Convention Season Heats Up: Ag industry groups gear up for busy conference season
State and national associations are gearing up for a busy season of meetings and conventions throughout Wyoming and across the nation.
With hay harvested, cows and sheep gathered off of the mountain and calves weaned and shipped, fall work for many producers is winding down, just in time for them to attend this year’s schedule of events.
Fall conventions
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will kick off the fall convention season lineup with its annual meeting, set for Sept. 14-17 at the Hammons Convention Center and Embassy Suites Northwest in Rogers, Ark.
Guided by this year’s theme “Securing Our Future Through Agriculture,” leaders from across the nation’s ag industry will partake in panel and policy discussions regarding the vital role agriculture plays in safeguarding the U.S. food supply, strengthening the economy and protecting national security.
From Sept. 16-18, the Public Lands Council will host its 57th Annual Meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz., while the 2025 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Symposium will be held Sept. 17-18 at the D & N Event Center in North Platte, Neb.
The Independent Cattlemen of Wyoming will keep the ball rolling in October with its annual meeting set for Oct. 13 in Riverton, and a few days later, the Second Annual Water Quality Conference will take place at the University of Wyoming Conference Center in Laramie Oct. 15-16, where the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Division will share its mission of protecting and restoring Wyoming’s water quality for current and future generations.
On Oct. 22-26, Hereford enthusiasts will converge in Kansas City, Mo. for the 2025 World Hereford Conference, a global event designed to bring breeders and industry leaders together for networking and educational opportunities.
Casper will host the last two events scheduled for the month of October – the Wyoming Farm to School Conference set for Oct. 27-28 at the Wyoming Sports Ranch and the 2025 Wyoming Water Association Conference set for Oct. 29-31 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center.
November will give way to even more state and national events, including the Montana Farmers Union 110th Annual Convention, held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Lewistown, Mont. and the 2025 Angus Convention, scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Kansas City, Mo.
The second weekend of November will be a busy one for Wyoming’s ag community.
On Nov. 6-7 the Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts will hold its annual conference at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Casper, while the 32nd Annual Wyoming Women in Ag Symposium will take place at the Red Lion Hotel in Gillette.
Additionally, the West Central States Wool Growers Convention will return to the Cowboy State and is scheduled for Nov. 6-8 at the Buffalo Bill Resort in Cody.
The lineup continues into mid-November with the Idaho Cattle Association’s 2025 Annual Conference set for Nov. 10-12 in Sun Valley, Idaho; the 42nd Annual Governor’s Business Forum set for Nov. 11-13 in Laramie; the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation’s (WyFB) 2025 Meeting and Vendor Fair set for Nov. 13-15 at the CAM-PLEX in Gillette and the Nebraska Beef Summit set for Nov. 13 at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center in Ithaca, Neb.
Conferences scheduled later in the month include the 2025 Montana Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention and Trade Show Nov. 17-20 in Missoula, Mont.; the 80th Annual Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts Convention Nov. 19-21 in Gillette and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Annual Convention Nov. 20-22 at the Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne.
Winter conventions
Following a long list of fall conventions, the highly anticipated Winter Roundup Convention and Trade Show, hosted by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, will take place Dec. 8-10 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Casper.
At the start of the new year, the National Bison Association will host its annual winter conference in Denver on Jan. 21-14, 2026 during the National Western Stock Show, while the American Sheep Industry Association will hold its annual convention Jan. 28-31, 2026 in Reno, Nev.
At the beginning of February, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association will head to the heart of Nashville for the 2026 Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show, set for Feb. 3-5, 2026.
The convention is the largest cattle industry event in the nation and is held in conjunction with CattleCon and the Cattlemen’s College – two extensive educational programs geared exclusively toward cattle production in the U.S.
WyFB’s Young Farmer and Rancher program will hold a joint conference with Colorado, which will kick off on Feb. 6, 2026 and run through Feb. 9, 2026.
For more information on upcoming events, check out the events calendar on page 10 or visit wylr.net. Keep an eye out for coverage of these conventions in upcoming editions of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.
Hosting a meeting that isn’t in this article? E-mail roundup@wylr.net with event details.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article or submit your event information to roundup@wylr.net.
