Agriculture leaders to speak at Springfield dairy expo

A handful of agriculture leaders from across the United States will be on hand next month to speak during the Heart of America Dairy Expo in Springfield.

The second annual event is scheduled Jan. 23-25 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Oasis Convention Center. In 2012, the event drew 400 attendees from 10 states, according to a news release.

Opening the 2013 event will be National Milk Producers Federation CEO Jim Mulhern, who is slated to speak Jan. 23 about ongoing farm bill discussions in Congress, dairy policy and the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

On Jan. 24, Randy Asher of Animal Science Consulting, an expert on mycrotoxins and their effects on farms, is scheduled to speak, the release said.

That day, Dan Tracy, technical services veterinarian with Multimin USA will speak about the role of trace minerals in successful dairy production.

The Jan. 24 luncheon speaker is Adam Lock of Michigan State University, who will speak about dairy products' role in a healthy diet, the release said.

Finally, Jim Quigley, technical and research manager for Provimi North America, is slated to speak on the diets of animals on Jan. 24.