OGLESBY, Ill. – The 2024 Farmland Owners Conference held on November 28th, left attendees inspired, informed, and empowered. The event, held at Illinois Valley Community College, brought together over 220 landowners, agribusiness representatives, and industry experts to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in agriculture.
The conference featured a diverse lineup of presenters, with breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics, including:
- Land values, auctions, and appraisals
- Estate planning
- Professional farm management
- Soil fertility and health
- USDA Farm Service Agency programs
- Solar farms
- Organic production
17 different organizations were featured at the resource fair, including COUNTRY Financial, Illinois Farm Bureau, American Farmland Trust, OSF Healthcare, Illinois Soybean Association, and The Land Connection.
“My brother and I attended this conference together and we are very grateful for some new ideas and resources,” said one attendee. “We are both farm kids, gone for a couple decades, and now trying to figure out how to be of more help to our father and figure out our role with the farm in the future. I would absolutely attend a similar workshop in the future.”
The 2024 Farmland Owners Conference demonstrated the need for education directed at current and future farmland owners. By providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration, the event empowered landowners to make informed decisions and secure the future of their land.
The University of Illinois Extension would like to thank all attendees, sponsors, and volunteers for their contributions to the conference's success. We look forward to the future of the Farmland Owners Conference and continuing to serve the needs of the agricultural community.
WRITER & SOURCE: Emily Hansen, Commercial Agriculture Educator, University of Illinois serving Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties
EDITOR: Karina Delgado, Marketing and Communications Program Coordinator, University of Illinois serving Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.