The St. Louis AgriBusiness Club and Gateway NAMA presents February’s Professional Development:

When: Tuesday, February 12th Luncheon Meeting and Presentation 11:30 a.m. – Networking, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Meal and Program

Program: “The World Agricultural Forum: Empowering Agriculture to Drive Economic Growth”

Speaker: Mr. Raymond Cesca, President of the World Agricultural Forum … Mr. Cesca was elected President of the World Agricultural Forum in August 2006 after a serving on its Board of Advisors since 1996. The Forum is a St. Louis, Missouri based global organization made up of leaders in industry, government, academia, and non-government organizations whose purpose is to empower agriculture, through its Congresses, to help solve the chronic problems of global poverty and hunger through investments in agriculture.

Mr. Cesca is also the Founder, President and CEO of GAEÁ International, a market development, trade, and strategic planning organization that promotes the development of small to medium size enterprises in support of economic development in emerging economies. GAEÁ locates markets for cross border trade and helps develop strategies to leverage the market potential for the companies and countries involved.

Mr. Cesca is the former Managing Director of McDonald’s World Trade. He was responsible for reducing or eliminating barriers to trade among the 118 countries in which McDonald’s operates, and for leveraging the corporation’s assets to optimize its global supply resources. He helped craft world trade strategies that were used in emerging regional trading blocks and negotiated with governments to make a borderless environment within the McDonald’s system. Mr. Cesca was also responsible for Purchasing and Quality Assurance for New Country Development. He held that position from 1995 to 1999.

Where: Sheraton Hotel – Westport, 191 West Port Plaza Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146

RSVP: By February 8th, email your reservation to: gatewaynama@yahoo.com or call (314)746-1907 to reserve your meal. No-shows will be invoiced.

Luncheon and Professional Development Registration – $25 which can be paid at the door(cash or checks payable to the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club) or by credit card online at http://www.stlouisagclub.org/meetingform.html If you do RSVP and you find out by Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning that you cannot attend, please contact Dean Dittmar on his cell phone – 618.604.1622, so that you will not be invoiced.

Meeting Schedule for 07-08

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 – Illinois and Missouri Department of Agriculture Update from Directors’ Katie Smith and Chuck Hartke, Casino Queen Hotel, East St. Louis, IL

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 – Location: Anheuser-Busch Headquarters Corporate Theatre (2nd Floor), 1 Busch Place, St. Louis, Missouri (S. Seventh & Lynch Streets)
Speaker: Steve Malin, Vice President, Anheuser-Busch Raw Materials
Topic: Quality Products Start with Quality Ingredients

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 – James Little, Agricultural Trade with China

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt addressed a big crowd in St. Louis at his annual ag conference. It was also our January meeting in conjunction with the St. Louis Ag Club.

Governor Blunt spoke at lunch and we’ve his speech recorded.

You can listen to the Governor’s speech if you’d like: Governor Blunt Speech (15 min MP3)

During the Governor’s speech he talked about several initiatives he’s proposed to assist farmers in the state. They include:

Expanding Missouri Dairy Farms

Gov. Blunt announced his plan to establish Dairy Parlor Renovation Grants to help expand Missouri dairy farms. The grants will help producers at older dairies with the costs of parlor renovations for more efficient milking, allowing them to grow their herds.

New technology and a “parabone” design allow producers to cut their milking time in half. The governor is calling for $200,000 to help producers make needed renovations in the first year. The grant will require producers to share 50 percent of costs and will be awarded up to $10,000 per grant.

Enhancing Infrastructure to Support Agriculture

The governor will also recommend $4 million in new funding for Port Authority capital improvement projects. The projects support infrastructure critical to growing Missouri agriculture needs. cale needed to weigh inbound and outbound trucks transporting fertilizer and similar bulk products.

Supporting the Future of Agriculture

Gov. Blunt announced his plan to establish the Farm Legacy Exchange Program, which will help keep Missouri’s farming industry strong for future generations by facilitating succession planning. The Farm Legacy Exchange Program will match beginning farmers with farmers nearing retirement to help form a working relationship and strategy to transition farming responsibilities and designated assets from existing farmers to beginning farmers.

The Farm Legacy Exchange Program addresses a growing need as the average age of working farmers has risen to 60. In addition, the program will help young farmers address the rising cost of production land through collaboration with experienced farmers considering phasing out their operations. The governor’s new program will match veteran producers ready to retire with younger producers based on a survey of each farmer. The program will provide estate planning, legal contacts and access to all the financial incentive programs administered through the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority.

The Farm Legacy Exchange Program is a collaborative effort among the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Farm Bureau, University of Missouri-Extension, Farm Credit Services, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the International Farm Transition Network.

Hello Gateway NAMA-ites. Even if you weren’t planning on attending the Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture you can still get a “taste” of it by attending our January meeting:

The St. Louis AgriBusiness Club and Gateway NAMA presents January’s SPECIAL Professional Development…350 individuals have already registered.

WHEN: Monday, January 7, 2008, 12 noon – 1:30 p.m. Luncheon Menu-Mixed green salad with AgriMissouri dressings, grilled loin of pork (with pineapple black bean Pico de Gallo and Balsamic honey drizzle), rice, fresh vegetables, rolls & butter, raspberry swirl cheesecake, coffee, iced tea, water.

WHERE: Millennium Hotel – Missouri/Illinois Room – 200 South 4th Street in Downtown St. Louis Phone: (314) 241-9500

SPEAKER: The Honorable Matt Blunt, Governor, State of Missouri – Matt Blunt, Missouri’s 54th governor was elected on November 2, 2004, carrying 101 of Missouri’s 114 counties.

TO REGISTER: Complete the form that you’ll find on the conference website. Luncheon only – $25, Registration packets may be picked up at the conference registration area. Although registration is available on-site, pre-registration is encouraged. The 2-day conference registration is $170. (We will be having a display showcasing club membership and activities. If you would like to take an hour to man the display, please email ddittmar@stlouisagclub.org)