SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)– Ag producers and industry leaders are already preparing for the next growing season.

The Ag Outlook conference is a chance to network and listen to a variety of speakers about what to expect as they enter the next farming season.

Danny Wollman farms thousands of acres and raises livestock in Estelline. He’s at the Ag Outlook conference learning about new technologies and practices.

“Nowadays with all the expense you have to do stuff right, I mean like put in the right variety or you’ll lose yield and you want good performance. We have about 18 irrigators so we can afford to put on a little more fertility and expect more yield,” said Wollman.

There are between 600 and 900 farmers present at the event, visiting these 75 different booths as well as listening to different speakers throughout the day.

“We are hoping that farmers do have the opportunity to network with the industry, that industry is also kind of networking between themselves to learn what it is producers are needing the next year and everybody can work together to leverage the knowledge we gain here,” said Jerry Schmitz, Executive Director of South Dakota Soybean.

“As we know the farming industry changes very rapidly, so having industry leaders and vendors here to kind of give an update on what they are working on, things they can provide and also some speakers here also as well to kind of give an update on what’s going on in the ag world,” said Kevin Deinert, President of the South Dakota Soybean Association.

Coming together to share ideas and setting themselves and their neighbors up for success in the coming year.

“Farmers often learn and often accept better something their neighbor or somebody down the road has tried, rather than trying it themselves and just wondering is this going to work,” said Schmitz. “If they can get that support from someone who has tried a practice or done something, whether it was successful or unsuccessful and they want to have that discussion.”

“If we all just use the same stuff, they make newer products that are better and sometimes you can even save money doing it,” said Wollman.

The speakers covered the topics of soil health, next year’s weather outlook, operating a family farm and the market outlook.