Join us for
AgCredit’s Emerge Experience
March 6–7, 2026
The Ohioan Hotel and Event Center
Lewis Center, OH
This conference is designed to offer a networking experience to AgCredit members who are young, beginning and small farmers, as well as provide educational opportunities. We have an exciting agenda planned with topic tracks including transition and succession planning, marketing opportunities and strategies, market outlooks, tech to table, niche opportunities and operation management! Whether you’re just starting out in farming, or have already emerged yourself into it, this conference is for you.
This conference is open to current AgCredit members who qualify as young, beginning or small farmers. There is no fee to attend and AgCredit will cover a one night hotel stay for attendees.
Agenda Overview
Friday, March 6
| Time | Session |
|---|
| 1:00–6:30 p.m. | Registration and hotel check-in |
| 2:00–3:00 p.m. | - Optional Early Bird Workshops
- Option 1: BYOB (Bring your own balance sheet) — Deep dive into balance sheets, business plans, and Sweet 16 ratios, AgCredit Team
- Option 2: From Sugar Shacks to Corn Mazes: How to Best Insure Risks Associated with Agritourism and Specialty/Niche Farms, Alisha Morgan, Nationwide Insurance
|
| 3:00 p.m. | - Session 1
| Transition & Succession Planning | Marketing Opportunities & Strategies | | Attitude & Mindset Shift — Eric Brown, Legacy Capital Advisors | Conditions and Contracts — Brad Pope, POET |
|
| 4:00 p.m. | - Session 2
| Transition & Succession Planning | Marketing Opportunities & Strategies | | A Look at Legal Aspects and Tax Consequences — Ryan Conklin & Garret Craft | Ag Risk Management — Ben Brown, University of Missouri |
|
| 5:00 p.m. | - Session 3
| Transition & Succession Planning | Marketing Opportunities & Strategies | | Protecting Your Assets — Chris Shiefer, Nationwide | Marketing Strategies — Joel Sonnenberg, Legacy Farmers Co-op |
|
| 5:45 p.m. | Networking Reception |
| 6:30 p.m. | Welcome and Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m. | Keynote Speaker: Christy Seyfert, CEO of Farm Credit Council |
| 8:30–10:00 p.m. | Networking Reception |
Saturday, March 7
| Time | Session |
|---|
| 7:00–7:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet |
| 7:30–8:15 a.m. | Market Outlook with Ben Brown |
| 8:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | - Four Rounds of Breakout Sessions
- Barry Ward, OSU — Using Enterprise Budgets
- Garth Ruff, OSU Extension — Livestock Outlook
- Kayla Laubacher, AgCredit — Using Meta Suite and Canva
- Ryan Martin, Louis Dreyfus — Weather Impacts
- Brent Ziegler — Record Keeping Options
- Lyda Garcia — Marketing Meat to Consumers
- Christie Welch, OSU — Direct Farm Marketing
- Emily Marrison, OSU — Retail Compliance
- Mike Hannewald & Rod Mobley, Beck’s — PFR & ROI on Agronomic Decisions
- Glen Arnold, OSU — Manure to Money
- Craig Pohlman, Pohlman Seeds — Cover Crop Journey
- Zoe Kent, Farm with Zoe — Developing a Brand for Your Small Business & Adding Value
- Bill and Kristin Patterson, Patterson Fruit Farm — Transitioning an Orchard to Agritourism and Farm Market
|
| 12:20–12:45 p.m. | Live Evaluation Stations |
| 12:45–1:45 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:15–2:00 p.m. | Keynote Speaker: Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net |
| 2:00 p.m. | Door prize drawing and closing remarks |
Registration ends January 31, 2026 or when space is full. For questions, contact David White at dwhite@agcredit.net or 419-435-7758 ext. 1602.