The Northern Prairie Chapter held a benefit fundraiser for the North Dakota State University Student NAMA Chapter on Thursday, February 22, during the International Crop Expo in Grand Forks, ND. The featured speaker, Mark Dillon of the Golden Growers Cooperative, presented “An Overall Perspective on Ethanol Today and Tomorrow.” Mark shared with the group where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we are going within the ethanol industry.

Mark has served the past seven years on the board of the American Coalition for Ethanol, and for three years on the Northern Crops Institute Industry Advisory Board. He and others formed ProGold, a high fructose corn syrup processing plant in 1996, and also created Golden Growers Cooperative, a group of 2,100 corn growers who own a percentage of ProGold.

Some highlights from Dillon’s presentation were: Where We’ve Been – Henry Ford built the Model T to run on ethanol; this concept disappeared for about 8 decades and then came Gasohol in the 90’s; Where We Are Now – Today, there will be approximately 6.2 billion gallons of ethanol produced in 2007, which is an increase of 2,500% in 27 years. There are roughly 117 ethanol plants in operation and approximately 70 under construction; Where We Are Going – With the two legal blends of ethanol today, E10 and E85, blender pumps may possibly be the next hot topic. Consumers would have the option to select the % of ethanol versus gasoline they want to put into their vehicles at the pump. The biggest challenge – the automotive industry working with the ethanol companies.

Nineteen local Northern Prairie NAMA members attended the meeting, raising $450 for the North Dakota State University’s Student NAMA chapter’s upcoming April trip to the National NAMA conference and competition in Dallas, TX.

Our emotions are the key to the life inside us. They have the power to move and shape us. They have the ability to trigger behaviors and actions. Our emotions make life worth living. But there is a dark side too. Think of the last time you were really emotional. Maybe it was in traffic, maybe during a discussion with your spouse, or maybe during a team meeting when no one was listening to your point of view. Now ask yourself: In that moment, how intelligent did you feel? In that moment, did you feel like your emotions were helping you or hurting you?

The closing keynote speaker at the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference, Jenné Fromm, believes people should be doing more than meeting needs. As a consultant, life coach, facilitator and teacher, she thrives on helping individuals and companies unleash their potential. Her methods attract clients who feel stuck in their work or their place in life, unable to see how they might break out of it and think differently. Many people have begun to discover new ways of thinking that have helped them redirect their resources and energy to make substantial strides toward their ultimate goals.

Fromm addresses “Emotional Intelligence and the Power of You” at the Closing Session Brunch of the conference on Friday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m. Through engaging stories, in-depth insight, practical application and humor, Fromm offers how capturing the power of your emotions is the key to staying motivated and engaged in changing times. She will show how by tapping into your emotional intelligence, you can increase your chances of success, deal better with difficult people and circumstances, and ultimately move toward becoming who you are meant to be.

With creativity, compassion and courage, Fromm brings her professional gift to every situation. She discerns the potential locked inside of people and helps them think differently about their work, the world and themselves in a way that helps them come alive.

Join us at the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 11-13 in Dallas, TX. Register for the conference now at http://www.nama.org/amc/register.html. For more information about the conference visit http://www.nama.org/amc.

The Connection Point, the trade show held during the Agri-Marketing Conference, will feature the best products and services supporting the agri-marketing industry. Over 50 booths will offer attendees a chance to see these products and services while networking with other agri-marketing professionals. In addition, many booths will feature giveaways and drawings. Be sure to attend the networking events in the Connection Point.

CONNECTION POINT
Trade Show Hours

Wednesday, April 11
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. – Best of NAMA Celebration Reception

Thursday, April 12
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. – Connection Point Luncheon
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Break in the Connection Point
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Connection Point Closing Reception/ABEF Silent Auction

To sign up to reserve your booth space now visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/signup.htm.

If you have questions regarding the Trade Show, contact Lynn Henderson or Judy Knoll via e-mail at lynnh@agrimarketing.com or judyk@agrimarketing.com or call (636) 728-1428.

Remember, your trade show location is also partially determined by a lottery drawing of the Platinum Level, then Gold Level and then Silver Level conference sponsors who are also exhibitors. Enhance your company’s marketing impact by becoming a sponsor of the Agri-Marketing Conference, and at the same time enhance your exhibit’s location on the trade show floor. There are still sponsorship opportunities left. Look over the available sponsorships and the company benefits and pick the sponsorship opportunity that meets your marketing objective.For a list of sponsorship opportunities available visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/opportunities.htm.

To confirm your sponsorship on-line visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/sponsor/form.htm.

For more information on the Connection Point visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/ts/connection.htm.

The primary mission of the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) is to provide today’s agri-business students the tools they will need to succeed tomorrow. These tools include industry knowledge, leadership skills, networking abilities, public speaking experience and critical analysis skills.The ABEF has endorsed a wide array of programs and activities geared at fostering the careers of agri-marketing students. Each program helps meet the very particular needs of today’s college students. Through NAMA, ABEF awards over $10,000 in scholarships each year.

One of the many activities provided by the ABEF to raise money for the Student NAMA Careers Program is the ABEF Silent Auction. During trade show hours, attendees can bid on items available. Items donated range from prints suitable for framing to corporate logo items. All proceeds from the auction benefit NAMA’s Student Careers Program.

Please join your agri-marketing peers in supporting this worthwhile effort by donating to the auction. Fill out the on-line Pledge Form at http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm to indicate your donation and/or interest in the project by March 16, 2007, to be included in the auction catalog. Any worthwhile product or service will be gratefully accepted.

Please show your support of the ABEF and donate what you can (minimum of $50 value suggested). All proceeds from the Silent Auction support the NAMA Student Careers Program.

Please note that all media and service packages will be auctioned on-line. The on-line auction will take place at the end of March.

For more information on the ABEF and the Silent and On-Line Auctions visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/abef-index.html.

To make a pledge to the Auction visit, http://www.nama.org/abef/silentauction/pledgeform.htm.

For more information about the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference visit, http://www.nama.org/amc.

The Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) will again be hosting a Golf Outing, Tuesday, April 10, prior to the 2007 Agri-Marketing Conference. It’s time to look forward to some warm weather and gather your foursome to enjoy a relaxing day of golf before the conference begins.

The ABEF Golf Outing will take place at the Bear Creek Golf Club. A chartered bus will leave the hotel at 11:30 a.m. to take everyone to the golf course. A boxed lunch will be provided. Tee time begins at 1:00 p.m. A golf awards ceremony and reception will follow the outing at the golf course. The price is $125 per golfer.

Bear Creek Golf Club is among the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s favorite classic golf courses. Designed by the distinguished Ted Robinson and now proudly managed by Billy Casper Golf, Bear Creek is a great place to play golf.

Home to the area’s “Best Place to Host a Corporate Event” (Avid Golfer, 2002, 2003, and 2005), their 36-holes of championship-caliber golf and expansive practice facility provide every golfer the opportunity to enjoy the game.

Bear Creek has been named among the “Top 50 Resort Courses in America” by Golf Digest and one of the “10 Great Places to Golf” by The Wall Street Journal. Testimony to the challenge, allure, and shot values found on our two distinct layouts – the West and East Courses – Bear Creek has hosted PGA Tour Qualifiers, the Texas State Open, the AJGA National Tournament, the PGA National Golf Series, and NTPGA Sectional Tournaments.

Sponsors are needed for the 2007 Golf Outing. Show your support and sponsor a hole, beverage cart, reception or gifts.

To sign up for a sponsorship on-line visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/golfsponsor.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at jennyp@nama.org.

Iowa State University is looking ahead to more excitement in 2007! At meetings held throughout the semester, members heard from professionals in the ag industry who shared tips on writing resumes, interviewing, and finding a job or internship.

The marketing team worked hard to select a product, conduct research and put together a rough draft before Christmas break. Odor Cell 2000, a product from Heartland Air Technologies is an odor-reducing cell most commonly used on hog confinements and was the product selected by this year’s marketing team.

To raise funds for the competition, members picked up cans during tailgating activities and picked grapes for an area winery making frozen wine.

Holiday cheer abounded as twenty members and guests mingled in the northwoods atmosphere and firelight glow of the St. Paul Bonfire lounge for the North Central NAMA holiday party held December 19.

A visit by two of the Royal Order of Klondike Kates, singing ambassadors of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, regaled the holiday gathering with their cabaret music and entertainment. In the spirit of the holiday, the networking event benefited the Toys for Tots charity, with guests bringing a toy for admission.

Special thanks to Sharon Larson of Martin Williams for arranging the site and Klondike Kates visit. Thanks also to Sharon and her family for delivering the collected Toys for Tots to the KARE 11 drop-off site.