Sessions for the 2007 NAMA Boot Camp, August 21-23 in Kansas City, have been finalized. The Boot Camp begins with a reception on Tuesday evening followed by dinner and Networking speaker, Matt Anderson, with the Referral Authority. One of the most important aspects of business is networking. Anderson has grown his business exclusively by referrals, relationship building, and networking. He specializes in training and coaching sales professionals on how to build referral-based businesses.

Wednesday, August 22 begins with a continental breakfast followed by a Producer Panel. This panel will feature owners/operators of a diversified farming operation, a cattle feeder/buying operation and owners of a diversified farm with country marketing. This panel will be moderated by Jim Patrico, editor, The Progressive Farmer. Morning breakout sessions include Little Red Writing Hood and the Big, Scary Communications Plan presented by Carol Anderson, Anderson/Fallon and Beth Burgy, Broadhead + Company and Maximizing Your Trade Show R.O.I. with Scott Hanna, Skyline Displays. The luncheon on Wednesday will feature Successful AgriTourism with Errie Raasch, Liberty Corn Maze/Carolyn’s Country Cousins. Raasch is the co-owner/operator of the Liberty Corn Maze, a 23-acre, interactive corn maze and agritourism operation. The corn maze is in its 4th year of operation with more than 20,000 visitors each year. The corn maze is operated in conjunction with Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch. Relax over lunch and learn more about this segment of the industry.

After lunch, choose from one of two breakout sessions on BioSecurity or Shifting Demographics in Agriculture with Rhett Hawkins, Osborn & Barr Communications. After the breakouts, join moderator, Cliff Becker, Food 360, for a Client/Agency Panel discussion. This session will consist of both client and agency representatives and will give you insight into client/agency relationships. Following this session, network with other attendees at a reception at the Cashew in downtown Kansas City.

Thursday, August 23 begins with a continental breakfast and two breakout sessions to choose from, the Farm Bill Update or New Media with Michael Lundgren, VML. Following the breakout sessions will be the Boot Camp Closing Session on Ethanol – Today and Tomorrow with Robert White, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC). This presentation will discuss ethanol’s role in motorsports including the IndyCar® Series and the American Le Mans Series. White will also discuss the current landscape of ethanol including availability and distribution, the future of ethanol and challenges. In addition, he will discuss E85 and EPIC’s retail, automotive, and marketing programs surrounding E85.

Don’t miss this year’s Boot Camp! For session times and registration and hotel information, visit, http://www.nama.org/programs/bootcamp.htm.

To register for the Boot Camp visit, http://payment.nama.org/bootcamp07.htm.

If you are interested in sponsoring a session or event at the NAMA Boot Camp, please fill out the sponsorship confirmation form at www.nama.org/programs/bootcamp-spo.htm or contact Jenny Pickett at 913-491-6500 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Nominate someone you know for the Professional Development Awards of Excellence. These awards will be presented at the 2007 Agribusiness Forum, November 13-14, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

The awards honor NAMA members based on outstanding achievement in each of the Professional Development Areas (PDA): (1) Marketing Communications; (2) Product/Species Management; (3) Public Relations; and (4) Sales. Nominees must be NAMA members. Nominators should target individuals with direct planning and execution responsibilities in the respective Professional Development Area from agribusiness and related companies.

The deadline for submitting nominations is September 1. If you have any questions regarding these awards, please contact Jenny Pickett at [email protected].

To download the nomination form in an Adobe .PDF format, visit http://www.nama.org/awards/PDAapplication.pdf.

You can also fill out the form on-line at http://www.nama.org/awards/pdaonlineform.htm.

Get the recognition you deserve by sponsoring a session or event at the 2007 Agribusiness Forum, November 13-14 in Kansas City.

As a sponsor of the Agribusiness Forum, your organization will be noted as a front runner in supporting up-to-the-moment industry information. Additional benefits include:

• Recognition in the program booklet, and from the podium during the session;
• Recognition by signage at the sponsored event (if applicable);
• Recognition in post-forum articles in the AgriMarketing magazine;
• Recognition on the NAMA Agribusiness Forum Web site page;
• and, first right of refusal for sponsorship of the same item for the 2008 Agribusiness Forum.

If you are interested in sponsoring a session or event at this year’s Forum, contact Jenny Pickett in the NAMA office at (913) 491-6500 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Again this year, the NAMA Agribusiness Forum takes place prior to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) convention. The Forum will take place at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center which is near the NAFB hotel.

The Region III Leader Workshop took place June 21, prior to the North Central Golf Outing, at the Crystal Lake Golf Club in Lakeville, MN.

Special thanks to Leslie Shuler, CHS, Inc., incoming North Central Best of NAMA co-chair; Jill Wenzel, Adculture, incoming North Central President; Teri Otte, CHS, Inc., incoming North Central Student Careers Chair; Leah Brakke, AdFarm, Northern Prairie Secretary/Treasurer; Jennifer Deppe, Morgan&Myers, incoming Cornbelt President; Russ Parker, J.L. Farmakis, Region III Director; Cliff Meyer, Farm & Ranch Guide/Minnesota Farm Guide, Region III Director; Kenna Rathai, Kenna B. Rathai Communications, NAMA Staff Representative; and Kathi Conrad, National NAMA Staff, for participating in the workshop.

These incoming leaders discussed ideas in chapter planning, leadership, programming, membership and the Region III Best of NAMA Banquet to be held in January, 2008. The banquet will take place in Minneapolis, MN and those chairing the Regional Best of NAMA committee will decide on an exact date and location in the near future. Each chapter is responsible for providing a representative to serve on this committee.

Notes from the Region III and Region IV Leader Workshops are available in an Adobe .pdf format at www.nama.org/leader/2007RegionalWorkshopNotes.pdf.

Region II Leader Workshop
Region II will host their leader workshop on Wednesday, August 8 at 10:00 a.m. Stay tuned to the NAMA e-News for the latest information on this workshop.

Note: Please also remember, if you have your leaders selected for the upcoming 2007-2008 program year, please submit them to Linda Schaefer at the NAMA office at [email protected].

Chapter Leadership
Make the most of your membership by taking a committee role at the chapter level. Gain hands-on leadership experience that will benefit you in your professional and personal life.

Chapter leaders are currently recruiting committee members. If you are interested in becoming a member of a chapter committee, contact your chapter president. A list of chapter presidents can be found at http://www.nama.org/chapters/chapters-index.html.

The goal of the NAMA Advocate program is to enlist a core group of NAMA members to help recruit new members and advocate for the organization.

The NAMA Advocate program is part of the overall “Cultivating Connections” membership plan. Your efforts are part of the bigger membership picture. The national NAMA membership committee is working with chapters on recruiting while simultaneously the NAMA office is working on targeted prospecting. With recruiting efforts in place at the local and national level, we hope to increase NAMA membership over the course of the year. It is important as an advocate, that you work with local chapters and the NAMA office and, likewise, you have support when you need it.

What will I have to do?
You’ll receive membership materials from the NAMA office. You’ll be expected to seek out potential members and lay the groundwork for recruiting members. After making contact, you’ll coordinate the follow up through the NAMA office. Or you can follow up to “Close the deal.”

What will I get in return?
Along with the satisfaction of helping the organization you’ll be recognized in the NAMA News section of Agri Marketing magazine, and in the National NAMA e-news. You’ll be recognized at the Agribusiness Forum and the Agri-Marketing Conference with a ribbon on your name badge. You will also be invited to the “First Timer/Leader” event at the conference.

NAMA Advocates include:

Ken Anderson, David & Associates
Sally Behringer, Nicholson Kovac, Inc.
Leigh Ann Cleaver, Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications
Sandy Creighton, Farm Progress Companies
Jean Custer, Case New Holland
Ken Dean, High Plains Journal
Lee Dueringer, Arizona 4-H Youth Foundation
Dawn Foster, Farm Credit Services of America
Teresa Hinrichs, CMS
Angela Jamison, Communicopia
Phil Johnson, Colle+McVoy
Amy Jolliff, Rhea & Kaiser Marketing Commications
Kim Lang, Brownfield Network
Bev Larson, NK Brand Seeds
Sue Lee, Farm Journal Media
Tom Mahoney
Kara McDonald, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
Robert Ratliff, ProfitableFarming.com Corp.
Jane Schroeder, NC+ Hybrids
Don Schultz, Clear Channel Ag Networks
Joe Shefchik, PR Marketing Precise Results
Tom Smull, Associations, Inc.
Lori Strum, Strategic America
Frank Timberlake, R.F. Timberlake & Co., Inc.
Cyndi Treadway, Exhibit Resources, Inc.
Stephanie Vinton-Pollock, Agri-Access
Catherine Wang, Gibbs & Soell
Jeff Winton, Schering-Plough Corp.
Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media

Sign up today be a NAMA Advocate at http://www.nama.org/advocate/advocatesignup.htm.

Since June 1, 2007, we’ve grown 9 new members. Please join us in welcoming:

Badger
Susan Orth, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin

CAMA Ontario
Janette Whittington, Osborn & Barr Canada

Chicago
Clayton Gill, Feedstuffs

Great Plains
Paige Bauer, KFRM Radio – The Voice of the Plains

Iowa
Angela Derby, Hy-Line International
Tracey Williams, KWMT AM

Missouri-Kansas
Ron Grusenmeyer, Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Janice Spears, MFA, Inc.

Ohio
Monica Skolmutch, Wells Fargo