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.

2016 National Ag Day Art Contest Rules & Guidelines

Official Topic: “Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet”

2016 Rules (Microsoft Word .doc format)
2016 Entry Form (Microsoft Word. doc format)

Section I – General Information
The National Ag Day Poster Art contest is designed to showcase the talents of young artists who share a passion for modern agriculture.  A winning original piece of art will be chosen as the Official National Ag Day poster.  The contest is open to all amateur artists enrolled in high school or college.

Judging will be conducted under the direction of the Board of Directors.

Contest theme: Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet

Section II – Awards

• The winning entry will be published as the official National Ag Day Poster
• The winning artist will receive $1,000 scholarship sponsored by Meredith Agrimedia.
• Artwork and profile of the artist will be prominently featured in Successful Farming magazine and Ag Day correspondence.  Media releases will also be sent to all Ag Day sponsors and supporters.
• Prints will be on display during the Ag Day events in DC.

Section III – Rules

The file format of all entries must be a PDF submitted via photograph or scan of the original art.  Original art can be any medium.  Please do not frame your original art.  Original art should be no smaller than 8” x 10”.

1. Winning artwork will include themes celebrating modern agriculture in the United States and in the spirit of the current Ag Day theme.
2. To submit the entry, visit http://agday.leapfile.net and follow the directions as guided on the page, OR the entry may be a DVD or CD and mailed to:  2016 Ag Day Poster Contest, Agricultural Council of America, 11020 King St., Ste. 205, Overland Park, KS 66210
3. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form. If entry is uploaded at http://agday.leapfile.net, please submit an accompanying entry form to http://agday.leapfile.net in Word or PDF format. If the entry is burned to a DVD or CD and mailed to the address above, please include an accompanying entry form within the package. Please submit entry via mail or upload site – not both. Entry forms are available to download at http://agday.org/. Entries must be received at the address listed above no later than midnight CST, October 30, 2015.
4. The ACA cannot confirm receiving entries sent via email.
5. Entry must have been done in 2015. Each student should submit only one entry.
6. Each entry will be judged on the originality of concept, presentation, adherence to the theme, design technique and total impact.
7. Failure to adhere to the rules may result in disqualification at the discretion of the Ag Council.
8. All entries become the property of the Agriculture Council of America.
9. Contestants must be a U.S. citizen. Contestants must meet all requirements to compete.
10. Entries must not violate any copyrights or trademarks.

Section IV – Judging  

• Students must be in high school or college in the United States.

Section V – Timeline

• October 30 – All entrants due
• December 1 – Winner Notified
• December 31 – Official posters available for distribution

Recruit someone you know to become a NAMA member and be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini. The member-get-a-member campaign will run from October 15 through December 10. The drawing will take place December 11.

Simply tell your recruit to join at nama.org and add your name and company in the box titled “Referred By.” They can also call the NAMA office (913) 491- 6500 to join; remind them to say they were referred by you.

The more members you recruit, the more your name will be entered into the drawing!

Join MoKan NAMA on Thursday, October 22^nd at 6:00 p.m. for a social and charity event at Topgolf in Overland Park, KS. Topgolf is the perfect atmosphere for networking and fun with excellent food and drinks. No golf skills required! Students from Mizzou and K-State NAMA chapters will be joining us as well.

Since October 22^nd is National Hunger Day, we ask you bring non-perishable food items for donation. All those who donate food will be entered into a door prize drawing.

This event will serve as our annual golf outing and we would like to use this opportunity to raise funds for our student chapters. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $150 which covers the cost of one hitting bay. Each bay hosts up to six people. This would be similar to a hole sponsorship at our previous golf outings.

BCS Communications has sponsored our beverage cart at past golf outings. Thank you for sponsoring the beverages at Topgolf.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Location: Topgolf, 10611 Nall Ave, Overland Park, KS 66207

Registration: $50 per person (includes golf, food and drinks)

Sponsorships: $150 per hitting bay (up to 7 bays available)

Registration & a Sponsorship: $200

Click here to RSVP and/or sponsor this event. For questions, contact Bob Brunker at (816) 746-8814. We hope you will show your support for our student chapters and become a sponsor. Remember there are only 7 hitting bay sponsors, so sign-up or call today.

Thank you in advance for your support of MoKan NAMA and don’t forget to bring a food item for National Hunger Day!

Share your marketing expertise with FFA members.

The Marketing Plan Career Development Event committee is looking for volunteer judges for the 2015 competition. The event will be held during the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY, October 29 and 30.

If interested, please contact Mike Gustafson at [email protected].

Handle your emotions under pressure, take advantage of trends, accept the unexpected and adapt to others – those are just a few of the insights into being the best leader possible that NAMA 2015 Fall Conference attendees gained.

“Our theme of ‘Reach New Peaks’ combined the location of Denver and the idea of growing professionally, to push toward career goals and challenge yourself to go all the way to the top,” said Alison Berry, HLK, conference chair. “The conference was very focused on professional growth and development and also provided intimate networking opportunities for new and veteran members of NAMA.”

Keynote speaker Bill Benjamin said that to be our personal best and improve as a leader, we need to handle emotions under pressure. Reframe that pressure moment in your mind from a crisis to a challenge or opportunity. He also offered a solid strategy for dealing with pressure in the moment – S.O.S.

• Stop – Take a moment to disconnect from what triggered the pressure, even if it’s as simple as taking a drink of water or moving your body.
• Oxygen – Slow and deepen your breath. Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 2, out for 4.
• Seek information – Think about what exceptional leaders would do in the situation. Also think about others’ intentions and how you can approach them differently.

High-energy speaker Kelli Vrla threw attendees rapid-fire recommendations to stay focused and be successful amidst chaos and stress, including:

• There are two keys to motivating people: know what makes them tick and what ticks them off.
• Create a chart with your team of a) what’s working, b) what needs work, and c) what you have to do within one week.
• Accept the unexpected and be ready to roll with it.
• Be a Plan B thinker … what is the next best step?

The fact that body language is five times more powerful than words prompted a popular session with Impact Leadership Solutions’ Anna Conrad, who reviewed the do’s and don’ts when it comes to the following: handshake, eye contact, head position, stance, space. One of the most important lessons was that communicating through body language is not about you, it’s about the other person. Adapt to others to encourage them to listen to and trust you. And a fun tip: everyone knows the best stance is hands down at your sides, but it feels awkward. Holding a pen or other small object in one hand helps!

Attendees heard timely information about each of the current presidential candidates from veteran farm policy reporter Sara Wyant, who also emphasized that the rural vote can and will count next November. Speaking of rural enterprise, a panel discussion about Colorado’s growing marijuana market highlighted the current and future impact of the crop.

Other breakout sessions covered social media trends, agriculture-minded millennials and their views on sustainability, injecting humor and storytelling into your presentations, and identifying the most valuable assets for customers.

The Fall Conference is rapidly becoming another NAMA can’t-miss gathering. Make sure to get the dates for next year’s conference on your calendar and plan to meet with your friends and colleagues in Raleigh, NC on September 20-22, 2016.

Best of NAMA:
Creative Feed

Your 2015 Best of NAMA entries are due next week! The deadline to submit your entries is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Ocotober 9, 2015. Make sure you get your entries in soon for a chance to be honored with a Best of NAMA award!

Click here to access all the information you need to submit your best work.

New for 2016!
As you look over the Call for Entries you’ll notice some changes. Over the past several months a special task force met and has made enhancements and updates to the Best of NAMA Program. We think the changes reflect what’s happening in the industry today. Of course if you have questions or need category clarifications, please call us at (913) 491-6500. The deadline to submit your work is October 9, 2015.

Special thanks to Colle+McVoy for creating the Call for Entries!