2026 Agenda

 

98th Annual Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference
Wednesday, 20th May 2026
Scheman Building, Ames, Iowa

We are approved for 7 hours of Continuing Education Credit will be provided for both Real Estate and Appraisal licenses. Registrants must request certificate(s) during the registration process and provide payment. Certificates will then be distributed at the conclusion of the program. Certificates will not be distributed before the conclusion of the final speaker and no partial credit certificates are provided.

(Slides are attached for each session)

7.30 – 8.00 AMRegistration
8.00 – 8 .15 AM

Welcome and Your Land Value Forecasts

Rabail Chandio, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, Iowa State University

8.15 – 9.15 AM

Economic Forces Shaping Agriculture

Steve Elmore, Chief Economist, Corteva

 

9.15 – 9.45 AM

AI in Agriculture

James Koltes, Associate Professor in Department of Animal Science, the Iowa State University

9.45 – 10.00 AMBREAK
10.00 – 11.00 AM

Navigating Financial Stress on Farms

Pete Burmeister, Relationship Officer, Farm Credit Services of America

Jeff Burges, Mediapolis Savings Bank

 

11.00 – 11.45 AM

Emerging Opportunities in Livestock Sector: Daisy in Iowa

Dan Culhane, Ames Regional Economic Alliance

 

11.45 AM – 12.45 PMLUNCH
12.45 PM – 1.15 PM

Iowa’s Water Future: Aquifers, Supply, and Farm Implications

Keith Schilling, Director of the Iowa Geological Survey

 

1.15 – 2.15 PM

Panel Discussion: Soil Health, Conservation, and Farmland Value: What Matters for Productivity and Profitability?

Carolyn King, Vice President with ContinuumAg (slides for speaker)

Jeremy Hollingsworth, Area Soil Health Specialist at USDA-NRCS (slides for speaker)

 

2.15 – 2.30 PMBREAK
2.30 – 3.30 PM

Legal Update

Kristine Tidgren, Director, Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, Iowa State University

 

3.30 – 4.30 PM

Crop Markets Outlook

Chad Hart, Professor and Extension Economist, Iowa State University

 

4.30 PMADJOURN (Next SMLV Conference: Wednesday, 19th May 2027)