Farm Forward & Legislative Reception

9:30 a.m. - Registration

10 a.m. - Welcome

Brent Swart, ISA president and soybean farmer

10:05 a.m. - Trade Outlook Under the New Administration

Matt Roberts, PhD, The Kernmantle Group

Skepticism of trade and China are two of President-elect Donald Trump’s most consistent threads. Yet, soybean sales to China have been the single largest driver of demand for the past 20 years. What will the Trump 47 Administration mean for crop demand and farm policy, and how can your farm benefit?

11:05 a.m. - Creating New Demand for Soy at Home and Abroad

Kirk Leeds, ISA CEO

Al Johnson, AFJ and Associates

Explore innovative strategies for expanding soybean demand through new uses and developing market development both domestically and internationally. Experts will discuss opportunities in sustainable products, market trends and how these changes impact the global economic picture.

12 p.m. - Lunch

1 p.m. - Soy Squeeze: 2025 Economics

Moderator: Matt Roberts, The Kernmantle Group

Jim Knuth, senior vice president at Farm Credit Services of America

Adam Gregg, CEO at Iowa Bankers Association

A discussion on the current state of the farm economy and future outlook. Industry leaders will paint a picture of what challenges and opportunities may exist for farmers ahead of the 2025 growing season and beyond.

2 p.m. -Break

2:10 p.m. - Inflation Reduction Act Biofuel Tax Credits: Under New Management

Moderator: Matt Herman, ISA chief officer of demand and advocacy

Kailee Tkacz Buller, CEO at National Oilseed Processors Association

Mac Marshall, economist at Balcony View Consulting, LLC

Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, vice president of industry affairs at Landus

Examining the impact of biofuel tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act and the potential benefits for Iowa farmers under the new administration. Experts will discuss the latest policy developments for the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit and how these changes could impact soybean farmers and the soybean industry.

3:15 p.m. - Iowa Legislative Outlook

Moderator: Megan Decker, ISA manager of advocacy

Doug Struyk, attorney at Carney and Appleby

Julie Kenney, CEO at Agribusiness Association of Iowa

Jake Swanson, president at High Yield Strategies

Learn about the state policies to watch in the 2025 Iowa Legislative session. Experts will break down the latest policy issues in the statehouse and there potential impacts on Iowa farmers.

4 p.m. - Adjourn

5:30 p.m. - Legislative Reception

Join state lawmakers and fellow farmers for ISA’s annual Legislative Reception to be held at Curate (322 E Court Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309).

Matt Roberts is founder of The Kernmantle Group, an economics research and training consultancy. Dr. Roberts is a nationally-renowned expert and speaker on the grain and energy markets. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and Forbes, and has been interviewed on CNBC. Roberts received a B.A. in Economics from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and a Ph.D. in Economics from North Carolina State University.

Prior to graduate school Roberts worked as a commodity and energy derivatives broker in Vienna, Austria and as a market research consultant to the pharmaceutical industry in North Carolina. From 2001 through 2016, Roberts was and Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at The Ohio State University. Dr. Roberts is also CEO of 5.Life, a chain of 4 indoor rock climbing gyms in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He has four children and a grandchild.