City hosts three statewide ag conferences
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Brenda Sommer Headed Indoors Commodity producers have three statewide growers' conferences to choose from, all of them coming up in the next few weeks at the El Campo Civic Center. State organizations of rice, soybean and aquaculture growers all are holding their annual meetings here.

A number of statewide agricultural conferences are coming to El Campo in coming weeks, a boon for the local economy and area farm producers.

Texas Aquaculture Association will return to El Campo for its 38th Annual Trade Show and Conference next week, while Texas rice growers will gather here Wednesday, Jan. 23 to attend the 4th Annual Western Rice Belt Production Conference. On Feb. 5, the Texas Soybean Association will hold its 41st Annual Business Session here as well.

Becca Socha, president of the El Campo Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, said it makes sense such meetings are held here.

"Agriculture definitely plays a big part not only in El Campo but in Wharton County as a whole, and we are very fortunate to have a facility here to host these events," Socha said. "It also gives El Campo the opportunity to show off what we do have to outside visitors."

Conferences and meetings like these, all of which will be held at the El Campo Civic Center, provide an economic boost for the whole town, Socha added.

"Of course, it depends on the length of conference, but any time you have people traveling in, they're buying food, gasoline, and perhaps getting lodging and doing some miscellaneous shopping, so that just gives everybody a boost in extra dollars," Socha said.

The aquaculture conference will be held Jan. 16-18 and will feature a huge variety of aquaculture resources. TAA kicks off the gathering with a golf tournament at the El Campo Country Club and a goose hunt with Paradise Hunting Club, both of which help support our scholarship fund.

"TAA would like to thank the El Campo community for your warm welcome and support of our organization upon our return to El Campo, and we'd love for folks to come out and tour the trade show to meet some of our members, producers and suppliers," TAA board President Paul Dorsett said. "On Thursday evening, we invite everyone to join us for our aquaculture banquet, a great opportunity to taste locally raised fish, meet the people who produce it and relax and enjoy the music of the Riptide Band."

Conference Chairman Peter Woods of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Bay City has assembled an array of speakers for the technical sessions, and members of the community are invited to attend.

Tickets for the event are available at the door, and for more information, check out TAA's Web site: www.texasaquaculture. org.

Limited booth space is still available for those interested in displaying their wares and/ or services. To reserve a space, contact Donna Hanson at 979- 695-2040 or Cindy Schmidt at 281-639-8271.

Rice conference

The rice producer's conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 and is a great opportunity for rice farmers to gather and listen to a variety of speakers.

The event features presentations on topics including insect and weed management; an update over herbicides; varietal performance information; as well as current disease issues.

Of particular interest will be a 2008 Farm Bill and Policy Update. A rice market outlook will be of significant interest to many as experts will outline the market conditions indicating an upward price trend.

Following the conference, the Texas Rice Council will conduct the 57th Annual Texas Rice Council Meeting. Scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., the meeting will include brief updates from the leadership of the Texas Rice Council, Texas Rice Producers Board, Texas Rice Research Foundation, Texas Rice Improvement Association, Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment and the Texas Rice Producers Legislative Group.

These organizations, which all work on behalf of the Texas rice farmer on a volunteer basis, each provide services to the rice industry in Texas. There will be a drawing for several door prizes after the Texas Rice Council meeting.

The US Rice Producers Association, representing rice farmers in Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, California, Arkansas and Louisiana, is the only organization solely representing the views of the U.S. rice farmers.

A number of area supporting industries and agri-businesses will present booths and exhibits at the conference, which includes lunch. For more information about the rice conference, contact Extension Agent Peter McGuill at (979) 532- 3310.

Soybean gathering

The Texas Soybean Association's business session will be held Feb. 5 in conjunction with the 2008 Soybean Production Conference sponsored by the Texas Cooperative Extension Service.

All soybean producers are invited to attend the free event. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the program starts at 9:30 a.m.

Speakers and topics include: Dr. Jim Heitholt, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Dallas, Variety Evaluation Projects in Texas; James Grichar, research scientist, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Beeville, Texas Gulf Coast Soybean Planting Date Study; Stephen Biles, Extension agent - IPM, Soybean Integrated Pest Management; M.O. Way, associate professor and Texas Cooperative Extension entomologist, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Beaumont, Insect Management in Texas Soybeans; Tom Isakeit, plant pathologist, Texas Cooperative Extension, Soybean Disease Update; and Larry Falconer, economist, Texas Cooperative Extension, Soybean Market Update.

The association's annual business session will occur following the speakers and before lunch. Rick Ostlie of Northwood, North Dakota and chairman of the American Soybean Association will present an update on ASA and the Farm Bill. Lunch will be provided by the Texas Soybean Board and ag business sponsors who will showcase the latest in crop protection, equipment and seed.

Please contact the TSA office at 800-247-8691 or swsoy@aristotle.net for more information.