Global Economics Seminar

Nov. 11-13, 2011
Hudson, Wis & Minneapolis, MN
By Grady Gutknecht and Curt Peterson

This was certainly a mind expanding exercise.  We were immersed in Global trends and patterns as well as a couple of first hand new cultural experiences – the Caspian Restaurant and The Shout House dueling pianos.

Gary Kirking, opened the Global Economics Seminar with an overview of the seminar goals and agenda followed by Jerry Hembd’s thought-provoking power point presentation on how money moves all over the world; energy consumption, population growth, trade surplus & deficit, and Gross Domestic Product.

He gave us some interesting data: The United States’ piece of the economic pie is getting smaller and developing countries are increasing in wealth.   The world population is currently 7 billion and will reach 9 to 9.2 by 2050.  As the wealth of a country increases, the number of children per family decreases.  We discussed Health care as a % of GDP and Quentin Schultz, Founder and president of the BioDiagnostics Inc. (BDI),  expounded on the ups and downs of starting up a business. A common theme repeated through the seminar was, “Treat your venders well and develop a long term relationship with them, it will pay off in the end.”

At CHS we learned the importance international trade to the United States and how cooperatives facilitate the sale of grain globally.  Brian Schouvieller stated, “The US only has a 16 day surplus of grain on hand.”  Many of the fellows felt that was a wake-up call. Agri Bank gave a very interesting program on how farmers acquired farm loans and the progression of money from investors to wholesale bankers to farm loan companies. Sustainability was a buzz word in global economics and Aveda gave great importance to its continuing priority. Motivational speakers left us energized and with the challenge of turning crises into opportunity, by thinking differently and using the best available science.

For more photos of the Global Economics Seminar, click here.