The primary goal or mission of the Agri-Business Educational Foundation (ABEF) is to provide today’s agri-business students the tools they will need to succeed tomorrow.

Celebrate agriculture on March 20 for National Ag Day 2018! Whether you are attending the events in DC or celebrating in your local community, make sure you get involved next week.

National Ag Day Schedule:

Taste of Ag Reception
5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Montpelier Room at the Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building
Independence Avenue, between 1st and 2nd Streets
Washington, DC 20540

​Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01) invites you to join him to celebrate National Ag Day!

Doug LaMalfa is a fourth generation rice farmer and business owner who has lived in Northern California all his life. He and his wife, Jill, along with their four children make their home on the family farm in Richvale.

​Click here to register.

​Other Events in DC

​Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit
March 21
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill
Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Issue Paper Release
Regulatory Barriers to the Development of Innovative Agricultural Biotechnology by Small Businesses and Universities
March 22
3:30 to 5:00 p.m. (presentation and panel discussion)
March 23
10:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (presentation only)
Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Find great resources to promote National Ag Day at www.agday.org!

And check out the 2018 Ag Day Blog for great articles that celebrate American agriculture.

Join the Iowa NAMA chapter for an educational luncheon featuring a presentation from Clint Chaffer, Director of Product Marketing at The Climate Corporation. Clint joined Climate in 2014 as a business manager in northwestern Illinois, and having grown up on a farm in the same region has always had a passion for agriculture and technology.

WHEN: Thursday, March 22 at 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

WHERE: FFA Enrichment Center, 1055 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, IA 50023

COST: $25 for members; $35 for non-members; $15 for recent grads; and free for current students

REGISTER NOW!

Join the Cornbelt NAMA Chapter to Celebrate Agriculture on Wednesday, March 28th.

Speaker: Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University.
Dr. Wintersteen was recently selected to serve as Iowa State University’s 16th president and is the first female president in the university’s history. Dr. Wintersteen’s career at Iowa State spans nearly 40 years, where she most recently served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station from 2006-2017.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 28 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM

WHERE: DoubleTree Convention Complex, Exhibit Hall A, 350 First Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, IA

COST: Free for NAMA members!

Click here to RSVP.

The Midsouth chapter gathered on Friday, March 2, to support the Mississippi State chapter in their Student NAMA competition efforts. The backdrop for this meeting was the Midsouth Farm & Gin Show.

The student committee had the great idea to align with an event that, conveniently, many NAMA members already attend, but also one that the students would benefit greatly from attending. Twelve members attended, including some special guests – Scott McClure, the chapter’s executive committee liaison, and the National NAMA President, Amy Bradford. There was lively discussion and helpful comments for the students.

The chapter would like to give a special thanks to Tim Price and the Southern Cotton Ginners Association for giving us the space at the show to meet.

On March 8, Badger NAMA members gathered in Middleton, Wisconsin to hear from leading industry experts on how various trade and international policy issues affect Wisconsin farmers and agribusinesses. Moderated by Gary Sipiorski, Vita Plus, the panel included Aaron Stauffacher, Dairy Business Association, Jack Heinemann, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Tammy Vaassen, Wisconsin Pork Association, and Nicole Wagner, Wisconsin Corn Program.

Heinemann said Wisconsin exported $3.5 billion in agricultural exports and cited a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report that projected Wisconsin to be the state second-most negatively impacted by a NAFTA withdrawal. While dairy, corn and pork have their specific concerns, the other three panelists agreed that exports are essential to their respective industries’ success.

The U.S. relationship with Mexico is of particular concern. Not only is Mexico a major market for U.S. products, but unsteady relations impact the Hispanic workforce that greatly contributes to Wisconsin dairy and hog farms. If a silver lining is to be found, the panelists said it’s that the global marketplace still demands U.S. agricultural products because of the safety and quality of our food supply.

Are you looking to start a new position in agri-marketing? Check out the list of available jobs on the NAMA Job Network.

Click here to view the current list of jobs. You will need to log into the NAMA website, as this is located in the Member’s Only Section. Once logged in, click on Job Postings.

Are you needing to hire someone new? You can also post relevant jobs to the NAMA Job Network to speed up your hiring process. Click here to post your company’s position. Again, you will need to log into the NAMA website to post a job. Once logged in, click on Post a Job.