220 attend Farmland Owners Conference

The 2024 Farmland Owners Conference on Nov. 25 at Illinois Valley Community College brought together more than 220 landowners, agribusiness representatives and industry experts to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in agriculture.

The conference featured a lineup of presenters, with breakout sessions covering a range of topics, including:

• Land values, auctions and appraisals
• Estate planning
• Professional farm management
• Soil fertility and health
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency programs
• Solar farms
• Organic production

Seventeen organizations were featured at the resource fair, including Country Financial, the Illinois Farm Bureau, American Farmland Trust, OSF Healthcare, the Illinois Soybean Association and The Land Connection.

The conference demonstrated the need for education directed at current and future farmland owners, the University of Illinois Extension said in a news release. By providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration, the event empowered landowners to make informed decisions and secure the future of their land, the U of I Extension said.

The Extension thanked attendees, sponsors and volunteers for their contributions.

“We look forward to the future of the Farmland Owners Conference and continuing to serve the needs of the agricultural community,” the Extension said in the release.