Join the Badger, MoKan and Chicago NAMA chapters for some exciting networking opportunities!

Badger NAMA ~ July 24

Badger NAMA Fond du Lac Farm Tour

Join the Badger NAMA Chapter for an up-close view of Wisconsin Dairy’s diversity and commitment to excellence.

Thursday, July 24 | Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Itinerary:
9:15 a.m. | Registration at Vir-Clar Farm (N5119 County Road K, Fond du Lac)

9:30 a.m. | Vir-Clar Farm Tour
Vir-Clar Farm is owned and operated by the Boyke and Grinstead families.  The dairy milks 1,250 cows and produces electricity for 320 homes with its methane digester.  Katie (Boyke) Grinstead will lead us on a tour of the farm and share her work in building good relationships with local consumers.

11:30 a.m. | LaClare Farms Tour & Lunch (W2994 County Road HH, Malone)
Established in 1978, LaClare Family Farm has grown to a milking herd of 375 dairy goats.  Owners Larry and Clara Hedrich expanded the business to include the production of award-winning Evalon and Chevre cheeses.  In addition to a farm tour, we’ll enjoy lunch at the farm’s café, which features seasonal entrees prepared from scratch using locally raised ingredients.

1:45 p.m. | Kelley Country Creamery Visit (W5215 County Road B, Fond du Lac)
Karen and Tim Kelley own and operate a 200-acre farmstead with 65 Holstein cows.  At the creamery, we’ll watch ice cream being made while we enjoy scoops of our own favorite flavors.  Karen will give us a brief overview of the farm’s history and the creamery’s marketing strategy.

2:45 p.m. | Depart

Cost and Registration:

Badger NAMA members | $20
Non-members | $30
Students |$10

PLEASE NOTE: The registration deadline is Friday, July 18.

Travel
If you are interested in carpooling from the Milwaukee area, please contact Jeanne Gibson at [email protected].
If you are interested in carpooling from the Madison area, please contact Andrea Bloom at [email protected].

To register for the Badger NAMA Farm Tour visit http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1.

MoKan NAMA Golf Classic ~ July 24

Save the date for the upcoming MoKan NAMA Golf Classic on Thursday, July 24. This is a fundraising event to help provide additional financial support for our student chapters.

Check in time: 12:00 Noon
Shotgun start: 1:00 p.m.
Awards & festivities to follow

Falcon Lakes Golf Club
4605 Clubhouse Dr.
Basehor, KS 66007
913.724.4653

$80 per player
$320 per group/foursome
$400 includes 4 golfers + a hole sponsorship
$100 Hole Sponsorship
Mulligans will be 2 for $5 or 5 – $10/player

Register online at http://www.nama.org/store/index.php?p=catalog&parent=28&pg=1.

If you’ve got coworkers or clients that have never played golf, but would like to give it a shot (pun intended), please invite them to register. This is a fun/relaxed event that will be fun for all. Players will meet up in the clubhouse for cocktails, dinner and awards/prizes immediately following.

To become a sponsor or provide prizes for this event, please contact:
Bob Brunker
816.746.8814
[email protected]

MoKan Ag Tour ~ August 19

7:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. – MoKan Ag Tour (in-conjunction with the NAMA Boot Camp – the tour is optional)
The 2014 MoKan NAMA Ag Tour is an opportunity for participants, new or seasoned in the industry, to experience the different nuances of agriculture in the Kansas City area.  Our first stop will be to a 15,000 acre corn/soy operation to learn about new technologies going into today’s agronomy, equipment and farm management.  Next, we will visit Shatto Milk Company and dairy for a full tour and lunch.  We’ll finish at Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery for a look (and taste) of their local grapes and how they market their business.

To register call (913)491-6500 or visit the NAMA Boot Camp site to register for the Ag Tour and/or the NAMA Boot Camp.

Chicago Ag Tour ~ September 15

Transparency, transparency, transparency. It is more than a buzzword at Fair Oaks Farms where they are redefining farm-to-plate and providing visitors with an experience in agriculture like no other.

Located in northwestern Indiana, just a short bus ride from Chicago, Fair Oaks hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, giving them a look, and now a taste, as to what modern agriculture is all about.

As part of the fall tour, the Chicago NAMA chapter has coordinated a visit to Fair Oaks Farms. Upon arrival at the farm, you’ll start with a stop at the visitor center where interactive displays provide an education experience like no other on the dairy industry.

From there you will board a bus and head out to the 30,000 cow dairy to see the cows, learn how the cows on the farm are cared for and visit the rotary milking parlor to learn about this unique milking technology.

Methane digesters on the farm handle all associated waste from the farm so you will learn more about that technology and how the energy generated is used to power the buses you’ll be riding as well as all the farm equipment.

Next stop is the new Pig Adventure at Fair Oaks Farms. Our group will be given a private tour of the interactive displays and allowed to view from the observation deck the gestation and farrowing operations of this 2,500 commercial operation.

Then it is off to the new FarmHouse Restaurant, Bakery and Farmers Market at Fair Oaks Farms where during social hour, you’ll have the opportunity to tour the kitchen and interact with the team of chefs. Located on site, this impressive new facility is truly redefining local food production, serving food produced on site that is prepared in its completely viewable kitchen.

Following dinner will be a short panel discussion on ground-breaking research out of Purdue University showing on how and if experiences like those at Fair Oaks Farms are reshaping consumer perceptions of “big ag.” You’ll also hear about the new crop center that is coming to Fair Oaks and plans for poultry, beef, aquaculture and more as well as a hotel and farm-themed waterpark.

Tour cost is $75/person and includes bus transportation, dinner and all tour-related fees. The bus will depart from the hotel at noon on Monday, September 15 and return by 9 p.m.

To register for the Chicago Ag Tour call the NAMA Office at (913)491-6500 or visit the NAMA Fall Conference Web Site.