By Blake Jackson
The 25th annual Missouri Livestock Symposium was held at William Matthew Middle School in Kirksville, bringing together farmers from across the region to exchange knowledge and strengthen the agriculture industry. Committee member Kelly Nelson emphasized the importance of collaboration to overcome economic challenges in agriculture.
"We face a lot of economic challenges in agriculture," said Nelson. "It's very important to maintain those networks and those interactions so we can maintain our competitive edge. It's always great to keep in touch on new ideas and those new technologies that are coming down the pipeline and new developments and making sure we're up to date on those that help us be the most productive and profitable, and we can pass that on to the next generation."
The event featured a trade show, a free beef dinner, and an award ceremony. Missouri Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe attended to show support for the agriculture community and congratulate Livestock Achievement Award recipient Ashley McCarty. Kehoe spent time meeting attendees and discussing the importance of rural farming communities.
"Our challenge ahead of us is massive to continue to feed and clothe the world," said Kehoe. "Regulatory environment: family farms don't need government telling them what to do every day. We hope to be able to help compete in that. And value added propositions. We have the first American food groups processing plants going up in Warren County. It's great for our cattle producers, who will be fattening cattle here. That helps our growers of all our various products that are going to be fed to those cattle, so a lot of value added plans that we have in the chain. Agriculture Director Chris Chinn is here today, so we're very excited to be here."
The symposium continued Saturday with a morning trade show and educational sessions featuring agricultural specialists from across the country. The event offered valuable insights for farmers seeking innovative solutions to modern challenges while fostering connections within the agricultural community.
The Missouri Livestock Symposium remains a vital platform for advancing the agriculture industry and supporting farmers in the Heartland.
Photo Creidt: gettyimages-zoran-zeremski
Categories: Missouri, Education