AgStar’s Tom Neher to Present at Farmer Cooperatives Conference
Mankato, Minn., (September 30, 2011) – Tom Neher, Vice President Agribusiness at AgStar Financial Services, a value-added financial services company owned by its client-stockholders, will be presenting a session on Risk Management for Cooperatives and their members at the 14th annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference set for Nov. 3-4 in Minneapolis.
Organized by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, this annual event features the latest research, trends, critical thinking, innovative approaches and case studies about cooperatives as business entities. Attendees are agricultural cooperative managers and board members, educators, researchers, accountants and many other professionals.
“It is the one national conference that focuses on agricultural cooperatives themselves, rather than on the state of the industry or an industry sector,” says Anne Reynolds, assistant director for the UW Center for Cooperatives.
The theme this year is “Meeting Competitive Challenges: Cooperative Structure and Finance for the Future.” Eight sessions in two days address global challenges in the food producer market, innovative approaches to finance, consolidation among cooperatives, price volatility, energy and the credit marketplace, and managing risk for cooperatives and their members. Neher’s presentation will focus on the challenges of risk management for cooperatives and their members.
According to Neher, “Cooperatives face a balancing act as risk is driven down the supply chain. But there are tools that cooperatives and their members can use to help them adjust to and manage their risk. I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned and hearing what others in the industry are doing to manage risk in this volatile environment.”
The two-day conference will be hosted at the Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis. More information about the conference and registration is available at www.uwcc.wisc.edu, or 608-263-4775. Support for the program comes from CoBank, CHS, Dorsey & Whitney, Farm Foundation, Growmark, Land O’Lakes, Lindquist & Vernnum, NCFC Education Foundation, Stoel Rives, Clifton Gunderson and Ralph K. Morris Foundation.
About Tom Neher:
Tom Neher joined in AgStar 2006, after an extensive career in the grain industry. He manages and is responsible for services to all sectors of the company’s grain portfolio, from grain production to marketing and processing. He previously held positions with Archer Daniel Midlands and Benson-Quinn Company, where he was grain merchandiser, commodity marketing consultant, development director, risk management director, floor broker and member of the Kansas City Board of Trade. Tom is a graduate of McPherson College with a B.A. in Psychology and completed graduate studies in Clinical Psychology at Emporia State University and Rural Sociology at Kansas State University.
About AgStar:
AgStar Financial Services, ACA, headquartered in Mankato, Minn., employs more than 600 full-time team members. The company is part of the national Farm Credit System and has a public mission to serve 69 counties in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. AgStar’s industry specialization, client segments and market delivery systems result in diversification nationwide. The company has expertise in the corn, soybean, swine, and dairy and bio-energy industries. AgStar has developed successful programs in loans, leases, crop insurance, tax services, accounting, consulting and rural home mortgages. As a value-added financial services cooperative, AgStar allocates patronage dividends to its 14,000 stockholders. The company is also committed to giving back to rural residents, organizations and communities through AgStar’s Fund for Rural America. Visit www.AgStar.com for more information.
Contact: Terri Fast
Terri.Fast@AgStar.com
507-344-5108
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