Draft Program
as of 4/18/12
CARBON, ENERGY, AND CLIMATE CONFERENCE
September 26-28, 2012
Michigan State University W. K. Kellogg Biological Station
3700 E. Gull Lake Drive
Hickory Corners, MI 49060
The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is
organizing a two-year professional development and training initiative around climate and
energy issues. To launch this initiative, an initial training conference is being held at the 1700
acre Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) operated by Michigan State University in southwestern
Michigan. http://www.kbs.msu.edu/
This invitation-only event will involve approximately 110-120 individuals from the 12 North
Central Region states, including a few participants and speakers from other parts of the U.S.
Most of the audience will be land grant university extension faculty and staff, but we also will
have participation from farmers, non-profit leaders, and state and federal agency
representatives. Some outstanding speakers have been arranged for the program.
Photo above shows bioenergy research plots at the MSU W. K. Kellogg Biological Station.
Our 2 1/2 day program will begin on Wednesday morning, September 26, with a plenary
session featuring some distinguished keynote speakers providing the broad context on
Draft Program
as of 4/18/12
bioenergy, climate, and intersecting issues. A farmer panel will provide an initial response, to
be followed by afternoon field tours of the diverse KBS research related to bioenergy and
climate. On Thursday morning we will have breakout sessions focused on climate, carbon, and
energy tracks, followed by hands-on field workshops in the afternoon. Friday morning will be
an opportunity to learn more about communication strategies and discuss state opportunities
and needs, with the program concluding late morning on Friday, September 28. Housing is
being provided onsite at the KBS conference center on the shores of beautiful Gull Lake.
Travel expenses for invited speakers and participants are being covered by the SARE program.
This “train the trainer” initiative will initially reach agriculture educators from across the North
Central region who will then provide training for farmers and other end users via workshops,
tours, and other educational efforts on energy and climate issues facing farmers in the region.
Ultimately, these educators will not only provide training on challenges and opportunities
associated with these issues but also practical steps such as relevant farming system practices
and selection of appropriate federal and state farmer assistance programs related to bioenergy,
energy conservation, carbon capture, and organic matter improvement.
Invitations to attendees will come from SARE state coordinators. Housing on site will be
arranged by Michigan State University staff and meals will be provided on site during the
meeting. Dress will be business casual with appropriate footwear for short walks on field
tours. A map for KBS is at: http://www.kbs.msu.edu/images/stories/docs/station.pdf
Program contacts are Dean Baas, Michigan State University (baasdean@anr.msu.edu, phone
269-467-5646) and Rob Myers, NCR-SARE and U. of Missouri (myersrob@missouri.edu,
phone 573-882-1547).
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, September 25
Travel to KBS meeting site, with room check-in and meeting registration from 5 to 9 pm;
welcome reception will be provided with buffet snacks
Wednesday, September 26
Plenary session, Academic Building Auditorium
Moderator: Rob Myers, University of Missouri
8:00 am
Welcome and conference overview
8:15 am
Keynote presentation on U.S. energy situation and context for bioenergy
Dr. Steven Koonin, Former Deputy Director, U.S. Department of Energy
9:00 am
Keynote presentation on climate issues facing the North Central Region
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Dr. Mark Seeley, State Climatologist and Professor, Univ. of Minnesota
9:45 am
Break
10:00 am
Keynote presentation on connections between climate and energy
Dr. Jerry Hatfield, Director, National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment
10:45 am
Farmer panel providing response to keynotes and producer perspective
Moderator: Dale Mutch – Michigan State University Extension
12:15 pm
Lunch
1:15 pm
Afternoon field tours
Attendees will be divided into four groups which will rotate through each of four field tour
stops during the afternoon. Each field stop will be approximately 40 minutes with 15 minutes
of transit time (by wagon) between each location on the KBS farm. Speakers will give
overviews of the research at each site on the following research topic areas:
- Site 1: Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Host: Dennis Pennington – Michigan State University Extension
- Site 2: Cover crop research
Host: Dale Mutch – Michigan State University Extension
- Site 3: Long term ecology research
Host: Julie Doll – Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological
Station
- Site 4: Pasture-based dairy and robotic milking
Host: Mat Haan – Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological
Station
5:10 pm
Field tours conclude with return to conference center
5:45 pm
Gather in McCrary parking lot for transport to Gilmore Car Museum
for reception and dinner
8:00 pm
Return to conference lodging facilities (some shuttles earlier)
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Thursday, September 27
Plenary session, Academic Building Auditorium
8:00 am
Research on farmer perceptions of climate change
Julie Doll, Michigan State University, and Amber Campbell-Hibbs – Kansas
State University
Breakout sessions
8:45 am
State breakouts (organize by state teams and select tracks)
9:00 am
Start of morning tracks: (1) Energy, (2) Carbon, and (3) Climate
1. ENERGY TRACK (Academic Building, Terrace Room)
Moderator: Rob Myers, University of Missouri
9:00 am
Emily Heaton, Iowa State University, Miscanthus and switchgrass production
9:30 am
Sam Jackson, University of Tennessee, Switchgrass economics and market
development
10:00 am
Break (refreshments in corridor outside auditorium)
10:15 am
Jerry Cherney, Cornell University, Herbaceous biomass for heat, economics
10:45 am
Alan Weber, MARC-IV (Missouri), Oilseeds for biodiesel
11:15 am
Carl Peterson, North Dakota State University, Farmstead energy audits
11:45 pm
Linda Grotberg, North Dakota Farmer, Reduced tillage and sunflower oil
generator
12:15 pm
Lunch (McCrary Dining Hall)
2. CLIMATE TRACK (Auditorium A - first two talks are jointly held with Carbon track))
Moderator: Julie Doll - Michigan State University W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
9:00 am
Jeff Andresen, Michigan State U, Climate change and agriculture
9:30 am
Phil Robertson, Michigan State U., Carbon trading and policy issues
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10:00 am
Break (refreshments in corridor outside auditorium)
10:15 am
Eugene Takle, Iowa State U., Climate trends in the corn belt
10:45 am
Lois Wright Morton, Iowa State U., Midwest regional climate project on cornbased cropping systems
11:15 am
Linda Prokopy, Purdue U., Midwest regional climate project on cereal cropping
systems
11:45 pm
Molly Woloszyn, Midwest Climate Center (U of I), Role of regional climate
centers
12:15 pm
Lunch (McCrary Dining Hall)
3. CARBON TRACK (Auditorium B - first two talks are jointly held with Climate track)
Moderator: Dean Baas – Michigan State University Extension
9:00 am
Jeff Andresen, Michigan State University, Climate change and agriculture
9:30 am
Phil Robertson, Michigan State University, Carbon trading and policy issues
10:00 am
Break (refreshments in corridor outside auditorium)
10:15 am
Peter Motavalli, University of Missouri, Nitrogen cycle and management related
to climate issues
10:45 am
Don Riecosky, Retired ARS (MN), Carbon management and sequestration
11:15 am
Mike Plummer, Retired University of Illinois Extension, Cover crop impact on
carbon and nitrogen
11:45 pm
Dwayne Beck, South Dakota State University, Cover crop cocktails
12:15 pm
Lunch (McCrary Dining Hall)
1:15 - 4:45 pm THURSDAY AFTERNOON FIELD WORKSHOPS
On Thursday afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to choose one of three training
programs that include some hands-on activities at various field locations at the KBS station.
The topic areas in general correspond to the morning tracks on carbon, energy, and climate.
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Field workshop #1 - Energy
- Mobile biodiesel plant demonstration - Dennis Pennington
- Biomass pellitization and densification - Dennis Pennington
- Biofuel feedstock plant identification and planting methods – Emily Heaton
- Heartland Community College Bioenergy Conversion - Demonstration Trailer - TBD
Field workshop #2 - Carbon
- Conducting a soil test for active soil carbon, and approaches used in the Ohio
long term soil organic matter research program - Rafiq Islam and Alan Sundermeier
- Planning and implementing cover crop testing and demonstrations
Dale Mutch and Dean Baas and Alan Sundermeier
- Soil column nitrogen loss demonstration using nitrogen test kit - TBD
- Rainfall simulator and soil loss - TBD
- Understanding gases - bench top demonstrations - Sara Syswerda
- Photosynthesis meter and CO2 meter measurements on tilled and no-till fields
Julie Doll and Justin Kunkle
Field workshop #3 - Climate
- Understanding gases - bench top demonstrations - Sara Syswerda
- Methods for measuring greenhouse gas emissions
Neville Millar and Kevin Kahmark
- Interpreting weather/climate data sets and setting up a weather station
Jeff Andresen and Beth Bishop
- Using GPS/GIS for data gathering and analysis (including Google Earth
and other freeware/software) - Suzanne Sippel
- Rainfall simulator and soil loss - TBD
4:45 pm
Return by buses back to the conference center
5:00 pm
Break
5:30 pm
Optional documentary film on climate change refugees - “Sun Come Up”
McCrary Dining Hall
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5:30 pm
Meeting of Food, Fuel, and Fiber Network (open to anyone interested)
Academic Building Auditorium
5:30 pm
North Central SARE State Coordinators Meeting
Academic Building Terrace Room
6:30 pm
Hog roast (dinner, drinks, and music)
McCrary Dining Hall outdoor terrace overlooking Gull Lake
Friday, September 28
Plenary session, Academic Building Auditorium
8:00 am
Elaine Andrews, University of Wisconsin, Communication strategies on carbon,
energy, and climate
9:00 am
Julie Doll, Michigan State University, and Tapan Pathak, University of
Nebraska, NCR-SARE Climate Change Professional Development Program
project
9:10 am
Dennis Pennington, Michigan State University, Food, Fuel and Fiber Network
9:20 am
Break, Corridor outside Auditorium (take refreshments to team breakouts)
9:25 am
State teams meet to develop state plans for training programs
10:00 am
State teams report back - discussion of collaboration between states
11:20 am
Conference wrap-up - Rob Myers, NCR-SARE PDP Coordinator
11:30 am
Adjourn - participants can grab box lunches or eat in McCrary Dining Hall