The deadline for nominating a peer for the Professional Development Awards of Excellence has been extended to Monday, August 2.  The awards will be presented at the 2010 Trends In Agriculture meeting which will be held October 5-6 in Minneapolis, MN.

These awards honor NAMA members based on outstanding achievement in each of the Professional Development Areas (PDA). Awards of Excellence will be presented in the areas of (1) Marketing Communications, (2) Product/Species Management, (3) Public Relations and (4) Sales.

Get your company the recognition it deserves by sponsoring an event at the NAMA Boot Camp.

Available sponsorships include:

Dinner on Tuesday, August 17
Luncheon/Speaker on Wednesday, August 18
Opening General Session – Tuesday, August 17
General Session – Wednesday, August 18
Continental Breakfast – Thursday, August 19
Breakout Sessions – Wednesday, August 18
Closing General Session – Thursday, August 19
Breaks (2 available)
Banner ad on NAMA Boot Camp web site

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].

The NAMA Boot Camp will take place August 17-19, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.

Check out the program below and get registered today!

Tuesday, August 17

7:15 a.m. – MoKan Ag Tour (optional) Registration
8:00 a.m. – MoKan Ag Tour (optional)
The tour is an on-farm experience where attendees will tour as well as learn about different operations. The morning begins with a tour of an Ag Retailer, who is an aerial applicator, to check out the plane/equipment. There will be a short presentation from the pilot. The group will also visit a rural meat market where they will have lunch. Also, the group will  tour a 20,000 acre row crop facility as well as a livestock operation. The group will return to the Hyatt by 4:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. – Boot Camp Registration
5:00-6:00 p.m. – Welcome Reception
6:00-7:30 p.m. – Opening General Session – Dinner – Networking Activity
Dave Mehlhaff – Session Moderator
Kick off the Boot Camp with a networking activity designed to help you get to know fellow attendees.

Wednesday, August 18

8:00 a.m. – Continental Breakfast
8:30-10:00 a.m. – General Session
Producer Panel
Learn how to communicate effectively with producers. The producer panel has become a Boot Camp favorite and attendees won’t want to miss the valuable insights from producers. The panel will be moderated by Janelle Buxton, Sales Executive, Successful Farming and Agriculture Online. Three producers will be joining Janelle to share their insights.

10:00-10:30 a.m. – Break
10:30-11:30 a.m. – Breakout sessions (choose one)
Little Red Writing Hood ~ Beth Burgy, Broadhead + Co.
The client has asked you to write a communications plan. Don’t despair! Developing a communications plan with concrete objectives, strategies and tactics is a lot like planning a trip in the land of fractured fairy tales. You have to know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there and what to expect when you arrive. This session will provide some useful hints to give you the upper hand in the plan development process.

Marketing to the Animal Health Industry ~ Todd Firkins, Bayer Animal Health; Lonny Duckworth, cattle producer, Butler, MO
Do you market to the animal health industry? This session is a great way to get two perspectives on the best way to reach that market. Hear from the company side and from the producer side. You will walk away with great insights into the animal health arena.

12:00 Noon-1:30 p.m. – Luncheon w/ speaker
The Impact of Digital Media on Farmers and Ranchers ~ Jack Semler, Readex Research
ABM’s Agri Council and Readex Research have joined forces to conduct a major agricultural research study that explores the impact of digital media on farmers and ranchers. Its findings are based on the responses of more than 1,200 owners, operators, and/or managers of farms or ranches.

Jack Semler, president of Readex Research, will be presenting a summary of key findings from this important market research.

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Breakout sessions (choose one)
Marketing to the Row Crop Industry ~ Shane Rourke, John Deere; Ken McCauley, corn/soybean grower, White Cloud, KS
Do you market to the row crop industry? This session is a great way to get two perspectives on the best way to reach that market. Hear from the company side and from the producer side. You will walk away with great insights into the row crop industry.

Recalls, Oil Spills and the Media – Oh My! ~ Daren Williams, Natl. Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Every organization will eventually face the “moment of truth” when something goes wrong affecting your people, products or reputation. Public relations and marketing professionals play a critical role in managing communications during a crisis which can affect the outcome for better or worse. This session will offer practical tips for managing a crisis before, during and after the moment of truth based on the real-life experiences of an ag communicator who has helped manage product recalls, oil spills and the media onslaught that accompanies a crisis. Daren Williams is executive director of communications at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and former senior vice president of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., where he specialized in crisis communications for clients in the food, agriculture and health care industries.

2:30-3:00 p.m. – Break
3:00-4:00 p.m. – General Session
Marketing to Key Influencers
All boot camp attendees will be together for this last session of the day to hear from an Ag Retailer and a Large Animal Vet. Learn their perspective on the business.

4:30-6:30 p.m. – Reception at Boulevard Brewery
A shuttle will take attendees to a special reception at Kansas City’s own Boulevard Brewery. Founded in 1989, Boulevard Brewing Company has grown to become the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. The reception will take place in the beautiful Heim Room that features a unique view of the Kansas City skyline.

7:00 p.m. – Dine Around (optional)
Attendees can attend an optional dine-around. This is a great way to get to know your peers and learn about NAMA. This event is optional and dutch treat.

Thursday, August 19

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast
9:00-10:00 a.m. – General Session
Career Builder Session ~ Erika Osmundson, AgCareers.com
Learn how to do the best possible job for your employer and enhance your career.

10:00-10:15 a.m. – Break
10:15-11:30 a.m. – Closing Session
Advocating for Ag Panel ~ Moderator: Melanie Acklin, SFP; Daren Williams, NCBA; Mindy Hempler, Syngenta Crop Protection; Charlie Arnot, CMA Consulting
There is a distance between most Americans and the farms that producer their food. It is a gap being filled more and more by detractors that have farmers and big agribusiness the enemy. Producers, their suppliers and the ag industry are trying to raise awareness of the truth about American agriculture. Join these panel members as we examine what we can all do to advocate for our industry.

Please note: The hotel cut-off date is July 23 and the Hyatt is projected to be sold out on August 16 and August 17. Please make your hotel reservations today by calling the Hyatt Regency Crown Center at 816-421-1234. Make sure you mention “NAMA” to receive the special rate. Reservations made after July 23 are subject to higher rates and potential unavailability.

For more information on the NAMA Boot Camp, visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.

To register for the NAMA Boot Camp and/or the MoKan Ag Tour, please visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=22.

Mark your calendars to check out an upcoming chapter event for the summer!

If you have any write-ups or photos from your previous events, please send the information to Kathi Conrad at [email protected] to get it in the NAMA e-News.

North Central NAMA ~ July 26, 2010

This year’s North Central NAMA Golf event is being held in conjunction with the 2010 Ag Media Summit Golf outing that is being held in St. Paul. We encourage NAMA members and guests to enjoy a day of golf and to participate in the Ag Media Summit events. For a full schedule visit this link 2010 Agricultural Media Summit.

The Golf Outing will take place at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood, MN. Cost for the outing is $125 per player ($500 per foursome) and includes: golf, cart, range balls, lunch and great prizes.

To register online please go to the following link Golf Registration and you’ll find the golf registration toward the middle of the page or download the registration form (Microsoft Word format) and send or email it to me. If you have questions about registration please contact Bill Pool at [email protected] or at 763-257-6877.

Great Plains NAMA ~ August 9, 2010

Join Great Plains NAMA for their Summer golf outing on Monday, August 9, at Terradyne Country Club in Andover, KS.

The outing begins with registration at 11:00 a.m. and the tournament kicks off at 12:30 p.m.

Cost for the golf outing is $110 each or $400 for a foursome. Cost includes:
Green fees, cart & range balls
Two beverage tickets
Boxed lunch to start you off
Cash prizes to the Terradyne Pro Shop
Entry into the Hole-In-One contest
Special gift for the member who signs up the most new members for the Great Plains Chapter
BBQ dinner provided by the Hereford House after the outing

Call, fax or email Shirley Harrold-Albright at 316-522-3000; fax – 316-522-2827; or email [email protected].

MoKan NAMA ~ August 17, 2010

The MoKan NAMA chapter is once again hosting the MoKan Ag Tour prior to the NAMA Boot Camp kick-off on Tuesday, August 17.

The bus will leave the Hyatt Regency Crown Center at 7:45 a.m. and the first stop on the tour is a row crop and cattle farm operation in Richmond, MO. The next stop is a tour of the Pence Aerial Service, an Aerial Applicator’s Operation at the Carrollton Airport. Attendees will learn about what Aerial Applicators do for agriculture and what the National Agriculture Aviation Association does to promote safety and stewardship. Lunch for the tour will be provided on the bus as it heads to the third stop at Ray Carroll County Grain Growers, just outside Carrollton, MO. Attendees will tour a large and progressive Ag Retailer, Grain Elevator, and Ethanol Plant which is a Co-op (owned by growers). The bus will return to the Hyatt by 4:00 p.m. in time for the NAMA Boot Camp kick-off.

For more information on the Ag Tour visit http://www.nama.org/programs/index.html.

To register for the MoKan Ag Tour visit http://www.nama.org/ConferenceRegistration/Default.aspx?confid=22.

Cost is $50 and you do not need to be registered for the NAMA Boot Camp to take part in the Ag Tour.

Florida NAMA’s July 14 meeting, held in conjunction with the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association’s summer meeting at the famous “Breakers” resort hotel on Palm Beach, was well attended by approximately 100 people!  It kicked off with a short update from the University of FL student “Gator NAMA” Chapter leaders.  This was followed by the featured speaker, Ted Haller of Teddy Media, from St. Louis, Missouri.

Haller shared thought-provoking information from recent surveys of agricultural audiences concerning their internet usage.  The ensuing interactive discussion resulted in numerous audience requests for additional follow-up information.

Northern Prairie members heard from representatives of two local commodities when they gathered at Red Trail Vineyards, in Buffalo, ND, on June 22.

Gary Hoffman, Executive Director of the North Dakota Dairy Coalition, provided fresh cheese made the same day on a dairy farm in Sterling, ND.  Hoffman spoke about the development of dairy farms in North Dakota and the challenges currently being faced from local consumers.

Rodney Hogen, wine vintner and owner of Red Trail Vineyards, shared highlights about growing grapes and cold-climate varietals in the northern plains.  While attendees tasted seven different wines, Hogen gave a summary of each.

Following the presentations by Hoffman and Hogen, attendees toured the vineyard and, if interested, were able to purchase wine made on the premises.

The Ohio Chapter hit the links on June 17 for their summer golf event at Valley View Golf Club in Galion, Ohio.   The weather, at 80˚, couldn’t have been any better and the course was in fantastic condition.   A single stroke decided the wining team! After the golf outing the group enjoyed lunch and a networking session.

The winning team:

Joe Monahan, Meister Media Worldwide
Chuck Gamble, Farm Science Review
Matt Sullivan, Farm Science Review
John Buck, TurnKey Leadership Group

Special thanks to all of those who participated and and to those who helped organize and schedule the event.