SAOS Members' Day and Conference: shaping future agriculture through cooperation

For their 2016 conference, SAOS are continuing with the format of two morning forum workshops. They expect this year’s topics to prove popular as SAOS’ Jim Booth will be joined by Angela Tregear and Sarah Cooper of Edinburgh University Business School to discuss the results of a study of four marketing co-ops and the role co-ops play in supporting KT/learning amongst their members. The other forum, hosted by their next generation team members, with guest speakers, examines why we sometimes criticise, rather than celebrate, business expansion and success, assuming “they just got lucky”.

The afternoon conference session will involve a host of key figures in agriculture, both from Scotland and further afield, and you can look forward to hearing what we can learn from their experiences. Larry Lawson and Bill Wilson from FCC Services in Denver, Colorado will be talking about the very different climate the US offers to Farm Credit Co-ops. You will also hear from Justin McCarthy, from the Irish Farmers Journal, who will be discussing livestock opportunities. Concentrating on the agronomy side will be Andrew Gilchrist of Scottish Agronomy. Closing this section is Peter Cook of 2 Mennie Cooks, who will looking at opportunities for co-operation.

Ken Rundell will chair the Q&A session involving a panel of industry experts: Pat Machray OBE, ANM; Paul Grant, Dairy Growth Board; Peter Chapman, Ringlink Director; Bob Yuill, SAOS.

You can see a Conference programme and get the booking form on the SAOS website. Booking forms should be submitted no later than 21 January.