The ACRES USA conference and trade show is America’s largest, longest-running annual eco-education gathering of farmers. We encourage you to look over the agenda and attend if you can, even if only for just one day.
Nov. 25, 2016 — This winter’s ACRES conference is at the Hilton Omaha, Tuesday Nov. 29 through Friday Dec. 2. The Tuesday sessions are “short courses” ahead of the main conference, which opens Wednesday Nov. 30.
The complete agenda is at this link: http://www.acresusa.com/events/
The main ACRES conference has grown steadily over the past 40 years. This season’s main conference opening speaker is Dean Craine, general manager of AgriEnergy Resources, one of our WakeUP distributors and field research cooperators.
Many other internationally known leaders are on the agenda too, including Dr. Don Huber, Dr. Bob Kremer, Dr. Arden Andersen, Gabe Brown, Neal Kinsey, Gary Zimmer — the list goes on. I suggest you click on this link to see the speakers. Many of the presenters are longtime friends of ours, whom we first met back in the late 1980s through “Renewable Farming” seminars under the Professional Farmers of America banner.
So the conference is a fresh learning experience as well as a “reunion of friends.” ACRES magazine founder Charles Walters, a longtime friend of ours, has passed the leadership torch to son Fred, and ACRES books and the magazine are thriving along with its annual conference. Kathy Walters of ACRES tells us that total conference attendance is often around 1,500 farmers and eco-agriculture advocates.
If you’re just looking for fresh farming opportunities at a time when budgets are tight and global stocks of “grain” are setting new records, the ACRES conference is a good hunting ground. The trade show will be packed with eco-ag representatives whom you can visit and question. We’d especially encourage you to look up the AgriEnergy Resources booth. Here’s the link to the exhibitor list.
I’ve presented at previous ACRES conferences, but this one will be special: I’ll take notes and visit trade show booths with our college-student grandson Blake, who’s keen on a career helping farmers build healthy soil and raise healthy food.
Renewing our soil and national health is a multi-generational effort. If you’re just starting to scout for opportunity, the ACRES conference is an excellent place to start!
By Jerry Carlson