Draft Agenda

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Registration Open

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Welcome and Meeting Overview

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Iowa Dignitary (Invited)

Our elected leaders will share their insights and thoughts on where scalable conservation, ag retail, and the common good relates.   

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch with Baton Global Study Report and Case Studies

During the lunch hour, hear about recent research into the state of conservation agronomy assessed through interviews conducted around the Midwest. What is going well? What have the main obstacles been?

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Leadership Track: Exploring the Drivers of Disruption behind Making Retail Conservation Real

This session will include lightning presentation panelists highlighting three different questions revolving around the Trends and Drivers feeding retailer conservation service delivery structures. Individuals will receive participant handbooks to help them organize their thoughts and support facilitated roundtables for discussing and harvesting information from the audience after a break.

DOWNSTREAM STAKEHOLDERS

Upstream conservation services help secure water supplies, and quality downstream such as drinking water and recreation. Upstream conservation can also help mitigate the risks of floods and droughts. Downstream stakeholders need connections with upstream stakeholders who have the horsepower to impact scaleable conservation systems. Hear  about drivers and trends to help make the connections.

DATA DRIVEN INVESTMENTS AND INNOVATIONS

The technologies of farming have changed dramatically in the last generation. Progressive farmers are utilizing data and information to optimize management performance. Precision agriculture is being realized on farms and has the potential to interplay with scalable conservation. Data is an asset that could be valued up and down the ag value chain. Hear about innovations driving value capture and opportunities in this space.

INVESTMENTS IN CONSERVATION AGRONOMY

Significant public, private and philanthropic investments are occurring to scale-up conservation services. Various policies and programs are being rolled out to create new opportunities including state nutrient reduction strategies, water quality initiatives, sustainability and ecosystem services programming. Hear about some of these drivers, their challenges, and opportunities to consider.  

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM

Break

2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Group Facilitation Analyzing the Drivers

 What are some of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that we need to account for if we are to embrace the vision of Making Retail Conservation Real.

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

Outcomes of Group Facilitation: Sharing Top Strategies for Each Driver

This session will share the intelligence from our discussions and harvesting themes for continuing the conversation. 

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Wrap Up and Adjourn

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Networking Reception

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22

7:45 AM - 8:15 AM

Registration Open and Light Breakfast

8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcome, Recap, and Upcoming Itinerary

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

Paving the Way to Making Retail Conservation Real: Current Experiences with Conservation Agronomy Models

Unsure of your development path? These vignettes from industry peers will provide illustrations of what you might do next.

MODEL 1: SALES AS LEAD

For sales-driven co-ops and retailers without a robust agronomy department or a centralized corporate structure, but with a supportive sales department head willing to delegate additional tasks to their sales team. The sales department adopts the project comprehensively into its existing work and directs a portion of sales revenue toward supporting its growth.

MODEL 2: AGRONOMY AS LEAD

For co-ops and retailers with an agronomy department and are already offering conservation or adjacent services: soil/tissue testing, remote sensing, prescription writing, etc. With a sense of clients’ demand already established, the agronomy personnel can explore adding additional services on a small scale.

MODEL 3: CHAMPION AS LEAD

For sales-driven co-ops and retailers with a highly centralized corporate structure that lacks a robust agronomy department, but with leadership open to dedicating a bare minimum of resources toward a project. One person, the champion, is assigned to build out a conservation agronomy service package, and then implement the plan over two or three growing seasons.

MODEL 4: CONSERVATION AGRONOMY AS LEAD

For co-ops and retailers  with a centralized corporate structure, alignment of vision among leadership, and a fully built conservation agronomy department. The department head adds personnel capacity as needed, develops sales goals, and a client outreach strategy.

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Break

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Conservation Agronomy Strategic Roadmap  

Join us for an interactive session where we will reflect upon all the discussions and presentations at the meeting to navigate a path forward for accelerating the conservation services in agricultural retail. Your contributions will shape how we move from ideas to actions.

11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Making Retail Conservation Real: Creating the Infinite Game for Scalable Conservation

Ag retail, and the sales agronomist as the trusted advisor of the farmer, is commonly the last entity a farmer speaks with before making a decision for their farm production system. Scalable conservation refers to the ability to conserve natural resources in a way that can be replicated, expanded and adapted to different contexts and scales. Meeting the need for scalable conservation with the mindset of the infinite game may be the compelling vision leaders can take to realize Making Retail Conservation Real.  

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Closing and Adjourn