NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

December 17, 1998

Crop Insurance Conference Scheduled Jan. 18

A crop insurance conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, at the Ramada Plaza Suites and Convention Center in Fargo from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. This conference will be offered to crop insurance agents/underwriters, agricultural lenders, extension agents, adult vo-ag instructors, other agribusiness leaders, and farmers.

Called "Weaving Your Safety Net," the program is sponsored by the North Dakota State University Extension Service; it will provide information that farmers can use to manage price and yield risk.

The program will feature Robert Wisner from Iowa State University, who will speak about developing risk-management strategies. A panel will discuss the benefits of building a marketing plan on the foundation of crop insurance.

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), along with Jeff Kemink, president of Norwest Bank Minnesota-West in Moorhead, and a representative from the Risk Management Agency in Washington, D.C., will address the topic of responding to multiyear losses on farms. New developments within the Risk Management Agency will be discussed by Tim Hoffman, director of the product development division in USDA's Risk Management Agency.

A farm wife's perspective on risk management will be discussed by a panel that will include Sharon Cherney from Courtney, N.D., Arlene Olson from Wing, N.D., and Deb Ford from Brookings, S.D.

Insurance agent continuing education credit has been approved for five credit hours in North Dakota. Approval is being requested for South Dakota and Minnesota.

Preregistration is required by Thursday, Jan. 7, as seating is limited. The cost of the conference is $50, and it includes lunch and breaks. A brochure, which includes a registration form, has been mailed to insurance agents and others. Those who did not get one can call (701) 231-8642 for a copy of the brochure.

A block of rooms at the Ramada Plaza Suites and Convention Center has been reserved under the name NDSU Extension Crop Insurance Conference. Rates are $58 per night for a single room and $66 for a double room. Call (701) 277-9000 by Monday, Jan. 4, to receive the reduced conference rate.

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Source: George Flaskerud (701) 231-7377

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629