CropMobster is an online crowd-sourcing platform that connects farmers, ranchers, food wholesalers, bakers, grocers, restaurants, and non-profit food organizations to address the problem of “food waste, hunger and importantly, the challenges farmers and food companies face to remain economically viable.”

According to research cited at CropMobster.com, 40-50% of food produced in the US goes uneaten. The United Nations (UN) states global food waste is equivalent to 28% of the world’s agricultural land area. A majority of the waste comes from unsold perishable food at farmer’s markets, farms, restaurants, grocery stores and other food sellers.

Instead of throwing the food away and taking the loss, these groups can post an alert on CropMobster to extend discounted offers, donations or offer the food for free. When a producer posts an opportunity, alerts are automatically sent to subscribers who can then act on the opportunity. CropMobster is primarily used in California.

CropMobster launched in March of 2013 and has since posted numerous success stories.

It’s almost tradeshow season…are you ready?
(Oh, wait…it’s ALWAYS trade show season somewhere…)

Tradeshows, events and experiential activities drive many of our marketing calendars every year. These activities often provide some of the best one-on-one moments we have to connect with customers and other influencers in our industries. But with new technologies and social media on the rise, tradeshows are evolving from the days of the basic 10×10 booth and a literature rack. Showgoers expect greater start-to-finish engagement; marketing departments expect greater results-oriented measurement.

MidSouth NAMA Member Grace Fong of Skyline Exhibits MidSouth will provide us with an update on what’s new and exciting in the tradeshow arena undefined from structural displays to engagement trends. We’ll meet at the Skyline Exhibits showroom for some hands-on looks at new materials as well as roundtable discussions on best practices for these annual events. And with a busy Q1 agricultural tradeshow season right around the corner, this session will offer practical knowledge NAMA members may begin putting into play immediately. Please join us for a great session and an excellent lunch!

Have a burning tradeshow or event question you would like answered in the session? Please email Grace (GraceFong@skylinemidsouth.com) before Nov. 14 and she’ll work to address it during our session.

Date/Time: Thursday, November 21, 11:30am

Location: Skyline Exhibits MidSouth, 3895 Vantech Dr. #9, Memphis, TN 38115

Cost: $25

Pay Ahead: You may always pay at the door or pay online in advance by credit card

The 2013 Agrow Awards winners were announced last week at a black tie ceremony. Congratulations to all the winners!

Best R&D Pipeline: DuPont Crop Protection

Best Novel Agricultural Biotechnology: Morflora (TraitUP)

Best New Biopesticide: Stockton (Timorex Gold)

Best Formulation Innovation: Dow AgroSciences (Enlist Duo herbicide with Colex-D technology)

Best New Crop Protection Product or Trait: Bayer CropScience (Indaziflam)

Best Packaging Innovation: DuPont Crop Protection (Grower bag with PrecisionPac custom dispensing system)

Best Company from an Emerging Region: Sanonda International

Best Supplier: PI Industries

Best Supporting Role: EPL Bio Analytical Services

Best Stewardship Programme: Dow AgroSciences (Refuge advanced powered by SmartStax)

Best Marketing Campaign: BASF Corporation (Planet Xemium)

Best Public Outreach Programme: CropLife America (Social media pollinator engagement program)

Best Off-patent Pesticide Strategy: Indofil Industries (Mancozeb)

Lifetime Achievement: Wang Wei (Zhejiang Wynca Chemical Industry Group Co)

Read more.

Early registration discount ends today for the 2013 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo, Play Like A Champion: Winning Strategies for Ag Retail. This conference provides attendees a place to meet, network, and learn practical ideas and management solutions to improve their businesses.

The 2013 ARA Annual Conference & Expo will be held at Trump’s Doral Resort & Spa in Miami, FL December 3-5, 2013.  All Conference registrations allow you to hear from industry leaders during the general session, participate in breakout sessions, and visit over 85 exhibit spaces showcasing a variety of products and services in the tradeshow. Registration also covers breakfast and lunch on Dec. 4-5, and two receptions that give you the opportunity to network with customers and suppliers in the exhibit hall.  Click here to view the Registration Brochure.

More Information

Food Dialogues panel: A Frank Discussion about Food
November 19, 2013
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE FOOD DIALOGUES
The Food Dialogues signature events are designed to bring together farmers, ranchers, industry experts, pundits, media and consumers together for dynamic panel discussions on some of today’s most pressing topics related to food and food production. Since its launch in 2011, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance has hosted five major events, including 13 panels across the country that streamed live online. To watch content from past events, visit www.fooddialogues.com and follow USFRA on Twitter @USFRA using #FoodD.

ABOUT THE EVENT
Food Dialogues®: Iowa, A Frank Discussion about Food, is your chance to join the conversation about where your food comes from and how it is produced. Farmers and industry leaders will be on hand to answer your questions on GMO’s as well as local and organic foods.

REGISTER OR WATCH ONLINE

SPONSORS
Food Dialogues®: Iowa is being planned in collaboration with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA).

Find out more.

The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) will host National Agriculture Day on March 25, 2014. This will mark the 41st anniversary of National Ag Day which is celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. The theme for National Ag Day is “Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.”

On March 25, 2014. 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 25, the ACA will once again feature the Ag Day Essay Contest as well as the 2014 Ag Day Poster Art Contest.

Keep checking www.agday.org for more information on National Ag Day in 2014.

How are Ag Marketers Different Than Those in Other Industries?

Presented by Jan Johnson, Millennium Research

Ag marketers use print ads more than other industries. And, they rely on repeat customers more than any other industry.

When you are talking to people you already know, what’s the best thing to say?

What is the best way to communicate, connect and motivate prospective customers?

Join Millennium Research as it presents 10 keys to capture attention and increase advertising effectiveness.

Register to attend NAMA’s next webinar on Thursday, October 24, 2013, at 1:00 pm central time.

Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is accepting Exhibitor Applications for the 2014 show scheduled for February 28 – March 1, 2014 in Memphis, TN. 

Also, the space deadline for advertising in the 2014 show program is December 17, 2013. Don’t worry, we will remind you again as the date gets closer.

The 62nd Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show
February 28 – March 1, 2014
The Memphis Cook Convention Center

The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is one of the South’s largest indoor tradeshows and feature interactive exhibits from across the nation. The show attracts thousands from a multi-state region for a first-look at innovative technology and the latest information on the challenging issues in the agricultural industry. The Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is sponsored by The Southern Cotton Ginners Association and Foundation and Delta Farm Press.

Our own MidSouth NAMA member, Margaret Oldham, and her team have been selected as finalists for a Constellation SuperNova Award.

The BeckAgConnects.com teamundefinedwho is responsible for bringing a secure online community for those in agricultureundefinedis a finalist for the prestigious award from Constellation Research that celebrates and recognizes leaders and teams who have overcome the odds to successfully apply emerging and disruptive technologies for their organizations.

Beck Ag is one of 13 finalists in the Future of Work category, and the only ag finalist among other companies such as Nationwide insurance, TGI Friday’s and Dollar General.

The final SuperNova award recipients will be chosen partly by public vote and partly by a group of judges. To ensure that the ag industry is represented, please consider voting for Margaret Oldham and Beck Ag, Inc.

Vote NowundefinedVoting closes October 9! Margaret Oldham, Beck Ag, Inc. is listed in Category 5 – Future of Work.

Learn more about the nomination.