The New Haven Chamber of Commerce is having their Ag Appreciation Day once again. It is a morning of speakers and exhibitors that have our rural community at heart. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at the Jefferson Township Park located at 1720 N. Webster Road. The morning will begin with a savory breakfast of Pancakes and Sausage prepared by the FFA students from Woodburn and Heritage high schools. There are four well known speakers on the morning’s agenda:
First on the agenda will be a speaker from Paulding Putnam Electric. This speaker will talk about energy safety and will even have a fun demonstration.
This will be followed by Attorney Dan Gordon. Dan is a graduate of Ball State University and Harvard Law School. He founded Gordon & Associates P.C. in 1998 in Bluffton, Indiana. Since then, his practice has grown to also include locations in Rochester, Huntington, and Fort Wayne, as well as clients in roughly half of Indiana’s counties. Dan’s practice focuses on agricultural law, estate planning, succession planning, and estate and trust administration. Dan works to create a plan to meet each of his client’s legal needs.
Following Attorney Gordon will be Kent Yeager. Kent Yeager joined Senator Joe Donnelly’s staff in September of 2013 and serves as his state agricultural liaison. The position with Senator Donnelly followed his retirement from the Indiana Farm Bureau in August 2013. Kent had served as Farm Bureau Director of the Public Policy since May 1996. In that position he led Indiana Farm Bureau’s public advocacy and political strategy, including the political action committee, Indiana Farm Bureau ELECT. For most of his career Kent was Indiana Farm Bureau’s federal lobbyist and he has made more than 250 visits to Washington, DC.
Kent joined the public policy team after serving for three years as state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. Prior to his 1993 appointment to the FSA position, he was a field representative and national affairs assistant for IFB.
Then last but certainly not least the group will hear from Christopher A. Hurt an Agricultural Economics Professor at Purdue University. Professor Hurt joined the department in 1981. He teaches an undergraduate course in livestock and meat marketing. Professor Hurt’s areas of specialty include examination of family farm market problems, pricing strategies, and livestock futures market performance.
In extension education, Professor Hurt provides analysis for participation in government programs, teaches marketing principles and alternatives, evaluates the livestock industry structure, and provides price analysis and outlook of live cattle and live hogs. Recently he has examined the factors influencing the structural changes in the pork industry, and evaluated the adoption of new technologies in moderate size Midwestern farms.
Professor Hurt helps coordinate a fee-based market newsletter and report service published jointly with the University of Illinois. He serves as editor of the Purdue Agricultural Economics Report. Professor Hurt has received the USDA Superior Service Group award, an American Agricultural Economics Group award, as well as two Indiana Extension Service Awards.
There will be a variety of business exhibits available for the group to learn about and enjoy. Following the presentations a snack of Ice Cream and Desserts will be served. Indiana State Agricultural Director Bruce Kettler and other government representatives are scheduled to be present for questions and to share issues pertinent to the rural community.
For more information on availabilities for exhibitor prices and sponsorship opportunities visit the Chamber’s website at www.newhavenindiana.org or call the Chamber office at 749-4484.
