NAMA unveiled a new website last October.  Make sure you have deleted your old bookmarks and created new ones to ensure you’re looking at the most recent, up-to-date information!

Update your bookmarks now: www.nama.org

The 12th Annual NAMA Boot Camp starts tomorrow! We hope to see you all there! If you’re not signed up, you can still register today or onsite!

This event is filled with great opportunities whether you are just starting out in the working world or if you’ve been through Boot Camp many times before. If this is your first time in the agriculture business then you are in luck; you will get a beginner’s course about the business including a notebook packed with agricultural terminology, facts and case studies. If you are a more seasoned veteran, you can choose from a variety of different breakout sessions and pick the one that interests you most. Aside from the great speakers lined up for you this year, we also have some fun scheduled into the program. The first night of Boot Camp there will be a networking reception where you’ll have the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. In today’s working world, meeting the right people can make a huge difference in growing your career – you never know who you could meet! The next night we will have an off-site reception at Boulevard Brewing Company. Enjoy some of Kansas City’s finest beer and wine while networking with your peers.

Find a complete schedule of this year’s activities on the Boot Camp website. You can still register! Register online or call the NAMA office at (913) 491-6500.

Are you attending the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL?  If so, join other NAMA members at a reception hosted by Chicago and Heartland NAMA.

It’s a great opportunity to take a break and interact with other NAMA members on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Exhibitor Tent, located near Gate 6 on the corner of East and Sixth.

Appetizers and drinks will be provided (yes, adult beverages, too).

If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Pinkerton, (217) 637-1428.

NAMA, the AgriBusiness Media Council and the MoKan NAMA chapter will co-host a reception at the NAFB Convention, Wednesday, November 11, 2015. It will take place at the Westin Crown Center on the Garden Terrace in Kansas City from 5-6 p.m. Watch your email for more details.  For more information visit the NAFB Convention website.

The 2015 NAMA Fall Conference will be here before you know it! Don’t miss out on the great keynote speakers NAMA has lined up for you this year in beautiful Denver, CO. Here is a sneak peak:

Bill Benjamin is one of the original partners at the Institute for Health and Human Potential (IHHP). Prior to joining IHHP, Bill was Vice President of a computer software firm, leading the sales, consulting and marketing divisions. His passion and enthusiasm for Emotional Intelligence and its impact on leadership development will leave you inspired and wanting more. Bill has delivered leadership programs to diverse groups that include the US Army, NASA, Intel and Goldman Sachs.

Kelli Vrla is a Rocky Mountain based corporate communications consultant who has enlightened and “entertrained” thousands through her dynamic presentations. She spent 16 years as a broadcast sales executive in radio and 14 years as CEO of her own people development firm. She’ll show you how to own your job and get others to own theirs. Learn to handle change before it handles you and deal successfully with even the most challenging personalities in your organization.

Scott Williams has been Cabela’s Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and E-Commerce Officer since October 2011. He joined Cabela’s after serving as the President of Fanatics, Inc., a vertically integrated online retailer of team and league licensed sports apparel and collectibles.Scott was a Corporate Vice President of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., from 2006 to May 2010. He will give you an inside look at business and e-commerce in this year’s “Through the Lens of a Leader.”

See you in Denver on September 22-24 for the best Fall Conference yet!

For a full schedule, registration details, hotel information and everything else you need to know, visit the Fall Conference website.

Get to Fall Conference early for the Rocky Mountain NAMA Ag Tour! We will be starting early on Tuesday, September 22 to get a unique perspective on some of the most enterprising ag operations in the Centennial State. We’ll visit three unique spots and enjoy tours led by their owners. Get ready to hear the inside scoop on agri-tainment, listen to an international spin on the milling and bakery business and see the latest in vertical farming. Check out the full schedule here!

The first stop will be to Rock Creek Farm. Rock Creek Farm’s U-Pick-Em pumpkins and corn mazes are part of the Miller family’s business plan. The tour begins here where agri-tainment meets traditional ag just outside Denver.

After that it’s on to Ardent Mills. Supported by 40 flour mills, three bakery-mix facilities and specialty bakeries located across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, the company has deep roots in communities throughout North America. Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver and employs more than 100 certified millers, supporting thousands of local jobs and contributing billions of dollars to local economies. Look forward to a full tour of the flour mill just outside Denver in Commerce City.

Then we move to Dirtless Farms. Owner Evan Premer grew up surrounded by fields. His family had small gardens and ranches, so farming has always been a part of his life. As an adult, Evan went to another field—the Army—where he completed tours of duty in Germany and Iraq. After he completed his service, he gained valuable agricultural training at Circle Fresh Farms, with the help of Farmer Veteran Coalition’s partner in Colorado, Veterans to Farmers. Evan now operates Dirtless Farms – a vertical farm that grows a variety of leaf greens for restaurants across the Denver-metro area.

After a tour of Dirtless Farms, get a taste of the delicious greens grown there as the tour stops for lunch at Linger, a farm to table restaurant that Evan supplies with fresh produce.

Cost:  $75/person and includes breakfast and lunch (same cost for members & non-members)

Dress: Casual, wear closed-toed shoes (no flipflops or heels) and long pants. Ardent Mills requires long pants and closed-toed shoes to go on the tour.

Time:  7:30 AM depart from hotel, return to hotel at 3:00 PM

Please note: The Rocky Mountain Ag Tour is prior to the NAMA Fall Conference. While we hope that you’ll attend both, you do not need to be registered for Fall Conference to attend the Ag Tour. Check out the Fall Conference website for more information on both! Register today!

NAMA members are eligible for a discount for Purdue’s Executive Agri-Marketing program.

Purdue’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business Executive Agri-Marketing program will be held August 31 to September 2, 2015 on the Purdue University campus.  During this three-day program, participants will learn from world-renowned agri-marketing experts how to position and influence their organization and lead across various segments in the firm. To aid marketers in implementing powerful marketing strategies, participants will also receive one-on-one coaching from faculty experts on their company’s marketing challenges. Participants will also leave the program with an understanding of the marketing decision-making tools to use to make the next big marketing decision.

When registering, enter discount code: NAMA

Learn more and register for the seminar here.