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 & Garrett Kraft | 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
Session 1 8:30-9:15
Garth Ruff, OSU — Livestock Market Outlook
Kayla Laubacher, AgCredit — Tools for Your Social Media Marketing (Canva, Meta Suite)
Lyda Garcia — Marketing Meat to Consumers
Mike Hannewald & Rod Mobley, Beck’s — PFR & ROI on Agronomic Decisions Session 2 9:30-10:15
Barry Ward, OSU — Farmgate Economic Outlook: Budgeting and Input Costs for 2026 and Beyond
Zoe Kent, Farm with Zoe — Developing a Brand for Your Small Business & Adding Value
Bill and Kristin Patterson, Patterson Fruit Farm — Apples at the Core: How we branched out, diversified,
and adapted but kept the apple farm as our foundation
Mike Hannewald & Rod Mobley, Beck’s — PFR & ROI on Agronomic Decisions Session 3 10:30-11:15
Barry Ward, OSU — Farmgate Economic Outlook: Budgeting and Input Costs for 2026 and Beyond
Brent Ziegler — Foundations of Record Keeping, Why, What & How
Christie Welch, OSU — Using AI Tools to Assist with Direct Marketing to Consumers & the Public
Glen Arnold, OSU — Manure to Money Session 4 11:30-12:15
Ryan Martin, Louis Dreyfus — Weather Impacts and How to React
Joe Rollin, Precision Ag — Benefits of Precision Ag
Emily Marrison, OSU — Retail Compliance, Navigating Rules for Selling Foods from Home & Farm
Craig Pohlman, Pohlman Seeds — Cover Crop Journey
|
| 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.