only casualty of the tariff episode. The tariffs created confusion and distress for US monetary policy.   The Fed complained that the so-called “large” tariff policy was likely to cause both higher inflation and higher unemployment.  Jerome Powell stated that faced with higher inflation and higher employment, any interest rate change would only help alleviate one of the economic issues while making the other one worse.  Join Dr Ed as he attempts to forecast the most likely result of the tariff controversy on inflation, unemployment and US economic growth.

ADJOURN