
Cheers! Beer and Bull Session gets ag conversations flowing at Corn•Soy Expo
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After a day of attending educational seminars and slideshows, Wisconsin’s top ag researchers are opening up the mic, tapping the keg and leaving no topics off-limits during the Beer and Bull Session at the annual Wisconsin Corn•Soy Expo Feb. 6 in Wisconsin Dells.
The format is simple and informal. Farmers are encouraged to grab a free glass of Wisconsin’s finest draft beer and start firing away their ag-related questions to the panel of researchers, including Dr. Shawn Conley, professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences and soybean and wheat Extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I think it’s one of the favorite sessions for the farmers at Corn•Soy Expo and I don’t think it’s just about the free beer,” said Conley, who first began hosting the Beer and Bull session in 2019 and is also a director with the Wisconsin Soybean Association. “Once the tap starts flowing, the questions start rolling.”
Joining Dr. Conley on the panel from UW-Madison is Extension Cropping Systems Weed Scientist Rodrigo Werle and Damon Smith, assistant professor of plant pathology.
“I joined the panel for the first time last year after we realized some of the questions being I asked I might be better suited for answering,” Werle said. “Each one of us has our own area of expertise.”
Anything goes
For farmers such as Janesville’s Doug Rebout, being able to tap into the wealth of research knowledge available at the Beer and Bull session offers insights to bring back to farming operations. The beer is a bonus.
“This session is special because the people speaking are so dynamic and knowledgeable. That alone makes it worth attending,” said Rebout, vice president of WSA. “Being able to sit, have a beer and talk about it is the icing on the cake.”
Conley allows farmers to ask just about anything they want related to agriculture and he prides himself in answering those questions in a very frank and “no bull” sort of way.
“We answer everything,” Conley said. “Sometimes people don’t like the answer.”
Following the 2024 crop year, Conley and Werle expect to hear a lot of questions pertaining to crop inputs and cost of production, cover crops, herbicide applications and how the new Trump administration will impact farm policy and production.
“A lot of the questions are also systems-based, which provides us with some insight into the type of questions that farmers want answered,” Werle said. “We can take that information and use it to help shape future research projects.”
Some of the potential checkoff-funded research projects coming down the pipeline may include studies on waterhemp and effective and efficient weed control, more research on cover crops and how to make see-and-spray technologies fit current systems.
“Make sure to show up and come with questions,” Conley said. “We learn a lot based on what you’re asking.”
The Beer and Bull Session starts at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 at Corn•Soy Expo. To see the full agenda or to register, visit www.cornsoyexpo.org.