This year’s 2023 Kansas Ag Bankers Conference had an exceptional line-up of presenters, 290 attendees, and 19 tradeshow sponsors in attendance.

Dr. David Kohl kicked off the conference with the Business and Economic Outlook, a discussion of how 2023 could be best described as a transitional year as we move from the black swan pandemic with adaptive business and personal life strategies to position ourselves to navigate the world of uncertainty and chaos.

Next up, Ed Elfmann, SVP of Agriculture and Rural Policy at the American Bankers Association, shared the Federal Ag Policy update along with President & CEO Doug Wareham. Elfmann provided a preview of the 2023 Farm Bill debate and highlighted other federal issues that could impact Kansas bankers in the coming year. Elfmann shared that two of ABA’s top legislative priorities are the Access to Credit for our Rural Economies (ACRE) Act, which is designed to trigger more competitive interest rates for ag real estate and rural housing loans, and the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which would enable banks to provide banking services to legitimate cannabis-related businesses.

Jason Henderson, Purdue University, presented “Easy to Print Money, Hard to Undo: What’s the Impact on US Agriculture?” Jason Henderson believes the value of the dollar vs. other currencies might make U.S. ag assets like farmland even more attractive to foreign buyers. Keep an eye on this one as these trends unfold.

“Putin, Russia and Ukraine” was presented by James Olson, Former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence and Faculty of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. James Olson talked about life as a spy, espionage threats and the potential fallout of the war in Ukraine. He had a 31-year career with the CIA, including a tour in Moscow.

Randy Blach from CattleFax, presented “Livestock and Protein Situation and Outlook” which shared that prices and profitability will again favor cattle producers in 2023. The cattle industry is entering 2023 with the smallest cattle supply since 2015 as drought caused the industry to dig deeper into the supply of feeder cattle and calves.

“Ag Market Update, What Gear to Use in 2023?” was presented by Paul Mussman, AgWest Commodities, who gave an ag market update on Thursday morning. Paul stated that ag marketing is becoming more and more difficult for producers as the world evolves. Higher volatility and large annual swings can make even the best decisions feel wrong.

The 2023 Pioneer Award was given to Leonard Wolfe, United Bank & Trust in Marysville. KAB Division President David White praised Wolfe for his leadership and dedication to advancing policies that have strengthened the ability of community banks to thrive and better serve their ag and rural customers. Congratulations, Leonard!

Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, closed out the conference with “High Impact Weather”. He covered how disasters and their effects are impacting the agricultural industry. Droughts, floods, freezes, severe storms, wildfires and winter storms all play a role in the ag market.