Meet the NW Hay Expo 2025 speakers

Dr. Earl Creech

Earl Creech is a professor and extension agronomist in plants, soils and climate for Utah State University. Creech grew up on a family dairy and crop production farm in northern Utah. After earning his PhD, he spent three years as Assistant Professor/Extension Weed Specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno. In his research and Extension efforts at USU, Dr. Creech works to address critical agronomic issues facing farmers and ranchers in Utah and throughout the western U.S. Creech will discuss herbicides in alfalfa and Timothy hay.

Dr. Peter Ballerstedt

Peter Ballerstedt retired in 2023 from Barenburg USA, where he specialized in forages and grassland agriculture. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy and crop science from the University of Georgia and a PhD in forage production and utilization from the University of Kentucky. Ballerstedt will present “Clearing the Air About Beef: Good for you, good for the planet!” on the health benefits of meat consumption.

    Steve Norberg
 Courtesy photo/Washington State University   Dr. Steve Norberg

Steve Norberg is a professor with Washington State University and is the extension regional forage specialist, according to his online biography at the WSU website. He serves the irrigated portion of the Columbia Basin for forages and is responsible for the Washington State Alfalfa Variety Trials in association with the Washington Hay Growers Association. Norberg grew up on a farm in the panhandle of Nebraska and has worked in university extension for over 27 years in Missouri, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. He and his wife Leann have three children. He will present “Optimum Nitrogen Rates for Timothy,” “Fine Tuning Phosphorous Rates in Alfalfa and Adjusting for Inflation” and “Alfalfa Variety Trial Results in 2023.”

Josh Callen

Josh Callen is the owner and author of the Hoyt Report, a newsletter that tracks hay market insights and analysis, according to his online biography. He grew up on a farm in southern Idaho and He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Boise State University in 2015 and started working with the Hoyt Report in 2018 and took over the newsletter in 2020 when founder Seth Hoyt retired. He and his wife Lauren live in southern Idaho with their three children. Callen will speak on the status of the western hay market and the workings of alfalfa markets in North America.

    Brian Irish
 Courtesy photo/Washington State University Dr. Brian Irish

Brian Irish is a geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, specializing in plant germplasm introduction and testing research. He will present “Contributing to Sustainable Forage Legume Production One Accession at a Time.”

Kayla Huckleberry and Tyson Brooks

Kayla Huckleberry is the Pacific Northwest territory sales manager and Tyson Brooks is the western area business manager for Stoller USA, which was recently acquired by purchased by Corteva Biologicals. They will speak on plant hormones and how they can improve alfalfa yield and quality.

Jon Paul Driver

Jon Paul Driver is a WSU Extension specialist with the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. A lifelong hay farmer, Driver has done extensive work in the field of agricultural mental health and preventing ag worker suicide. He will speak about building resilient farms in the face of economic uncertainty.

    Dan Putnam
 Courtesy photo/University of California, Davis   

Dr. Dan Putnam

Dan Putnam is professor emeritus of cooperative extension at University of California, Davis. He helped form the California Alfalfa and Forage Association, has worked with the United States Department of Agriculture to fund forage research positions and has mentored numerous graduate students to become successful researchers, practitioners, and educators. He was honored in 2021 with the James H. Meyer Distinguished Service Award by the Academic Federation of UC Davis. Putnam will speak on agronomic practices impacting pest management and how profitable alfalfa farming sustains the environment.

Brady Stover

Brady Stover is a senior sales agronomist at Yara North America, which produces environmentally-friendly crop nutrition solutions. He will discuss the future of the fertilizer industry, including how it is affected by natural gas prices, conflict in the Middle East and shipping delays at the Panama Canal.

Steve Scranton

Steve Scranton is the Economist for Washington Trust Bank and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst® designation with over 35 years of investment experience. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, Steve is a well-known speaker on the economic conditions and the world securities markets. He will discuss the economic outlook for 2025.

Schedule of presentations

Wednesday, Jan. 15

7:30 a.m.    Registration desk opens

8:30 a.m.    Gopher and Vole Control; Dr. Earl Creech, Utah State University

9 a.m.    Palmer Amaranth, New Weeds, & Herbicide Resistance in Hay Crops; Dr. Rui Liu, WSU Prosser IAREC

9:30 a.m.    Controlling Winter Annual Weeds in Alfalfa; Dr. Earl Creech, Utah State University

10 a.m.    Trade Show Break

10:30 a.m.    Identifying Pest Problems in Alfalfa; Dr. Steve Norberg, WSU Extension

11:30 a.m.    Timothy Fertility Research Results; Dr. Steve Norberg, WSU Extension

12 p.m.    Luncheon

1:15 p.m.    Building Resilient Farms for Challenging Times; Jon Paul Driver, WSU Extension

2:15 p.m.    Alfalfa Fertility During Low Hay Prices; Dr. Steve Norberg, WSU Extension

2:45 p.m.    Trade Show Break

3:15 p.m.    A Deeper Dive Into Assessing Hay Quality, Looking Beyond RFV; Ehrin Dawson, Ph.D., Nutritionist, Threemile Canyon Farms, LLC, and Katie Raver, Animal Nutrition & Field Support Specialist, Rock River Laboratories

4 p.m.    Forage Market Update; Scot Courtright

4:30-6 p.m.    Trade Show Reception

Thursday, Jan. 16

8 a.m.    Registration desk opens

8:45 a.m.    What the Results of This Election Means for your Farm’s Taxes; Jared King, Leffel, Otis and Warwick

9:15 a.m.    Fuel Update; Tina Hampton, Christensen Co

9:45 a.m.    Status of the Western Hay Market; Josh Callen, The Hoyt Report

10:15 a.m.    Trade Show Break

11 a.m.    Exporter Panel: What’s Ahead?

11:45 a.m.    Luncheon

1:15 p.m.    2025 Economic Outlook; Steve Scranton, Chief Economist, Washington Trust Bank

1:45 p.m.    Northwest Seaport Alliance

2:45 p.m.    Conference Adjournment