North Central Ag Climate Conference 2024

By Scout Nelson

SDSU Extension invites agriculture and climate professionals to the North Central Agriculture and Climate Conference. Scheduled from July 31 to August 1, 2024, at the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, this event will showcase a convergence of the finest regional agricultural and climatological research, extension, and outreach.

Participants will gain insights from many keynote speakers, engaging panels, and informative presentations. The conference is designed to facilitate learning, sharing of successful practices, and networking opportunities among peers.

Laura Edwards, State Climatologist at SDSU Extension and a member of the conference planning team, highlighted the significance of the event. "A lot of times we get separated. Our goal is to bring research, extension, and outreach all together in the same room," Edwards explained. "By putting everyone in the same room, we get the latest and greatest pieces in both worlds – research and outreach."

The North Central Climate Collaborative hosts a conference attracting diverse attendees, including crop and livestock producers, range and water management experts, community and tribal leaders, with support from the North Central Region Water Network and USDA Midwest Climate Hub.

This year's speakers are prominent figures in their fields:

• Eric Snodgrass, a nationally recognized meteorologist and principal atmospheric scientist at Nutrien Ag Solutions.
• J. Arbuckle, a rural sociology professor and extension sociologist at Iowa State University.
• Chloe Wardropper, specializing in the nexus of water and land use at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Linda Stalker Prokopy, who heads Purdue University's Horticulture and Landscape Architecture department.
• David Kay, a senior extension associate from Cornell University, focusing on community and economic aspects of energy transitions and climate change.

The topics will delve into climate-smart agriculture tailored for the North Central region, addressing the increased weather extremes impacting the area.

Registration for the conference is $75 until July 1, after which it increases to $99 until July 19. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search for “climate”.

Photo Credit -south-dakota-state-university