2024 Round Table Meetings
June 19-21, 2024
Broomfield, Colorado
Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide
Not all sessions included PowerPoints. Additionally, not all speakers gave permission to post their slides; however, the presentations approved to post are included in the PDF for each session. Please do not share these materials beyond the Round Table.
June 19, 2024
Tour Day
Ardent Mills | Commerce City Mill
Tortuga AgTech
CSU Spur Hydro & Terra Buildings
Avery Brewing
National Western Center
Kuner Feedlot (View the AgNext Report)
Root Shoot Malting
Pivot Energy | Aurora
Skyway Foods
June 20, 2024
Cultivators Breakfast (View the presentations)
Speakers:
Brynn Johnson, University of Florida
Kayla Grey, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Stephanie Gripp, Oklahoma State University
Nafisa Lubna, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Kayla Scott, The Ohio State University
Ivan Solomon, Tuskegee University
General Session Begins: Welcome Address and Farm Foundation Updates (View the video)
Speakers:
Shari Rogge-Fidler, Farm Foundation
Dan Basse, AgResource Company
Session One: Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Adam Putnam, Ducks Unlimited
Urban Lehner, DTN/Progressive Farmer
Brandon Hernandez, Whole Brain Consulting
Rachel Gabel, The Fence Post Magazine
Session Two: Finding Common Ground on Public Policy Challenges Impacting Agriculture (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Joby Young, American Farm Bureau Federation
Michael Torrey, Torrey Advisory Group
Vince Hall, Feeding America
Robert Fraley, Monsanto, Retired
Jessica Adelman, Mars
Greg Jaffe, USDA, Office of the Secretary
Session Three: Whiskey is for Drinking; Water is for Fighting (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Brad Udall, Colorado State University
Robert Sakata, Colorado Department of Agriculture
James Pritchett, Colorado State University
Jim Lochhead, Water Foundation
Session Four: Animal Agriculture at the Urban-Rural Crossroads (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute
Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University
Jason Weller, JBS
Mel Coleman Jr., Coleman Natural Foods
Round Table Fellow and Staff Only Session (View the presentation)
June 21, 2024
A Conversation with Chancellor Tony Frank (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Tony Frank, Colorado State University
James Pritchett, Colorado State University
Session Five: Hot Topics in Agriculture Today (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Cassandra Kuball, Torrey Advisory Group
Karen Carr, Arent Fox Schiff LLP
Corey Rosenbusch, The Fertilizer Institute
David Leishman, USDA FAS
Session Six: How Can We Bridge the Urban-Rural Divide? (View the presentation)
Speakers:
Shari Rogge-Fidler, Farm Foundation
Trent McKnight, McKnight Ranch
John Hardin, Hardin Farms
Kellie Adesina, Kraft Heinz
Group Discussion Responses:
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
January 17-19, 2024
Waikoloa Beach, Hawai’i
The Business of Farming: Resilience, Reality, and Return on Investment
Not all sessions included PowerPoints. Additionally, not all speakers gave permission to post their slides; however, the presentations approved to post are included in the PDF for each session. Please do not share these materials beyond the Round Table.
January 17, 2023
Tour Day
Ahualoa Farms Macadamia Nut Factory
Greenwell Farms
Kahua Ranch
Kona Sea Salt
Starseed Ranch
Symbrosia
The Vanillerie
January 18, 2023
Cultivators Breakfast (View the presentations)
Moderator: Jenna Wicks, Farm Foundation
Speakers:
Kiara Ivy, Florida A&M University
Rachel Combs-Giroir, The Ohio State University
Alayna Gerhardt, Oklahoma State University
Awatif El Abedellaouy, Texas A&M
Ashton Redd, University of Arizona
Ryanna Tietje, The Ohio State University
Welcome Address and Farm Foundation Updates (View the presentations)
Speakers:
Dan Basse, AgResource Company
Shari Rogge-Fidler, Farm Foundation
Alexis Taylor, Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, via video
Opening Plenary: 21st Century Resilience
Moderator: A.G. Kawamura, Orange County Produce LLC
Speaker: Ferrell Hughes, Director, Paramount Export Company
Opening Panel: Uniquely Hawaii
Moderator: Ania Wieczorek, University of Hawai’i Manoa
Speakers:
Ferrell Hughes, Paramount Export Company
Mark Stoutemyer, Corteva
Richard Ha, Farmer
Chad Cleveland, Ahualoa Family Farms
Session One: The Business of Agricultural Labor (View the presentation)
Moderator: Dan Dooley, New Current Water and Land, LLC
Speakers:
Michael Marsh, National Council of Agricultural Employers
Scott Prince, Croft
Chauncy Monden, Kula Country Farms
Stephanie McBath, NASDA
Session Two: The Evolving Business Environment – Innovation and Opportunity for Ag Inputs (View the presentation)
Moderator: Bonnie Brayton, Fulcrum Global Capital
Speakers:
Hunter Swisher, Phospholutions – Virtual
Shely Aranov, Innerplant
Bruce Schnicker, Bayer
Brad Fruth, Beck’s Hybrids
Session Three: The Evolving Business Environment – Risk Mitigation in Agriculture
(View the presentation)
Moderator: Barry Bogseth, Terra Heights
Speakers:
Scott Day, Fall Line Capital
Jay Pierrepont, Equilibrium
Oscar Vergara, Verisk
Chairman’s Dinner
Speakers:
Deanna Sako, County of Hawai’i
Dan Basse, AgResource Company
January 19, 2024
Round Table Fellow & Staff Only Breakfast + Recognitions
New Honorary Life Fellows: Garry Niemeyer, George Seperich, Steve Tate, Hub Daniel, Paul Rovey, and Terry McClure
New Round Table Fellows: German Bollero, Bonnie Brayton, Greg Horstmeier, Fabiola Perez, and James Pritchett.
Session Four: Disease and Invasive Species Challenges – Problems and Solutions
(View the presentation)
Moderator: Jenny Maloney, Bayer
Speakers:
Donna Lalli, Associate Administrator, USDA APHIS
Alan Rudolph, Colorado State University, retired – VIRTUAL
Chelsea Arnott, Coordinator Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council
Luke Flory, University of Florida
Session Five: Sustainable Innovation and New Market Opportunities
(View the presentation)
Moderator: Urban Lehner, DTN/The Progressive Farmer
Speakers:
Michelle Starke, CoverCress
Alexia Akbay, Symbrosia
Tamara Muruetagoiena, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
Ray Gaesser, Gaesser Farms
Closing Keynote
Moderator: Gregg Doud, National Milk Producers Federation
Speakers: Mark Schweitzer, Consultant