First State Bank to host annual ag conference in Mendota

First State Bank, Mendota, will host a special conference for area farmers.

The 23rd annual First State Bank Ag Conference is set 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Mendota Civic Center, 1901 Tom Merwin Dr.

Starting the program will be John L. Cantlin and Joe Cantlin of Cantlin Law Firm. John is a 1970 University of Illinois, College of Agriculture graduate and a 1977 John Marshall Law School graduate with a juris doctorate degree. Joe is a 2004 University of Illinois graduate with a BS in Agribusiness, farm and financial management, and received his juris doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley in 2007. Their discussion will cover family transition and estate planning, tax implications and numerous other matters dealing with the family farm.

Following the Cantlins will be will be Doug Roose. Roose is vice president of producer marketing for Archer Daniels Midland Company. Roose is responsible for all producer grain marketing related activities in the U.S. and Canada including the development and deployment of new and existing products and services for farmers.

The keynote speaker will be Eric Snodgrass. Snodgrass is the principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions, where he develops predictive, analytical software solutions to manage weather risk for global production agriculture. He provides frequent weather updates that focus on how high-impact weather events influence global agriculture productivity. His current research uses machine learning to better understand filed-level weather impacts on yields in the U.S. and to increase confidence in long-range weather prediction. Eric has earned several awards through the University of Illinois as the sirector of undergraduate studies for the Department of Atmospheric Sciences prior to coming to Nutrien.

Area farmers are encouraged to contact First State Bank at 815-539-3834 prior to Saturday, Jan. 21, to confirm reservations for the event.

ADM Grain Company, Mendota, and Prairie State Tractor, Mendota, will serve as major co-sponsors of this event and will provide lunch for all those in attendance. First State Insurance will be sponsoring the morning coffee and doughnuts. Door prizes are being provided by several area businesses including: Beck Oil Co., Cantlin Law Firm, Chris Eller – the Retirement Specialists, Country Village Meats, Crop Productions Services, Dinges Fire Company, Earlville Farmers Coop, Guilfoyle & Stevenson Law Firm, Hornung Tiling, Inc., Foster’s Tax & Accounting, LLC., Leffelman & Associates, Leone Polaris, Maplehurst Farms, Mendota Mutual Insurance, Meriden Grain-Pioneer Seed, Northern Partners Cooperative, Pioneer Seed Sales-Rodney Rod, Prescott Bros Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Schimmer Automotive Group, Sublette Farmers Elevator Co., Sublette Mechanical, Troy Grove Coop, Vaessen Bros. Chevrolet, Vaessen Implement & Repair, & West Brooklyn Farmers Coop.