June 14, 2007

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COLLEGE STATION – DTN, a provider of real-time market, news and weather information services, is partnering with Texas Cooperative Extension, its Executive Program for Ag Producers and Extension economist Danny Klinefelter.

DTN will become the media sponsor for The Executive Program for Ag Producers 2008 program, and Klinefelter will be advising DTN editors on business coverage.

Klinefelter is a professor and Extension economist with Texas Cooperative Extension, part of the Texas A&M University System, specializing in agricultural finance and management development.

Co-director of the Texas A&M Family and Owner-Managed Business Program, Klinefelter serves as the executive secretary for the Association of Agricultural Production Executives. He is also coordinator of the Planning the Return to the Farm program and a member of the board of Ag Texas Farm Credit Services and Texas Enterprise Bank.

The Executive Program for Ag Producers is an executive training course designed for mid-career producers to cultivate management skills. The annual, week-long executive training course conducted by Extension attracts top farm operators from around the country. Taught by a number of prominent industry professionals, the course focuses on issues affecting commercial agriculture operations such as managing personnel, evaluating market opportunities and adapting to regulatory and technology changes.

Klinefelter will advise DTN on farm business coverage and participate in regular online discussions as a guest expert for DTN.

"Danny's extensive experience working with a variety of agricultural organizations as well as his expertise in agricultural economics will be a valued asset to DTN," said Urban Lehner, DTN editor-in-chief. "Danny is a highly-respected, well-known expert within the agriculture industry and our staff is looking forward to working with him."

"Our objective with TEPAP (the course) is to improve management and decision-making at the farm level," Klinefelter said. "We believe DTN can help us reach an even larger audience of producers nationwide. That will help us multiply the impact that we can have, both from the faculty and farmer-learning point of view."