News

  • 07 Nov 2014 3:08 PM | Anonymous

    Did you know that in the last 20 years, the number of Farmers Markets tracked by the USDA has increased by nearly 400%?  The growth of Farmers Markets, CSAs, “Farm-to-Table” restaurants, etc. are all a product of the “locavore” movement.  But how does that fit into the agricultural landscape overall?  How do they work?  How do you effectively manage this new business unit?  These are all questions we are hoping to answer at this panel discussion. 

    Join us on Thursday, November 20th to hear from Mac Edwards, former  Memphis Farmers Market board member and current restaurateur, and Mark Hoggard, current manager of the Agricenter Farmers Market.  We will engage this panel to educate us about what they do, and how they participate in these channels.  
     
    Join us at the AgriCenter’s Horticulture Room for this program, a Farmers Market inspired lunch will be served!
     

    When: Thursday, November 20th, 11:30am
    Where: AgriCenter, Horticulture Room
    Cost: $25

    Register to attend.

  • 10 Oct 2014 9:24 AM | Anonymous

    Have you seen the documentary FARMLAND? Chances are, if you work in agriculture, it was on your radar screen, even with its limited release at theaters this spring. For our October meeting, we are offering a unique chance to learn what led to the creation of the film followed by a viewing.

    This is an opportunity to get together with other MidSouth agribusiness professionals to participate in an important discussion so we are opening up this event to other ag associations as well as anyone who works in agriculture. Please invite others and share this information with anyone who may be interested.

    Join us at 4pm for a behind the scenes look or at 5pm to watch the film or both!

    There will be time for networking with drinks and hors d'oeuvres between the 4pm and 5pm events. It will be a cash bar, no credit cards so stop by the ATM on the way!

    Farmland: Behind the Scenes

    Join us at 4pm to hear from Randy Krotz, CEO of US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, the organization whose generous support made the film FARMLAND possible. Randy will discuss the research and events that led to the creation of the film. He will share details related to the cinematic success, consumer reaction and the launch of the I Am FARMLAND campaign.

    Time: 4pm

    Farmland: Watch the Film

    Join us at 5:00pm to view the FARMLAND film - a must see film for ag professionals! The run-time for the film is 77 minutes.

    Check out the film's trailer here: www.farmlandfilm.com

    Time: 5pm


    Visit the Events section to register!
  • 18 Sep 2014 3:36 PM | Anonymous

    The new website includes functionality designed to handle meeting registrations and allow us to better manage Chapter records.

    One of the new features of the website is a password-protected section. We have already setup an account for each of you. The only thing you will need to do is setup your password. See instructions below.

    We know it can be a pain to keep track of your online accounts and passwords so we made this optional. You DO NOT have to login to your account to register for any MidSouth NAMA event.

    There are benefits to setting up a password and logging in. Your account provides access to your registration information if you need to make changes and you can access invoices and receipts for payments. You also have access to full contact information in the Chapter directory if you need to get in touch with a fellow MidSouth NAMA colleague (only limited info available without logging in).

    How to Setup Password (optional)

    1. Go to www.MidSouthNAMA.org.
    2. Under the banner image, click on the blue button on the right side that says LOGIN.
    3. Enter your email address and click Forgot Password.
    4. This will generate an email that will walk you through setting your password.

    How to Register & Pay Online for a Meeting/Event

    Go to the Events page of www.MidSouthNAMA.org and select the appropriate event.

    1. Click on the REGISTER button.
    2. Enter your email address. Click NEXT.
    3. At this point, you have the option to LOGIN to auto-fill your contact info or proceed without logging in. If you choose to LOGIN but have not setup your password already, simply click LOGIN and follow the instructions above. If you choose not to LOGIN, simply fill in your contact info.
    4. Click NEXT.
    5. Review and confirm the info is correct. Click CONFIRM.

    Payment: Online credit card payment is not integrated within the registration process at this time, which is why you may have noticed a reference to "Free" while registering. The cost and link to pay for the meeting via credit card online is included in the confirmation email you will receive after clicking CONFIRM. As usual, cash and checks will be accepted at the meeting or we can send an invoice.  

    If you have any problems or questions, feel free to contact Jessica Skinner (jskinner@fbsciences.com). 

  • 12 Sep 2014 9:53 AM | Anonymous

    You’ve seen the headlines: "Bees in Crisis” and “Pesticides Killing Bees.” You know bees are important to agriculture. Do you know why? Do you know enough about the situation to discuss it with others? Do you know what we, as members of the agriculture industry, can do to help?

    Join us on Thursday, September 25th at the AgriCenter to hear David Glover, The Bartlett Bee Whisperer answer these questions and more. David spends his days tending hives and rescuing honeybees who have built their homes in our homes and businesses. He removes the bees and their combs and relocates them to farms located in Shelby, Fayette and McNairy Counties where they can pollinate crops. In addition, David gives presentations about bees to schools, garden clubs, and at events like the groundbreaking ceremony last week for Bayer CropScience’s new greenhouse at the AgriCenter where he discussed bee health, habitat and value to agriculture.

    Look forward to seeing everyone again and learning more about what is happening with the bee population in the MidSouth!

    When: September 25, 2014, 11:30am

    Where: AgriCenter International, C Wing, Horticulture Room

    Cost: $20

    Register for Meeting

  • 05 Sep 2014 12:30 PM | Anonymous
    The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best work in agricultural communications. NAMA members are encouraged to enter their company's communications materials produced for first use in 2014. Entries are open to any ag-related products or services.

    For complete details visit http://www.nama.org/amc/bon/index.htm.

    The deadline for submitting entries is October 10, 2014.

    Watch your inbox for an email about how you can get involved with planning our Chapter BON Awards Banquet.


  • 28 Aug 2014 12:02 PM | Anonymous
    This Fall we are launching a series of chapter meetings dedicated to advocating for agriculture. As agri-marketers, it is vital we understand the issues and know how to serve as ambassadors for our industry.

    Our first meeting in September will address the issues surrounding honeybees and crop production. Watch for more info!

  • 31 Jul 2014 2:46 PM | Anonymous

    Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to our 2013-14 Chapter Membership Survey! We had great participation and the feedback has been used to shape our 2014-15 programs and other efforts.

    We welcome feedback and ideas anytime! Send an email to our chapter email address or contact one of the Executive Committee members directly.

    As promised, here is a summary of the survey results.

    Industry Experience

    • 46% of respondents have been in agri-marketing or agri-business for more than 10 years
    • 33% of respondents have been in agri-marketing or agri-business for 1-5 years
    • What we learned: We need to provide more opportunities for less experienced members to get to know and learn from those who have been around a little longer.

    Member Companies

    • 20% of our chapter works for companies that manufacture crop products or equipment
    • 17% of our chapter works for marketing/ad agencies
    • 17% of our chapter marked “other” (guess we need to do a better job of providing options)
    • The remaining members work for media companies, industry associations, seed companies, marketing product/service companies, universities/extension and market research companies.
    • What we learned: We love the diversity of our chapter!

    NAMA Involvement

    • 50% of respondents have been NAMA members for 1-5 years
    • 33% of respondents have been NAMA members for more than 10 years
    • What we learned: Recent membership efforts are paying off. While we want to grow, we want to make sure we don’t lose the participation and interest of our more senior members.

    Why Participate in MidSouth NAMA

    • 92% of the chapter participate to network with people involved in agri-marketing in our region
    • 67% of the chapter participates for career development
    • 42% participates because they feel it is important
    • 30% participates to support the local student chapters
    • 25% participates to learn about specific skills
    • What we learned: We need to have more social events, which are better suited to networking than meetings with a presenter.

    Meeting Attendance

    • 35% of respondents attended 5 or more chapter events (out of 7 total events)
    • 35% attended 1-2 chapter events
    • 30% attended 3-4 chapter events
    • What we learned: We are thrilled that one-third of the chapter attended so many events. We are going to work on the 35% who attended 1-2 events this year!

    Top 3 Drivers for Chapter Meeting Attendance 

    1. Workload
    2. Meeting location (part of town)
    3. Meeting topic
    • What we learned: We know everyone is busy so we weren’t surprised that workload was the number one driver. We will continue to move the meetings around geographically.

    Meeting Topics/Ideas

    • Local food/ag industry
    • How to be a better marketer
    • Technology in the ag community
    • More topics related to farms; things to help us meet the farmers needs
    • Trends in ag and marketing
    • Social media
    • Industry updates
    • Media trends
    • Branding
    • High-concept marketing ideas
    • What MidSouth agri-marketers are doing
    • Tradeshows
    • Media relations with ag crisis situations

    Preferred Meeting Time (in order)

    1. Mid-day 11am-2pm
    2. Early evening 5-7pm
    3. Afternoon 2-5pm
    4. Morning 7-10am
    5. Later evening 7-9pm
    • What we learned: Mid-day lunchtime meetings were heavily preferred so we will continue to use that as our standard meeting time; however, we are going to incorporate at least one early evening event this year.

    Communications

    • 92% said chapter communications were “about right”
    • What we learned: We’re glad you don’t feel like we are stalking or ignoring you. We’ll keep it the same.

    Website

    • 65% only visit the website when they receive a notification or email that links to it
    • 22% only visit monthly for meeting info
    • What we learned: We will continue to use the chapter website as the primary location for all chapter news and event info.

    Other Feedback: What else can we do?

    • Earlier notification of meeting dates
    • More early evening events
    • More social events
    • More interaction with student chapters
    • What we learned: Our meetings are typically on the third Thursday of the month but that does change. We are finalizing the meeting dates for 2014 right now and we will share that info as soon as it is available. We are reaching out to the student chapters to find out what they want from our relationship. We have considered mentoring opportunities, campus visits and streaming our meetings online so they can participate. 


  • 02 Jul 2014 7:00 AM | Anonymous

    Your fellow MidSouth NAMA Chapter members from Krone North America would like to invite you to their office next week for the I Make America Harley Davidson Tour. It will begin at 11:30am with a few words about the campaign. They will be grilling lunch and you can register for a chance to win a Harley.

    Date: Tuesday, July 8th
    Time: 11:30am
    Location: 3363 Miac Cove, Memphis, 38118

    I Make America is the domestic public policy advocacy platform for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) which advocates to dramatically improve American manufacturing policies and to create more jobs in the U.S. They focus on policies that will expand and preserve the economic growth of our great nation and keep us competitive with other countries. More information about I Make America and the Harley Tour can be found at www.imakeamerica.com.


  • 17 Jun 2014 7:00 AM | Anonymous

    Today, consumer perceptions about everything from animal welfare and antibiotics to GMOs and government regulations can have a substantial impact on farming operations of all kinds and sizes. If agricultural marketers hope to shift how consumers see things, it will first require a shift in our own thinking.

    “Why you don’t work in agriculture anymore,” showcases the very latest consumer research from Sullivan Higdon & Sink’s influential FoodThink studies and delves into real-world examples that will both inform and inspire agricultural marketers.

    Presented by Ali Mahaffy, SVP, Brand Management, and Samantha Scantlebury, Brand Strategist, of Sullivan Higdon & Sink.

    Ali Mahaffy has more than 20 years of experience in marketing on both the client and agency side. Today, Ali helps lead Sullivan Higdon & Sink and helped establish its food value chain practice which includes clients such as Cargill, Dairy Farmers of America, Merial Limited and Sonic Drive-In. The agency also works with leading ag-related brands such as Tractor Supply Co. and Trimble Agriculture.

    Samantha’s interest in agriculture began at the family dinner table (her father owns a grain silo technology company, and her brother is on the path to a plant sciences degree). As a brand planner and FoodThink researcher, Samantha dives deep into what’s driving today’s food conversations and applies her insights for clients such as Borden Cheese, Cache Valley Dairy, VFT Global and Granola Jones.

    Date: Thursday, June 26, 2014
    Time: 1:00pm CDT
    Duration: 1 hour
    Cost: $50

  • 29 May 2014 7:00 AM | Anonymous

    On May 8, we welcomed newly elected officers to serve on the MidSouth NAMA Executive Committee! We are grateful to have a great group of volunteers and look forward their leadership as we continue to grow the chapter. The new Executive Committee is geared up for 2014-15 planning which will begin at their first meeting on June 19.

    MidSouth NAMA Executive Committee

    President: Lesley Landry, archer>malmo
    Vice President: Jessica Skinner, FBSciences
    Secretary: Grace Fong, Skyline Exhibits
    Treasurer: LuElla Sprout, Horizon Ag
    Best of NAMA: Laura Svec, DuPont CropProtection
    Communications: Jessica Skinner, FBSciences
    Membership: Darrah Pierce, Delta Farm Press
    Programs: Kelli Polatty, Entira & Margaret Oldham, Beck Ag


    Contact us
     if you would like to get involved with the chapter leadership team!

Chapter Mailing Address

8275 Tournament Drive, Suite 255
Memphis, TN 38125
MidSouthNAMA@gmail.com

National NAMA

11020 King Street, Suite 205
Overland Park, KS 66210
agrimktg@nama.org

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