When the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS) contacted the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Chicago chapter (Chicago NAMA) for help, the chapter responded — with a new Mac laptop computer and suite of editing software.

The school’s FFA chapter contacted Chicago NAMA in need of a video editing system to enable students to develop and edit videos of their activities, and to create stories that show a broader view of urban agriculture. Chicago NAMA delivered the video editing system to the CHSAS FFA chapter in October.

“One of the most significant contributions we can make to the agriculture industry is supporting tomorrow’s ag leaders and the school systems that nurture them,” said Amy Jolliff, of Rhea + Kaiser and Chicago NAMA president. “We’re confident that this new equipment will increase awareness of the great work CHSAS is doing and create opportunities for its students.”

CHSAS students plan to use the system to develop videos that provide the public with a good understanding of the school’s goal and mission. Videos will document students’ personal growth, career success and leadership, and overall evolution from students into working, active urban agriculturalists. They will also showcase special events and workshops in which students participate throughout their four years at CHSAS.

Those involved include CHSAS students (front row, left to right) Jelyssa Cooper, Anthony White, Naomi Harper and Andrea Harris, as well as (back row) Jim Haist, Rhea + Kaiser/Chicago NAMA, and Lucille Shaw, CHSAS FFA advisor.

About CHSAS
To many a well-kept secret, CHSAS is a coveted destination for many students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Students must complete a competitive application to be admitted to the Chicago magnet school. With 600 students, the school adds five career pathways to the basic CPS curriculum: Agricultural Finance, Animal Science, Agricultural Mechanics & Technology, Food Science & Technology and Horticulture. In addition, 100 percent of CHSAS students are FFA members.

The 2009 Trends In Agriculture conference is next week, so you still have time to register! Connect with the new ag community at this year’s Trends conference, November 10-11 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Sessions will help define the forces that are expanding the need and ability of farmers to reach outside their previously small sphere of influence. Farmers and livestock producers will describe what it means to live and work in this new market environment. And experienced marketers will share successful efforts to leverage traditional and new media to build trust and become welcome citizens of the new ag community.

Please plan to join us to learn more about how these trends affect your customers’ purchase decisions and to network with your colleagues. In addition, join us as we recognize this year’s recipients of the Professional Development Awards of Excellence.

To register for Trends In Agriculture visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=5.

For more information on Trends In Agriculture visit http://www.nama.org/trends.

We are pleased to announce a new FREE reminder service this year at the Trends in Agriculture session: “Mobile Updates.”

We added this mobile service to improve your conference experience, and to underscore one of the new ways we are Connecting with the New Ag Community. If you carry a cell phone or handheld device, you’ll benefit from these helpful reminder texts on conference events and updates. Please note: your privacy is of utmost importance. Your cell number will not ever be shared or sold; in fact, it will be discarded after the session.

Here’s how it works:
• Sign up for Mobile Updates. It’s FREE. And it’s in the spirit of the session.
• Get timely texts. These tiny texts tell you where you need to be and when.

The Trends in Ag Session has entered the mobile era, thanks to the generosity of our technology provider, COMMODITY UPDATE. Mobile Updates will end at the close of the session, and your cell number will be discarded.

Thank you in advance for taking advantage of this new service!

Commodity Update is the leading provider of Agricultural information to Mobile Phones. The service is On Target, In the Field, and delivered in conjunction with the finest companies in Agriculture.

Recruit a business associate, peer, or friend as a new NAMA member before November 5 and both of you will be in a drawing for a new GPS!

Tell your friends, peers, and business associates how you benefit from being a member of NAMA – the learning and networking opportunities, skill development, access to agribusiness solutions, etc.  They can hear what other members think about NAMA at http://www.youtube.com/ExploreNAMA.

Every NAMA member who recruits a new member between now and Thursday, November 5 will be included in a drawing for a new GPS.  The more new members you recruit – the better your chances.  New members will have their names entered, too.

Simply tell your recruit to join on-line at http://www.nama.org/register.aspx.  Tell them to note “Referred by” and add your name and company in the box titled “Submitter’s Name.”  They can also call the NAMA office at 913-491-6500 to join; remind them to say they were referred by you!  Be sure to tell them they’ll be included in the drawing.

When will the drawing take place?  During Trends in Agriculture, which takes place November 10 and 11 at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City.  We’d love to have you there, but you don’t have to be present to win!

Mark your calendars for the Regional Best of NAMA Awards ceremonies.

There are 3 regions which will have ceremonies in January 2010. First and merit winners from the regional judging, November 9-10, will be announced at these ceremonies. If your region or chapter is going to have a Best of NAMA event and it’s not listed below, please contact Kathi Conrad at the NAMA office to get your event listed on the Best of NAMA Calendar.

All winners of the regional Best of NAMA judging will be eligible for advancement to the national judging in February. Winners from the national judging will be announced at the Best of NAMA Awards Ceremony, April 21, in Kansas City.

January 7 ~ Region II Best of NAMA at the Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City

January 14 ~ Region III Best of NAMA – location to be determined in the Minneapolis area

January 21 ~ Region IV Best of NAMA – location to be determined in the Wisconsin area

February 9 ~ Western Pacific Best of NAMA event at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA

Keep watching your email and the NAMA e-News for registration details as they become available.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the Agribusiness Leader and NAMA Marketer of the Year awards is January 15, 2010. Both awards will be presented at the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 21-23 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Agribusiness Leader of the Year
The Agribusiness Leader of the Year is NAMA’s highest honor. The award honors an outstanding leader in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas. Nominees do not need to be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/agribusinessform.htm. Or download the Agribusiness Leader Nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/agbusapplication.pdf.

Note: The Agri-Marketer of the Year Award was changed to the Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award in 2001. Below is an honor roll of the past Agri-Marketer/Agribusiness Leader of the Year awards.

2009 Leon Westbrock, CHS, Inc.
2008 Rick Tolman, National Corn Growers Association
2007 Dale Ludwig, MO Soybean Assn. & MO Soybean Merchandising Council
2006 George Thornton, Agriliance, LLC
2005 James Irwin, Case IH
2004 Bernie Staller, National FFA Organization
2003 Richard Clauss, Hilmar Cheese Company/Clauss Dairy Farms
2002 A. Charles Fischer, Dow AgroSciences
2001 Emmett Barker, Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers
2000 R.W. “Bud” Porter, Deere & Company
1999 Bruce Bickner, DeKalb-Monsanto Global Seed Group
1998 William Kirk, DuPont Agricultural Enterprises
1997 Arnold Donald, Monsanto
1996 H.D. “Harry” Cleberg, Farmland Industries, Inc.
1995 Edward McMillan, Purina Mills
1994 Dwayne Andreas, Archer Daniels Midland Company
1993 Robert Wichmann, Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.
1992 Gary Parker, Lindsay Manufacturing Co.
1991 William Griffith, American Cyanamid
1990 Thomas Dille, Rhone-Poulenc Ag
1989 Nicholas Babson, Babson Brothers Co.
1988 Olin Andrews, Farmers Hybrid Companies
1987 David Garst, Garst Seed Co.
1986 Leo Bontempo, Novartis Seeds
1985 Dr. Kenneth Bader, American Soybean Assn.
1984 John Churchman, Ford Tractor Operations
1983 Owen Newlin, Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl., Inc.
1982 Nicholas Reding, Monsanto Ag Group
1981 Robert Lanphier, AGMED, Inc.
1980 Joe Ecker, Gehl Co.
1979 Robert Book, Elanco Animal Products/Eli Lily Co.
1978 Roland Hendrickson, Pfizer Ag Division
1977 Donald Fritz, Farmers Hybrid Co.
1976 Harold Noren, DeKalb Ag Research
1975 E.W. Cook, Cook Industries
1974 Walt Buescher, Allis Chalmers
1973 Bill Bricker, Diamond Shamrock Chemical
1972 Fred Stines, Successful Farming
1971 Del Walker, Funk Brother Seed Co.
1970 Dr. James Affleck, American Cyanamid
1969 Lyle Yost, Hesston Corp.
1968 Dr. Robert Spitzer, Murphy Products
1967 Emory Dearborn, Ford Tractor Operations
1966 Maurice Turner, Amchem Products
1965 George Varnes, Eli Lily Co.
1964 Morris Reid, J.I. Case
1963 W.J. Jensen, Butler Manufacturing
1962 Don Murphy, Wallace’s Farmer

NAMA Marketer of the Year
NAMA recognizes its active members with senior management of marketing and/or sales responsibilities with the NAMA Marketer of the Year award. This award is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing directly to ag producers. Nominees MUST be NAMA members.

Fill out the nomination form on-line now at http://www.nama.org/awards/namamarketerform.htm or download the NAMA Marketer of the Year nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format by visiting, http://www.nama.org/awards/mktrapplication.pdf.

Please note: This award was created in 2001. Below are the past NAMA Marketer of the Year award recipients.

2009 Jon Anderson, OPEN ROADS
2008 Dave Rhylander, Delta & Pine Land – Division of Monsanto Co.
2007 Phil Johnson, Colle+McVoy
2006 Tom Davis, Meredith Corporation
2005 Rick Turner, Gustafson, LLC
2004 Raymond Hoyum, IMC Global
2003 James Seaver, AGCO Corporation
2002 Donald Hecht, Elanco Animal Health
2001 Wendell Knehans, Monsanto-Corn States

Nancy Rupp Tibbitts, a coordinator and adviser at the Internship and Career Center at the University of California, Davis, for more than 26 years, died Tuesday, October 20. She was 51.

Tibbitts served as an advisor to many student groups on campus, particularly the UC-Davis Student NAMA Chapter when it was active. She was a student advisor and NAMA member for 15 years.

She was co-owner of Tibbitts Farming Co. near Arbuckle with her husband of 22 years, George D. Tibbitts.

The San Francisco native was devoted to helping family, friends and students, and was instrumental in creating internship programs in various agricultural disciplines, including production agriculture, animal science, viticulture and enology, veterinary medicine and the food industry.