Ten members and their guests from the Heartland Chapter got together for a social at the Mackinaw Valley Winery on the evening of October 18.  Wine tasting was part of the evening, as well as getting to know members who were new to Heartland NAMA.

We also learned from the hostess that night that 95% of the grapes that go into their wine originate from their vines.  The winery and grounds serve as the venue for weddings, concerts and other events throughout the year.  Those attending got a sneak preview of our November program.

MoKan NAMA members came together Tuesday, October 30^th at Brio Tuscan Grille for a luncheon featuring a panel of Social Media Gurus. The panel included  Katie McCurry with AgLocal, Patrick Padley with Digital Evolution Group, Kelly Rivard with AdFarm and Dave Mehlhaff, Public Affairs Officer at the Board of Public Utilities, serving as the moderator for the discussion.

The panelists discussed how it’s important to keep Social Media messages “social” and how we should stay away from business and legal talk. Simple take-a-ways from the panelists were to do what makes sense for your business/brand, know your audience, and post content that is relevant to them.

Exceptional examples of businesses/brands that are excelling in social media are: Kansas Pork and Titan Machinery.  Forty-two NAMA members were present for the afternoon luncheon.

Are you a Kansas City local?  Would you like to see the industry’s hot ideas? We are looking for a few local judges to take part in the Regional Best of NAMA Judging, November 6-7. If you have 3 or more years of experience in the agribusiness industry and are a NAMA member, you’re eligible to be a judge.

The judging will be held at the Sheraton Hotel at Crown Center Exhibit Hall in Kansas City.

Judging Schedule:
Tuesday, November 6 from 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Dinner at 6:30)
Wednesday, November 7 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

To sign up to be a regional Best of NAMA judge visit, http://www.nama.org/amc/judging.htm.

We are pleased to announce NAMA’s incoming and existing officers, effective January 1.  Looking forward to a successful 2013!

President – Paul Redhage, FMC Agricultural Products
President Elect – Kenna Rathai,  Kenna B. Rathai Communications
Secretary/Treasurer – Marvin Kokes, National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.
Vice Presidents – Sally Behringer, MustangRED
Communications
Matt Coniglio, Farm Progress Companies
Amy Bradford, GROWMARK, Inc.
Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media
Amy Bugg, AdFarm (incoming)
Sheri Seger, DTN/The Progressive Farmer (incoming)

Special thanks to Beth Burgy and Becky Peterson who will
retire from the Executive Committee at the end of 2012.

If  you were not able to attend “Interacting with the Generations in the Workplace” presentation from Fall Conference with Shelly Melroe, or like to see a repeat  – you’re in luck!   Check out the link below for viewing and learn how to collaberate with all generations in the workforce for maximum success without sacrificing principles along the way!

http://confluencyllc.com/http:/confluencyllc.com/generations-interacting-in-the-workforce/

Enjoying a beautiful Minnesota fall afternoon on Monday, Sept. 24, 35 NAMA members and guests toured river terminal grain facilities and ended with some fun at the Flat Earth Brewery. Aboard the bus, tour goers heard from Jim Boerboom, Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Jim set the stage, while in route, by highlighting the impact of agriculture on Minnesota’s economy, key issues facing agriculture today and the need to produce more food for the global growing population. 

The first stop CHS, Inc. Savage, Minn.,  demonstrated the technology, coordination and testing it takes to load up to 17 barge cars per day. Their state-of-the-art facility includes a quarter-mile conveyor that moves grain from the terminal to the barge loading dock. Tour participants observed trucks unloading grain, barge loading and the grain testing facility. 

The next stop, Peavey Grain Elevator, South Saint Paul, Minn., provided a first-hand view of how grain, fertilizer and other products are loaded, stored and transported using trucks, rail and barges. Their facility included an E-crane, designed to run on diesel or electricity.

The conclusion of our tour included a beer-tasting and dinner at The Flat Earth Brewery in Saint Paul. Tour participants received a personal tour of the brewery, the story of the brewery’s marketing/communication style, as well as beer-tasting. Everyone enjoyed a catered dinner from Rooster’s BBQ and the chance to network prior to the Fall Conference Meeting.

 

The Ag Biotech Summit, held at North Carolina State University, kicked off the Carolinas/Virginia Chapter year on October 10.  Chapter members joined a couple of hundred others interested in the future of the North Carolina ag industry.  The Summit convened national and state leaders and academia who are making a solid commitment to ensure shared thinking and coordinated activities and goals to continue biotech growth in the state.  Eighteen speakers and panelists provided eight sessions during the Summit.  One speaker put the world’s population growth into perspective when he noted that the 75 million people added to the world each year is the equivalent of Germany’s population.  Another interesting tidbit – the amount of food needed in the next four years is the same as the amount produced in the last 10,000 years.