Illinois Farm Bureau members, staff and agriculture industry professionals are invited to attend the 2015 Illinois Farm Bureau Commodities Conference, titled “Farming: The Next Hundred Years.”  The conference, scheduled for July 29^th, will be held at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.  This year’s conference will feature two general sessions and multiple breakouts that focus on farmland prices, the economic impact of agriculture, markets, weather, farm legacies, cover crops, precision farming, and consumer trends.  First general session speaker, Mary Shelman, director, Agribusiness Program, Harvard Business School, will cover global economic and consumer trends.  Second general session presenter Dave Alwan, owner, Echo Valley Meats in Bartonville, and Shark Tank participant, will talk about his journey of transforming his family’s traditional meat shop into the modern, consumer-oriented business it is today.   Those wishing to attend the conference may pre-register online now through July 20^th at www.ilfb.org/commoditiesconference, or by contacting their local county Farm Bureau.  Registration is $35 per person and includes lunch.  In addition to the conference, Illinois Farm Bureau will host a farmer-consumer dialogue reception Tuesday, July 28^th, from 6 to 8 PM at the Marriott.  The reception will include an international buffet and moderated discussion between farmers, consumers, and area civic leaders about food, farming and families. The Illinois Farm Bureau is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a national organization of farmers and ranchers.  Founded in 1916, IFB is a non-profit, membership organization directed by farmers who join through their county Farm Bureau. It has a total membership of more than 400,000 and a voting membership of more than 82,000.  IFB represents three out of four Illinois farmers.