KY COMMODITY CONFERENCE

SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, January 15, 2026

LEADING sponsors

Email: *

Name

City, State and Zip *

Interested in sponsoring our 2016 Commodity Conference or setting up at our trade show? Contact Adam Andrews at 502-974-1121 or email adam@kycorn.org.

Street Address *

Registration opens soon

Check back soon for registration information.

Farm, Organization or Company Name *

I am attending the following *

Lunch & Keynote

Grower Appreciation Reception

Awards Banquet

Online registration has now closed. If you still need to register, contact Becky Kinder at the Kentucky Soybean Association office at 270.365.7214 by January 14.

Anyone registering after the January 9th deadline and at the door will not be guaranteed a ticket for the luncheon or awards banquet.

You're invited

The Kentucky Commodity Conference is the annual meeting of the Kentucky Corn Growers, Kentucky Small Grain Growers, and Kentucky Soybean Associations. The THURSDAY January 19, 2017 meeting will mark the 23rd year the three associations have come together for business, education, networking, and celebration.

Nearly 400 grain farmers and agriculture professionals attended the Kentucky Commodity Conference last year to learn about the latest marketing trends and policy issues, elect their association directors, and celebrate the accomplishments of the year's top producers and volunteer leaders.

Daytime Phone or Mobile

Names of spouse or other family members who will be attending the lunch and/or banquet with you. Other farmers or employees must register separately.

Mark Gold

Mark Gold is a former 20-year member of the Chicago Board of Trade where he was a pit trader and floor broker. During his time on the floor Mark served as Chairman of the Soybean Pit Committee and on the Public Relations Committee. While born and raised in Chicago, Mark earned a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois, giving him unique insights from both the urban and rural perspective.

Mark has also been a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, International Monetary Market, Sydney Futures Exchange, and the New Orleans Commodity Exchange where he served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

As managing partner of Top Third Ag Marketing, Mark can be heard daily on Nebraska radio KRVN, Kansas radio KFRM and Missouri radio KMZU. In addition, Mark is a regular guest analyst on U.S. Farm Report and Ag Day TV. Mark’s twice daily audio grain marketing comments are featured on AgWeb.

Mark’s passion for Agriculture can best be observed at one of the 30-40 marketing seminars he presents across the U.S. every year for Ag bankers, grain elevators and other agriculturally oriented firms.

Mary Shelman

Mary Shelman rejoined Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness Program in March 2005 after more than a decade in the private sector. Working with the faculty chair, Mary coordinates the content and production of the annual Agribusiness Seminar and related programs. She helps identify the issues, themes, policies, and players that are influencing and changing the vertical food chain. Her special research interest focuses on the forces of change shaping global agribusiness. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, and serves as a board member of the International Foods and Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA). 

A native of Kentucky, Mary grew up in the agricultural industry. Throughout her youth, she regularly worked with her father in both his farm equipment dealership and his grain farming operation. In 1981, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with High Distinction from the University of Kentucky. She earned an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1987. In 1989, Harvard Business School awarded Mary a Dean’s Doctoral Fellowship.

Todd Davis

Todd Davis joined the University of Kentucky Department of Agriculture Economics as crop marketing and management extension specialist in August 2014. His focus is on grain crops and assessment of various farm bill decision for grain farms, crop marketing strategies/outlook, and evaluating risk management options.

Dr. Davis obtained his PhD and MS degrees in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and his undergraduate from Iowa State University. He came to UK following a three-year stint with the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. where he focused on crop outlook, analysis of policies affecting crop producers, crop insurance, and farm income issues. Prior to his employment at AFBF, he was employed at Clemson University.

Lunch Keynote

speaker

market Update

speaker

market Update

speaker

All times are CST All events will be held in the Sloan Convention Center

8:30 a.m. Registration & Trade Show Open

Registration Sponsored by H&R Agri-Power

View our directory of trade show exhibitors and sponsors

9:30 a.m. Market Update Session

Sponsored by Independence Bank and Syngenta

 Mark Gold, Managing Partner, Top Third Ag Marketing

 Todd Davis, Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

11:30 a.m. Lunch & Keynote

Sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America & Monsanto

Mary Shelman, Director of Agribusiness Program,

Harvard Business School

1:30 p.m. Kentucky Soybean Association Annual Meeting

2:30 p.m. Kentucky Corn Growers Association Annual Meeting

3:30 p.m. Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association Annual Meeting

4:30 p.m. Commissioner of Agriculture Candidates Forum

6:00 p.m. Grower Appreciation Reception

Sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection

6:30 p.m. Awards Banquet
Sponsored by Pioneer and Whayne Agri-Business

9:00 p.m. Agri-Gold & Wright Implement Hospitality