OMAHA (DTN) -- As a new administration prepares to take office, farmers are preparing for the next growing season. The annual DTN Ag Summit offers insight into what to expect.

Scheduled for Dec. 5-6, the event offers a two-day deep dive into the policies and practicalities that accompany running a farming or ranching business. The capstone of our quarterly webinar series, the DTN Ag Summit is where we examine pressing issues to help farmers position themselves for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

In this free, virtual event called "New Year, New Administration ... New Markets?" DTN editors, analysts and other experts will examine the state of the national farm policy, including timing on a farm bill, the make-up of the ag committee and new leadership at USDA, as well as offer perspective on the grain, weather and cattle outlooks for the coming year.

Additionally, a few of DTN's America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers award recipients share what they've learned from selling directly to consumers.

You can register here: https://dtn.link/….

MEET THE SPEAKERS, SCHEDULE

Here's a rundown of the schedule, speakers and what you can expect:

-- 9 a.m. Dec. 5: Young Farmers Expand Retail Operations, Bridge Gap Between Producers and Consumers

Recently named as two of the five DTN's 2025 America's Best Young Farmers and Ranchers, Emily Mullen, of Okeana, Ohio, and Ben and Lauren Neale of Columbia, Tennessee, join us for a panel discussion on how they added retail businesses to their dairy and beef operations.

Managing a growing cow-calf herd and processing plant in Columbia, first generation ranchers Ben and Lauren Neale saw an opportunity during COVID-19 to open a butcher shop serving markets around Nashville.

Ben and Lauren's Light Hill Meats helps bridge the gap between agriculture and consumers with fresh, minimally processed products.

When Emily Mullen decided to take over the now fourth-generation Mullen family dairy farm in Okeana, she quickly discovered that milk production alone would not pay the bills. She believes farmers deserve to earn a retail price, and for her, that came by way of a new creamery that sells bottled milk in 30 flavors to an urban and suburban consumer clientele.

Emily first joined the retail world with her mom, Amy, making milk-based soaps and creams. By 2021, The Mullen Dairy and Creamery began pasteurizing and selling milk. The creamery consumes about 4,000 pounds of milk per week, and Emily expects to double that soon.

Led by Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller, this panel will feature brief introduction videos to each award winner and a look at their dairy and cattle operations.

Miller's writing awards include two Oscars in Agriculture, Story of the Year -- American Agricultural Editors Association -- and business journalism's Neal Award, among many others. He currently covers ag technology and spearheads DTN's annual America's Best Young Farmer and Rancher program.

-- 10 a.m. Dec. 5: Prospects for Farm Policy in Second Trump Term

Rural America voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump this fall, and with Republicans poised to control the House, Senate and presidency, change is happening at many centers of government, including farm policy. Veteran Capitol Hill reporters Chris Clayton and Jerry Hagstrom share their insights on the potential impacts for farm bill, USDA leadership and more.

Hagstrom is a prize-winning agricultural journalist, author and commentator. He writes The Hagstrom Report, a daily service for subscribers and is a columnist for National Journal in Washington and other publications. The American Journalism Review named him one of its "unsung heroes" for his agricultural coverage. He has won numerous awards from the North American Agricultural Journalists and is a past president of the organization.

He is the co-author of The Book of America: Inside Fifty States Today and the author of "Beyond Reagan: The New Landscape of American Politics" and "To Be, Not To Be Seen: The Mystery of Swedish Business."

Clayton, serving as a moderator for this discussion, has reported and edited for DTN and Progressive Farmer since 2005. Prior to joining DTN, he was a reporter for more than seven years at the Omaha World-Herald.

Clayton has been recognized as writer of the year by the American Agricultural Editors' Association and won story of the year multiple times from the organization. He has won the Glenn Cunningham Agricultural Journalist of the Year Award from the North American Agricultural Journalists and served as the group's president in 2012-13. The National Farmers Union and American Coalition for Ethanol also each have named Clayton communicator of the year.

-- 9 a.m. Dec. 6: 2025 Growing Season Weather Outlook

The reluctance for La Nina to take a firm hold in the Pacific Ocean is leading to a lot of potential for variability in the forecast for the 2025 growing season. During this session, DTN's Ag Meteorologist John Baranick looks at some history and puts things into perspective for what may occur next year.

Baranick has been a meteorologist with DTN since 2011, using his forecasts to comment on how weather impacts different industries and helping customers make important business decisions. His weather commentary has been received by clients in the aviation, transportation, energy and agriculture industries worldwide.

-- 9:35 a.m. Dec. 6: Grain Market Outlook

Another surplus harvest is in the books, and another tough marketing year lies ahead. Questions remain about the demand side of the equation, and good growing weather in South America suggests there will be plenty of competition. DTN's Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery dives into supply and demand prospects for corn, soybeans and wheat, and discusses what farmers should consider when developing their marketing plans.

Montgomery has worked in the grain industry since 2017. Raised on a farm and cattle operation in south-central Nebraska, he earned his bachelor's degree in Agribusiness with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2017. He's currently working toward earning his master's degree in Agricultural Economics from Virginia Tech.

-- 10:20 a.m. Dec. 6: 2024 Cattle Market Recap and Outlook for 2025

Closing the 2024 DTN Ag Summit is Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart. While 2024 was another unprecedented year for the cattle complex, and although many of the market's fundamentals are expected to remain supportive well into 2025, it's important that we discuss both the opportunities and challenges that could lay ahead for the market in the upcoming year as profitability is never guaranteed.

With deep roots in the beef industry, Stewart leads coverage in all areas of livestock and meat production, and brings a true boots-on-the-ground perspective to a livestock marketing world that gets increasingly difficult to navigate.

Prior to joining DTN in 2019, Stewart interned for the United States Cattlemen's Association which led her to self-produce Cattle Market News, a digest on today's livestock market, on Facebook.

QUICK DETAILS

Register now for the free 2024 DTN Virtual Ag Summit Dec. 5-6, from 9-11 a.m. CST. Don't miss Q&A opportunities with the speakers and all-you-can-learn back-to-back sessions on the grain, weather and cattle markets.

For more information and to RSVP, go to https://dtn.link/….

To watch a Reporter's Notebook video featuring DTN's Virtual Ag Summit host Katie Dehlinger, go to https://www.dtnpf.com/…

For questions about the 2024 DTN Virtual Ag Summit, email newsfeedback@dtn.com.

Susan Payne can be reached at susan.payne@dtn.com.

Follow her on social platform X @jpusan

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