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.
