Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Groups Host Ag Day Activities In D.C.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of National Ag Day, other groups hosted events in Washington, D.C. to coincide with the ACA's events.

On Monday, March 18, Agri-Pulse hosted a panel discussion at the Hart Senate Office Building on Farm to Fork Politics. This was an insiders look at the year ahead for food and agriculture. The panel was moderated by Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, and panel members included J.B. Penn, Chief Economist, John Deere; Dr. Keith Collins, former Chief Economist, USDA; and B. Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of the Research and Information Services Division, National Restaurant Association. A reception immediately followed the discussion.

On Tuesday, March 19, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) held the Food Dialogues, an educational session which was moderated by Chris Galen, Sr. VP of Communications for the National Milk Producers Federation. Galen said Ag Day provided a great opportunity to speak with Capitol Hill staffers and legislators about the latest research on how farmers need to communicate with consumers. Katie Pratt, USFRA Face of Farming and Ranching, shared her farm story and talked about the importance of farmers and ranchers to share their personal stories. Also speaking at the event was Erika Bowser-Poppelreiter, a Midwest farmer and farming/ranching expert with Ketchum. She presented the briefing, focusing on consumer messaging research and how the agriculture industry can work to restore relevance.