What are we really marketing?

Every time a cattleman says, "I sell calves not beef, so I don't need a beef checkoff," it reminds me once again how far we still have to go to communicate the importance of cultivating marketing stratagems for U.S. agriculture.

Amid increasing global competition, growing disruptions from anti-agriculture groups and escalating production costs, we need to market as effectively for producers as we market to producers. Selling inputs to producers who are the very core of our agricultural industry obviously is critical, and we do it well. But if we aren't equally effective at marketing what we produce to consumers, our long-term viability is at risk.

To date, this has been predominantly the charge of commodity promotion programs through which farmers and ranchers have been able to market collectively to consumers. But isn't this really the duty of the entire agricultural industry--particularly with litigation threatening so many checkoff programs? And isn't it shortsighted to focus too much on selling just calves, or tractors, or chemicals?

Let's seek better ways to market American agriculture as a whole--from farm to fork--including the commodities we produce and the inputs we use to produce them. Agri-marketers can be a critical link in this chain, bringing together products, producers and consumers. And NAMA's Agri-Marketing Conference in Phoenix, April 20-22, offers a terrific opportunity to do just that.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Tom Taylor (GRP)--President

High Plains Journal, Dodge City, KS [phone]

Tom Smull (IOA)--President-Elect

Associations, Inc., Des Moines, IA [phone]

Teri Seger (CNA) Secretary/Treasurer

Progressive Farmer, Chicago, IL [phone]

Stephanie Gable (CAR)

Bayer CropScience, Durlmm, NC [phone]

Patty Travis (MIA)

5MetaCom, Carmel, IN [phone]

Susie Becker (COB)

Farm Progress Cos., Marion, 1A [phone]

Monte Reese (ROM)

Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Bd., Centennial, CO [phone]

Ken Anderson (MIL)

David & Assimilates, Lincoln, NE [phone]

Carol Anderson (MOK)

Eidson & Partners, Kansas City, MO [phone]

CHAPTER PRESIDENTS *

Badger (Wisconsin) Suzie Duwe [phone]

Carolinas/Virginia, Angela Bendorf Jamison [phone]

Central California NAMA. Tim Alderson [phone]

Chesapeake (Baltimore, Philadelphia) Mike Ricciuto [phone]

Chicago, Jim Haist [phone]

Cornbelt (Quad City Area, IA, IL) Louann Hausner [phone]

Desert Southwest Lee Dueringer [phone]

Eastern (New York) Howard Lane [phone]

Florida Gary Cooper [phone]

Gateway (St. Louis) Sue Derscheid [phone]

Great Plains (Dodge City, Wichita) Pete Weil [phone]

Heartland (Illinois) Krista Wolf, [phone]

Iowa (Des Moines) Jana Rieker [phone]

Mid-America (Indiana) John Ameis [phone]

Midlands (Omaha) Steve Johnson [phone]

Midsouth (Memphis) Bill Pittard [phone]

Miasouri-Kansas, Melissa Sanders [phone]

NAMA Cal (Los Angeles/San Diego)

NAMA Pacific (San Francisco/Sacramento) Adam McCarthy [phone]

North Central (Minneapolis/St. Paul) Jessica Lamker [phone]

Northern Prairie (Dakotas)Becky Peterson [phone]

Ohio, Joe Monahan [phone]

Rocky Mountain (Denver) Mike Flesher [phone]

Southeastern (Georgia) Judy Austin [phone]

Southwest (Dallas/Ft. Worth/Houston) Brian Markwardt [phone]

* Updated as chapter presidents are elected.

COUNCILS

Agri Broadcast Management Council, Kyle Bauer

[phone]

Commodity Promotion Council. Mike Wegner

[phone]

National Agri-Marketing Association

11020 King Street, Suite 205

Overland Park, KS 66210

E-mail: [e-mail] Web Site: www.nama.org