<b>By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b> </p><p>

AUBURN, Ind. — Despite a name change, the 2008 Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo will still put a lot of emphasis on conservation tillage, an organizer said.<br>
The expo, set for Feb. 27 in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in downtown Auburn, was formerly titled the Tri-State Conservation Tillage Expo.<br>
“Farming is a whole lot more than just tillage, so we’ve broadened the scope,” said Jane A. Loomis, executive director of the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative (SJRWI). “Conservation tillage is still a big part of it.<br>
“But we’ll be looking at the economic side of it. How much does this stewardship cost? Can you afford to do conservation, and can you afford not to do conservation?”<br>
The seventh annual expo gives farmers and scientists an opportunity to learn from each other, Loomis said.<br>
“There’s always a good exchange of ideas,” she said. “Not only can farmers get information from scientists on the latest in technology, but scientists can also hear what farmers out in the field are doing.”<br>
The expo generally draws 250-300 people from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, she said. Brent Sohngen, a professor in the department of agricultural, environmental and development economics at The Ohio State University, will speak on balancing stewardship and economics.<br>
“In looking at high crop prices and high (land) rental rates, many farmers are thinking about CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) and thinking about converting land back to cropland,” he said. “In general, it’s fair to say this is not the best farmland, but it’s also not true to say they wouldn’t be making money on it.”<br>
The increased demand for corn will increase pressure on the entire agricultural system, he said.<br>
“We’re going to intensify planting, and that means we’ll have to redouble our efforts to protect the environment,” Sohngen said. “There’s really a lot of job security in this. No one’s a bad guy here, but we’ll have to keep working to solve problems.<br>
“These new pressures will keep people in the environmental community working hard. It’s possible some of the old methods may end up not working anymore.”<br>
The expo’s lunch speaker will be Chris Hurt, an agricultural economist with Purdue University, who will discuss planting and marketing in the biofuel era. An afternoon session will focus on cover crops.<br>
“We wanted to take a look at this cover crop business,” Loomis said. “During some recent heavy rains, even in fields with high residue, the water was just rolling off. We’re really losing a lot of soil, and leaching nutrients off of that.”<br>
Other session topics include manure management, the future of bioenergy crops and field borders.<br>
The expo starts at 7 a.m. with a continental breakfast. The introduction and program overview begin at 7:45 a.m., and the expo ends at 4 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes the breakfast, lunch and admission to the museum.<br>
Registration may be made in advance or at the door. For information, contact SJRWI at 260-484-5848, or see its website at www.sjrwi.org<br>
A registration form and program schedule are included on the website. Exhibitors and table sponsors may have complimentary tickets, and the expo offers continuing education credits for private and commercial applicators and for certified crop advisers.