It’s not too late! You can still register for the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, April 13-15!

With outstanding keynote speakers, groundbreaking breakout sessions and countless networking opportunities, you do not want to miss out on this experience. Go online and register now!

Check out this updated list of who will be in Kansas City next week!

Please mark your calendars for the 2016 NAMA Fall Conference!

When: September 20 – 22, 2016

Where: Sheraton Raleigh Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina

Like always, NAMA’s Fall Conference will not disappoint! Make sure you save these dates so you can join us in Raleigh!

Mark your calendars for the 2016 NAMA Boot Camp!

When: August 9-11, 2016

Where: Kansas City, MO

NAMA’s Boot Camp is always a great way to cap off your summer with some agri-marketing education and networking. Make plans to join us this August!

New Member List:
Welcome our new members for March 2016:

AT LARGE
Andrea Fristoe, National Association of Agricultural Educators

BADGER
Dave Bavlnka, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Darrell Bruggink, Lessiter Media
Andy Dambeck, Grade A Strategic Brand and Marketing Solutions
Kate Griswold, John Deere
Ann Horack, Charleston|Orwig, Inc.
Megan Kraft, Bader Rutter
Jeff Martinovici, Turnpike
Lindsay Vitse, Bader Rutter

CAROLINAS/VIRGINIA
Audrey Beckett, G&S Business Communications
Joan Jordan, BASF
Lisa Martin, G&S Business Communications
Brandon Williams, BASF Crop Protection

CHESAPEAKE
Aaron Locker, FMC Corporation
Tiffany Murphy, American Farm Bureau Federation

CHICAGO
Katie Kaiser, Rhea + Kaiser
Steve Knapp, Rhea + Kaiser
Allison Saegebrecht, Rhea + Kaiser
Brian Stack, Rhea + Kaiser

CORNHUSKER
Bernard Geschke, Progressive Agriculture Foundation
Taff Hughes, U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc.
James Wurtz, Midwest Laboratories

EASTERN
Joseph Feeks, PR Works

FLORIDA
Josh McGill, AgNet Media, Inc.

GATEWAY
Annette Alden, True Media
Kayleigh Longo, Paradowski
Bill Nickrent, Rabo AgriFinance
Jack Thompson, MidAmerica Farmer Grower
Brenna Tomlinson, Phibro Animal Health Corp.
Meaghan Trupiano, Paradowski

GREAT PLAINS
James Luce, High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal
Zac Stuckey, High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal

HEARTLAND
Ryan Dunn, Archer Daniels Midland

IOWA
Johnna Decker, The Sandbox Agency
Greta Lang, The Sandbox Agency
Kimberly Lang, Firestone Ag
Kristine Penning, AgCareers.com
Sara Preston, Minnesota Soybean
Tori Sorensen, Insta-Pro International
Kris Winter, M2K Marketing Group

MID-AMERICA
Cody Cheetham, FLM+
Joe Daniels, Beck Ag

MIDSOUTH
Andrea Allen, Helena Chemical Co.
Brandon Corley, Archer Malmo
Shawn Roberts, Helena Chemical Co.

MISSOURI-KANSAS
Ryan Duffy, American Royal Assn.
Reid Stella, Woodruff Sweitzer
Trevor Stille, emfluence
Kyle Thorpe, The Sandbox Agency
Dannyelle Zywan, AgriLogic Crop Insurance Services

NORTH CENTRAL
Melinda Anderson, The Lacek Group
Abigail Bastian, Martin Williams
Angela Bunn, AgroLiquid
Claire Cilip, The Lacek Group
Maija Hoehn, broadhead.
Halli Kubes, Woodruff Sweitzer
Brittany Lessman, FLM+
Ryan McAdam, broadhead.
Jon Montgomery, FLM+
Stephanie Ricke, The Lacek Group
Adriane Rippberger, Harvest PR & Marketing, Inc.
RaeAnne Tracey, Martin Williams
Rachel Welter, The Lacek Group

NORTHERN PRAIRIE
Clara Jacob, Paulsen
Bryan Shinn, AgWeek Magazine/Agweek TV
Kristyne Thull, Legend Seeds
Sarah Tveidt, South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

OHIO
Alissa Armstrong, FLM+
William Dartnall, Buckhorn Industries
Marlene Eick, Herdmark Media
Lori Houseman, Wilt Public Relations
Jack Lyttle, Meister Media Worldwide
Susan Mantey, DuPont Pioneer
Laura Moser, FLM+

ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Rebecca Brown, Natl. Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.
Caroline Pritchard, GE Healthcare

SOUTHEASTERN
Justin Ellis, Alltech
Michelle Howard, Cultura Technologies
Jake Morgan, Helena Chemical Co.

SOUTHWEST
Blaine Loyd, Archer Malmo
Christina Sebesta, Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association

WESTERN PACIFIC
Peter Abell, The Lacek Group
Michael Brady, Helena Chemical Co.
Katherine Carlson, J. R. Simplot Company
Laurie Sowell, Krone North-America

You’re invited to the Southwest NAMA Chapter Meeting & Superior Livestock Auction Reception at the 2016 Texas Cattle Raisers Convention

Thursday, April 7, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

131 East Exchange Avenue, Ste. 121, Fort Worth, TX

(NAMA members will gather from 5 to 5:30 p.m. We will join the Superior Livestock Auction reception at 5:30 p.m.)

Come network with fellow NAMA members and others in the Texas agricultural industry. Thanks to Superior Livestock Auction for inviting us to its Cattle Raisers Convention Exhibitor Reception!

Please RSVP to becky.johnson@fleishman.com.

In honor of National Ag Day, the North Central NAMA chapter hosted a producer panel of experts on March 16 to discuss current issues within the production animal industry. National Ag Day, held annually in March, celebrates U.S. producers and growers. Speakers included the following: Karin Schaefer, a beef farmer and Minnesota Beef Council executive director; Lori Stevermer, a swine farmer representing the Minnesota Pork Board; and Duane Alberts, a dairy farmer from Pine Island, Minn.

“Consumers are awakening to modern agriculture and now want to ‘discover’ how their food is grown and processed,” said Stevermer. Although, according to some statics, the disconnect between consumers and growers can be pretty wide, with only 30 percent of people surveyed in the Twin Cities metro area knowing a farmer.

Schaefer echoed the sentiment that times are changing in the marketing world and that outreach to dietitians, young mothers and meat market owners are all ways the Minnesota Beef Council is trying to increase beef consumption in the state.

“We’ve changed our approach as beef prices have increased,” she explained. “We were worried that beef was going to become the new lobster. Now we look at how beef can be used as an ingredient when planning dinner for the family.”

Changes in consumer awareness and technology are also an issue for dairy farmers, according to Alberts. “People embrace all of the technology in every other aspect of their lives but they want farmers to go back to how we farmed in the 1950s,” he continued.

This Ag Day event was hosted by broadhead., Rabbit and Clutch+ Performance at their new space in Minneapolis, North401.