Final Meeting of the Year

Thanks to Chapter President Becky Rasmussen for this summary of our meeting yesterday:

The Gateway Chapter of NAMA concluded its 2005-06 year with a meeting focused on the issue of The “New” Small Farmer. In our industry today, there is a lot of focus on consolidation and discussion about the “big business” of farming. But we decided to look at the flip side of the issue. What are the rest of the farmers, who make up a majority of the farming community, doing to promote their businesses and find markets for their products?

Our featured speaker was Jane Eckert, founder and president of Eckert AgriMarketing, a full-service consulting and marketing firm that offers a variety of services to the tourism industry and agricultural operations. And yes, she’s related to “those” Eckerts – the popular Eckert Orchards that have become a family institution throughout the St. Louis and southern Illinois region. In her presentation, Jane said that it’s no longer enough for farmers to be experts on the issues of farming – pest management, soil chemistry, meteorology, etc. Today’s farmers also have be marketing professionals. And more importantly, farm operators need to be recognize the value of their farms beyond just agricultural production. More and more farms are opening their gates up to visitors – for retail sales, for family entertainment, for hunting and fishing, for “farm experiences” and much more. Jane highlighted farms around the nation that have become agritourism destinations, all because their owners were willing to think outside the box. According to a survey, agritourism operations received more than 62 million visitors in 2002 alone. Jane pointed out that agrimarketing professionals need to be aware of how this industry affects agriculture and find ways to reach out to these farmers and ranchers, helping them find ways to preserve their farms through alternative sources of income. For more information on agritourism and our speaker, visit www.eckertagrimarketing.com.

A special thanks to our 2005-2006 Gateway Board of Directors. These individuals contributed their time and effort to make this year’s programs run smoothly. If you are interested in joining the board or volunteering your time toward a specific event, please contact us at gatewaynama@yahoo.com or 636/449-5040.

Vice President & Student Liaison: Jeff Moore, Brownfield
Treasurer: Marie Findley, Rabo AgriFinance
Communications Co-Chair: Chuck Zimmerman, ZimmComm New Media
Communications Co-Chair: Rhett Hawkins, Osborn & Barr Communications
Membership Chair: Chris Luelf, Brighton