We are just two weeks away from the 12th Annual NAMA Boot Camp, but don’t worry, it’s not too late to register! The 2015 Boot Camp will take place August 18-20 in Kansas City at the Sheraton Crown Center.

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. And be sure to sign up today so you don’t miss out on these amazing opportunities. 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.

The 2015 MoKan Ag Tour is the first day of NAMA’s Boot Camp. We will start bright and early on Tuesday, August 18 to make sure we can fit in all the great activities planned. The first stop will be a cattle production facility in Savannah, Missouri. This angus feeder and cow/calf operation started in 1950 by the Byergo Family. Bryson Byergo, who will lead the tour, is also speaking at this year’s Boot Camp! The facility includes a sale barn, meat counter and pasture for us to explore.

Following this, we’ll move on to Green Dirt Farm in Weston, Missouri. Green Dirt Farm’s commitment is to bring the best sheep’s milk, cheeses, yogurt and 100% grass-fed lamb to market. This location includes the original barn, along with a dairy parlor and cheese kitchen. This is also where we will enjoy lunch, which will include 100% grass-fed lamb with family sides prepared by a local chef.

We’ll wrap up the day with a visit to Cider Hill Family Orchard, in Kansas City, Kansas. This 25-acre property includes an orchard, pumpkin patch and fishing ponds. The orchard has 950 apple trees with 18 different kinds of apples. Apple season began in late July!

Breakfast and lunch will be served as part of the tour and is included in the cost of registration.

Cost:  $50/person and includes breakfast and lunch (same cost for members & non-members)

Dress: Casual, wear closed-toed shoes (no flipflops or heels).

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

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

Summer is coming to an end…but that can be a good thing because that means it is almost time for the NAMA Fall Conference!

This year NAMA is taking you to Downtown Denver for your next dose of agri-marketing education. We have a great line-up for you that you do not want to miss.

The keynote speakers will teach you how to perform your best under pressure and how to stay focused and juggle every aspect of your life. Plus, get an inside look at business and e-commerce with this year’s “Through the Lens of a Leader.”

This year’s breakout sessions will focus on what’s going on in agribusiness in today’s changing world. Sessions will include: how social media will change in coming years, the importance of body language in the work place, the current and future impact of the legalization of marijuana and much more. Plus you will have a great opportunity to meet the right people at the Networking Reception, sponsored by Brighton Agency. Unwind after the first day of Fall Conference on the deck of The Curtis Hotel and enjoy the scenic views Denver has to offer.

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

For a full schedule, registration details, hotel information and anything 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).

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!

The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) will host National Agriculture Day on March 15, 2016. This will mark the 43rd anniversary of National Ag Day which is celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. The theme for National Ag Day 2016 is “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.”

On March 15, 2016, the ACA will host major events in the nation’s capital including the Mix-and-Mingle Luncheon and the National Celebration of Agriculture Dinner. Additionally, the ACA will bring approximately 100 college students to Washington to deliver the message of Ag Day to the Hill.

These events honor National Agriculture Day and mark a nationwide effort to tell the true story of American agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us. A number of producers, agricultural associations, corporations, students and government organizations involved in agriculture are expected to participate.

National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

The National Ag Day program encourages every American to:

• Understand how food and fiber products are produced.

• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.

• Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

In addition to the events in Washington, DC on March 15, the ACA will once again feature the Ag Day Essay Contest as well as the Ag Day Poster Art Contest.

Keep checking www.agday.org for more information on National Ag Day in 2016.

Get a jump start on your calendars for NAMA’s Agri-Marketing Conference. We have the schedule set all the way until 2020! Check out where we will be and get a sneak peak at the hotels.

April 13-15, 2016 | Kansas City, MO
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
Click here for hotel information.

April 26-28, 2017 | Dallas, TX
Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Click here for hotel information.

April 11-13, 2018 | Kansas City, MO
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
Click here for hotel information.

April 10-12, 2019 | Kansas City, MO
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
Click here for hotel information.

April 15-17, 2020 | San Diego, CA
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
Click here for hotel information.