It's a great time to get registered for Ag Media Summit this summer in Buffalo, New York! What are you waiting for?! www.agmediasummitregistration.com

Also be sure to join us on Facebook for all of the latest updates.

Check out this link to see how you can design the logo for the 2013 Ag Media Summit. The theme is "Just Wing It" and all LPC and AAEA members qualify to participate in the contest. All details are on this link. Deadline is October 15, 2012. Start designing!

Check out this link to see how you can design the logo for the 2013 Ag Media Summit. The theme is "Just Wing It" and all LPC and AAEA members qualify to participate in the contest. All details are on this link. Deadline is October 15, 2012. Start designing!

Newly elected officers of the Livestock Publications Council are: (front row) Kathy LaScala, Lee Publications, Eudora, Kan., president; Christy Lee, Cee Lee Communications, Wellington, Ill., first vice president; Don Norton, Boelte-Hall, Roeland Park, Kan. second vice president; Angie Denton, Hereford World, Blue Rapids, Kan. secretary-treasurer; Scott Vernon, Brock Center for Ag Communication, San Luis Obispo, Calif., immediate past president; Second row: Diane Johnson, LPC executive director, Fort Worth, Texas. Board members include: Carey Brown, Cow Country, Lexington, Ky; Jennifer Carrico, High Plains Journal, Redfield, Iowa; Amy Bader, Cowboy Graphic Designs, Arvada, Colo.; Scarlett Hagins, Kansas Stockman, Topeka, Kan.; Shelly Sitton, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla.; back row: Jay Carlson, BEEF Magazine, Overland Park, Kan.; Cindy Cunningham, National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa; Mike Deering, Missouri Beef Cattleman’s Association, Columbia, Mo., Leanne Peters, Cattle Business in Mississippi, Jackson, Miss.; and Keri Geffert English, Osborn Barr Communications, Kansas City, Mo. and Greg Henderson, Drovers, Lenexa, Kan.

Get your cameras out and start snapping away or find that winning photo in your files because it’s time for the Best of the Bunch Photo Contest! Held each year during the Agricultural Media Summit it is named after Paul Andre, retired editor of BEEF magazine and long time coordinator of this contest. Cash prizes are awarded!

Rules...Read carefully!
Photo Submissions
1) Enter each photograph in one of four categories:
a) Livestock
b) Livestock industry people
c) Livestock scenic (such as a landscape)
d) General (the sky’s the limit!)
2) The photo contest committee reserves the right to reassign entries to appropriate category, if necessary.
3) All photographs must be mounted on lightweight stock. Minimum size for entry is 8”x10” to 10”x12”. With the mounting, the maximum size of an entry can be no more than 10”x14”.
4) All photos must be identified with your name, affiliation and category. This should be typed or printed on white paper and affixed to the back of each photo. Unidentified photos will be disqualified.
5) All photos must ALSO be submitted digitally for use in the slideshow presentation of winners, along with your headshot.
6) There is no limit to the number of entries you may enter.
7) There will be a small entry fee ($5 per photo) but we have added larger cash prizes.
8) Entries will be taken until 9 a.m., Monday, August 6 at the registration desk. (AMY - CHANGING THE TIME ON THIS -- IS THAT OK? Sure, why not?)
9) You may enter without attending the Summit but contestants are responsible for making arrangements in getting their photo(s) returned.
Eligibility
1) All entries must be original un-retouched photos.
2) Those entering photos must work for a member publication of LPC (name must appear in the masthead) or be a service member of LPC. Student members of LPC are also eligible to enter.
3) Any photograph that has won a division in the Best of the Bunch contest previously is not eligible for entry.
Winning Photos
1) Each category will pay $100/first; $50/second; $25/third.
2) The LPC Executive Committee has the discretion to select the directory cover photo from the winners of each category.
3) The winner of the “Best of the Bunch” will receive a canvas print of their winning entry.
General Information
1) LPC retains the right to use any of the photos submitted in the Best of the Bunch Photo Contest for publishing in print or on the web.
2) ALL entries will go on the LPC web site and remain on there for one year with your name attached to the entry. We feel that this is a way of "advertising" for your photo(s) and then it's also like an online "portfolio" for you.

For more information or questions contact Chairman Amy Bader, at CowboyGraphicDesigns@gmail.com

The Hyatt hotel has sold out but the Doubletree located a very short block away is the overflow hotel. There will be plenty of rooms available and the rate is the same at $115. Call: 800-222-8733 or 505-247-3344 and ask for Ag Media Summit rate.

Click here link to take you directly to the hotel's reservation site. Room rate for single room: $115. Hyatt Downtown Albuquerque - book today -- it will sell out!

Be sure you get signed up for this year's Ag Media Summit. Find all details at www.agmediasummitregistration.com Dates are August 4-8 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Registration is open!

Newly elected officers of the Livestock Publications Council are: (front row) Scott Vernon, Brock Center for Ag Communication, San Luis Obispo, Calif., president; Kathy LaScala, Cowsmopolitan Magazine, Douds, Iowa, first vice president; Christy Lee, Cee Lee Communications, Wellington, Ill., secretary-treasurer; Don Norton, Boelte-Hall, Roeland Park, Kan. and Andy Atzenweiler, Missouri Beef Cattleman, Kansas City, Mo. immediate past president. Back row: Diane Johnson, LPC executive director, Fort Worth, Texas; officers: Mike Deering, National Cattleman, Washington, D.C.; Leanne Peters, Cattle Business in Mississippi, Jackson, Miss.; Scarlett Hagins, Kansas Stockman, Topeka, Kan.; Jennifer Bremer, High Plains Journal, Redfield, Iowa; Cindy Cunningham, National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa; Stephanie Hoult, Broadhead + Co., Albion, Ill.;  Amy Bader, Cattle Guard, Arvada, Colo.; Carey Brown, Cow Country, Lexington, Ky; Beverly Moseley, Beverly Moseley Associates, College Station, Texas; Shelly Sitton, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla.; Jay Carlson, BEEF Magazine, Overland Park, Kan.

Have you registered for AMS? Did you think you did....but aren't sure?! Check out the list on the AMS home page: www.agmediasummit.com

Our official news release with exciting news!

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (May 24, 2011) – The Agricultural Media Summit’s InfoExpo trade show is now sold out, with a record 83 exhibit spaces filled. Not only is it a record high but this is also the earliest the show has ever been sold out.

Ag Media Summit is the largest U.S. gathering of the ag industry’s top editors, writers, photographers, publishers and communicators, and will be held this year in New Orleans, La., July 23-27.

“The interest in InfoExpo illustrates the value our industry partners place on the Ag Media Summit,” said Karen Simon, director of communications for the Iowa Soybean Association, who chairs this year’s conference. “We greatly appreciate the support of those who exhibit at Ag Media Summit, as well as the hard work of the committee members who work so diligently to fill the show each year.”

Ag Media Summit is a joint meeting of the American Agricultural Editors’ Association, Livestock Publications Council and American Business Media Agri-Council. This industry-wide gathering of agricultural communicators offers one of the best opportunities for professional improvement and industry networking. Visit www.agmediasummit.com for more information.

It's time to register for this year's Ag Media Summit in New Orleans, July 23, 27. Be sure to consider going on the tour of the Port of New Orleans on Saturday and staying through the new 60 Ideas in 60 Minutes session on Wednesday morning. If you can't make Saturday's tour, you won't want to miss hearing Nick Lowery on Sunday afternoon. It's quickly approaching so if you are planning to attend, you might as well register today! www.agmediasummitregistration.com

The official schedule of events is now posted on the Ag Media Summit site and has all of the information on the speakers, sessions, and social events for the 13th annual AMS. Check it out here.

Ag Transportation Tour • Port of New Orleans
Saturday, July 23 • 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Soy Transportation Coalition
    U.S. agriculture can invest sizable resources in the effort to enhance supply and demand. However, if increased supply and demand for agricultural products are not accompanied by a corresponding increase in transportation capacity, those investments will not be fully realized.
    Join us for a full day tour of a number of transportation sites essential to the journey from farm to ultimate customer.
    Tour participants will start the day with a breakfast at the hotel and a presentation by Louisiana State Senator A.G. Crowe about the proposed Louisiana International Deepwater Transfer Terminal - a multibillion dollar deepwater super-port to be located at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The goal of the project is to create a transfer facility for ships that are too large to navigate the Mississippi River.
    The tour will proceed to the Port of New Orleans to visit the port's growing container terminal. Containers are a growing segment in the export market for U.S. agricultural products. International customers often prefer containers to bulk shipments due to a container's ability to provide a volume more compatible with the customer's storage and production capacity, greater assurance of quality preservation, and enhanced ability to source a delivery of grain or oilseeds from a more specific geographic region. The Panama Canal's expansion in 2014 is
projected to increase the volume of containers arriving at the Port of New Orleans , which, in turn, will provide greater opportunities for agricultural shippers to access containers for exports back to Asia . Tour participants will develop greater familiarity with this growing trend in agricultural logistics.
    Lunch will be served at the Houmas House, one of Louisiana 's historic plantations. In addition to lunch, participants will enjoy a tour of the mansion and gardens.
    Following the lunch and plantation tour, the group will be divided into two smaller groups for visits to Zen-Noh Grain and Bunge's export terminals. Due to size constraints at each facility, half the group will visit Zen-Noh Grain. The other half will tour the Bunge facility. Both export terminals are similar and are located along the Mississippi River.
    Both groups will arrive back at the Marriott Hotel at 4:30 pm.
    Space on the Ag Transportation Tour is limited to 70 participants.
   

This news just in from AMS Program Chair, Steve Werblow:

Seven-time NFL All-Pro kicker Nick "The Kick" Lowery will kick off AMS on Sunday afternoon, July 24, with leadership insights on “Ultimate Teams: The Five As.”  Lowery rose from a string of trades to lead the NFL in field goals, hold the accuracy record for 10 out of 12 years, become the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer, and earn himself a place in the Chiefs Hall of Fame.

If that wasn’t enough, he was honored with the NFL Players Association’s top humanitarian award and earned a master’s degree from Harvard. Check out: http://www.loweryspeaks.com/

Lowery will share his perspective on turning a tough streak into a winning career, mentoring, and finding the passion and focus to achieve your goals.  (He’ll also stick around for autographs!)

Make sure you arrive in New Orleans in time for this special opportunity.

Here’s your chance to design the logo for the 2011 Ag Media Summit and pocket the money! This contest is open to any LPC or AAEA member or student member of either organization. ACT members, you may participate if you are a student member of either organization.

Things to consider:
Theme: Jazz It Up! NOLA 2011
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Dates: July 23-27, 2011

Keep in mind this logo is used in a variety of mediums from signage to the website to give-aways so don’t make it so complicated that it does not reproduce well. Also it’s a good idea to design it so it looks good in black and white too.

• Deadline for submission: Wednesday, October 20, 2010
• Please submit as a pdf but keep it so that you can modify it slightly if the committee requests.
• You may submit as many entries as you wish. Send all entries to: dianej@flash.net
• Please put “AMS 2011 logo submission with your name” in the subject line
• The AMS Steering Committee will vote on the entries and their decision is final.
• The logo then becomes the property of the AMS and it will be the logo for the 2011 event only.
• Questions? contact Diane Johnson, 817/336-1130 dianej@flash.net

I'm sure many of you are waiting to see results from the contests at Ag Media Summit. I'm trying to get all of them organized and some will be up later today and tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Just returned from the 12th annual Ag Media Summit and will start catching up by posting results and news of the event. You can see the release about the Student Award winner, Lisa Brown, is now posted. Photos will follow. Stay tuned for much more to go online in the next week and thanks again for attending. For those of you who missed it, plan on next year's in New Orleans. Many details to follow!

(TOPEKA) - Lisa Brown, a senior agricultural communications student at Oklahoma State University (OSU), is the recipient of the 2010 Forrest Bassford Student Award given by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and the Livestock Publications Council. Brown was presented a $2,000 scholarship and a plaque during the Ag Media Summit (AMS) held in St. Paul, MN, July 25-27.
        A native of Keenesburg, CO, Brown is an active member of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. She also has served as an agricultural ambassador for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at OSU to promote post secondary education to high school students. She will graduate in May 2011.
        Brown was an editorial intern for the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal during the summer of 2009. Throughout the internship, she served as public relation's correspondent for the award-winning “All Aboard Wheat Harvest” program, in which she managed social networking efforts, edited daily blog posts, interviewed growers, communicated with state wheat association personnel and designed the weekly two-page, full-color spread. She also wrote three feature articles, including one cover story.
        Each year, following a competitive application process, the student program awards four young people travel scholarships to attend AMS. In addition to Brown, this year's travel award winners were Nicole Ely, Kansas State University; Kelsey Fletcher, Texas Tech University; and Kristen Odom, Texas Tech University. While at the meeting, the four finalists' portfolios were reviewed and each was interviewed by a panel of professionals. This is the 25th year for the Student Award Program, which was named after LPC founding member Forrest Bassford in 1992.
        LPC is a professional improvement organization consisting of more than 200 members from across the U.S. Founded in 1974, this non-profit organization was designed to provide a forum through which members can obtain information on how to improve their overall effectiveness and value to both readers and advertisers.

The final pre-registration list is now available on the AMS site. The numbers continue to increase but as of now there are 560 people registered. It's going to be a great week in St. Paul and I hope you are one who will be there. You can still sign up for golf and the ag tours on Saturday. Let me know if you need more information. I have more to tell you about as the next few days go along so be sure to watch for updates. Stay cool!

Wow -- I feel like I have been out of touch with you! But it's because we are focusing so much on the AMS site and keeping it updated. So I'll try and catch up with this site too but in case you are looking for information tune in to the AMS site --- www.agmediasummit.com and be sure to become a friend on Facebook of both LPC and AMS. I leave next Tuesday for St. Paul so right now I'm just trying to keep up with all the questions and requests. Have patience I'm trying as hard as I can! I hope to see you in Minnesota and I really hope to see nice cool weather! By the way, I see that Eden Prairie, which is a surburb of Minneapolis - St. Paul, was just named as the number one place to live by Money Magazine. Maybe we'll have to go stand in the middle of it and see for ourselves. More to come soon!

Don't forget that the early deadline for registering for the Ag Media Summit is quickly approaching. After June 30th, you'll pay more. There are still plenty of rooms available at the hotel, however, they are going fast. Don't delay in that little detail. I hate to have people stay in other hotels.

Click here to make your hotel reservations for Ag Media Summit in St. Paul. Crowne Plaza Riverfront-- rate: $125

Ready to register? Click here to go directly to the registration site.

Why wait? Do it now!

“FEATHERS, HOOVES AND FRUITS” – Sample some of the “best of” Minnesota agriculture on this diverse tour. First up: an innovative turkey operation near the Twin Cities where we’ll learn why Minnesota leads the country in turkey production. Next stop: Garlin Dairy, one of the top dairies in the Midwest. Milk production averages more than 30,000 lbs per cow, which is 50 percent above the national average. The dairy features a 50-stall rotary milk parlor and a cross-ventilated special needs barn for dry and fresh cows. After a quick stop in charming downtown Stillwater, we’ll tour St. Croix Vineyards and view cold-hardy cultivars developed by the University of Minnesota to spur grape production in the state. In true vine-to-wine fashion, we’ll sample some of the winery’s award-winning wines! At your leisure, you may stroll through the neighboring Aamodt Apple Farms to view another University of Minnesota trademark, the popular Honeycrisp apple variety. Sample some of the “best of” Minnesota agriculture on this diverse tour. First up: an innovative turkey operation near the Twin Cities where we’ll learn why Minnesota leads the country in turkey production. Next stop: Garlin Dairy, one of the top dairies in the Midwest. Milk production averages more than 30,000 lbs per cow, which is 50 percent above the national average. The dairy features a 50-stall rotary milk parlor and a cross-ventilated special needs barn for dry and fresh cows. After a quick stop in charming downtown Stillwater, we’ll tour St. Croix Vineyards and view cold-hardy cultivars developed by the University of Minnesota to spur grape production in the state. In true vine-to-wine fashion, we’ll sample some of the winery’s award-winning wines! At your leisure, you may stroll through the neighboring Aamodt Apple Farms to view another University of Minnesota trademark, the popular Honeycrisp apple variety.

“NEW MEDIA MARKET BASKET”- Ag and food companies large and small are texting, tweeting and FaceBooking their way to success. On this very special field trip, you’ll learn how companies in farming are engaging with customers in new ways. We’ll begin at the Mill City Farmer’s Market, located next to the world-renowned Guthrie Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, and hear from purveyors on how they tap the power of social media to build a loyal customer following. From this vibrant gathering place of Minnesota’s most prominent organic and sustainable food producers, we’ll head over to Colle+McVoy, a strategic marketing agency located in downtown Minneapolis, for an exciting panel discussion on New Media. Experts in mobile, digital and social media will be on hand to share their insights and success stories, and answer your questions about the future of communications in agriculture. Finally, a tentative stop at Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, who have chosen to deliver for Twins’ fans a whole array of Minnesota-based foods.


www.agmediasummit.com and www.agmediasummitregistration.com have more information.

Here is option #1 -

FUELS OF THE FUTURE - This tour will spotlight Minnesota companies taking a leading role in renewable fuels. We’ll kick off the tour at CHS Inc., which balances its biofuels business with producing and marketing petroleum products. John Litterio of CHS Renewable Fuels Marketing will address the group. Next, we tour Guardian Energy’s new 100 million-gallon ethanol plant, a joint venture between six Midwestern farmer-owned ethanol plants. Randall Doyal, the CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel, will provide insights into the ethanol industry, and describe the significance of this plant.

We also will tour Rahr Malting’s biomass cogeneration facility. A leading provider of malt to the North American brewing industry, Rahr has partnered with a neighboring Native American tribe to build a facility that helps Rahr meet part of its own heat and power needs, while providing some “green” power to the grid. Rahr works with farmers and food manufacturers to take on their biomass, from corn stover and cobs, to wood and Cheerios byproducts. We conclude our tour at Syngenta, where we’ll view its new LEED Gold-certified regional headquarters, and hear from David Witherspoon, vice president of renewable fuels, on how Syngenta is unlocking the full potential of the corn plant by using enzyme expression to build on the success of corn ethanol and make it more profitable and sustainable.

www.agmediasummit.com and www.agmediasummitregistration.com have more information.

Paul Andre Best of the Bunch Photo Contest
Get your cameras out and start snapping away or find that winning photo in your files because it’s time for the Best of the Bunch Photo Contest! Held each year during the Agricultural Media Summit it is named after Paul Andre,retired editor of BEEF magazine and long time coordinator of this contest.Cash Prizes are awarded!

Rules...Read carefully!
•Enter each photograph in one of three categories:
A. Livestock
B. Livestock industry people
C. Livestock scenic (such as a landscape)
D. General (the sky’s the limit!)

• There will be a small entry fee ($5) but we have added larger cash prizes.

• Each category will pay $100/first; $50/second; $25/third.

• ALL entries will go on the LPC web site and remain on there for one year with your name attached to the entry. We feel that this is a way of "advertising" for your photo(s) and then it's also like an online "portfolio" for you.

•All entries must be original un-retouched photos.

•There is no limit to the number of entries you may enter.

•All photographs must be mounted on lightweight stock. Minimum size for entry is 8”x10” to 10”x12”. With the mounting the maximum size of entry can be no more than 10”x14”.

•All photos must be identified with name, affiliation and category. This should be typed or printed on white paper and affixed to the back of each photo. Unidentified photos will be disqualified.

•Those entering photos must work for a member publication of LPC (name must appear in the masthead) or be a service member of LPC. Student members of LPC are also eligible to enter.

•Any photograph that has won a division in the Best of the Bunch contest previously is not eligible for entry.

•The photo contest committee reserves the right to reassign entries to appropriate category, if necessary.

•Entries will be taken until 11 a.m., Monday, July 26 at the registration desk.

• You may enter without attending the Summit but contestants are responsible for making arrangements in getting their photo(s) returned.

•For more information or questions contact Chairman Amy Bader, at amy@coloradocattle.org

•LPC retains the right to use any of the photos submitted in the Best of the Bunch Photo Contest for publishing in print or on the web.

•The LPC Executive Committee has the discretion to select the directory cover photo from the winners of each category.

Want to book your hotel room online? Click here to make your hotel reservations for Ag Media Summit in St. Paul. Crowne Plaza Riverfront-- rate: $125

Ready to register? Click here to go directly to the registration site.

We have posted a very comprehensive schedule with workshop descriptions. This is being created into another format that will be easier to read, but for now you can find it at http://www.agmediasummit.com/programs/ Dates for this year's AMS are July 24-28 in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Crowne Plaza hotel. It's going to be fantastic!

A two-day photography workshop will be held on July 24-25, 2010, prior to the Agricultural Media Summit (AMS) in St. Paul, Minn. We’re building an intense learning session that will give attendees instruction from professional photographers in real-world shooting environments. And because we’re teaming up the workshop as a kickoff to the AMS, we are offering this impressive program at a tremendous value.

The workshop starts with a general roundtable discussion on Friday evening, July 23. Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, will be two full days of hands-on training, in-field photography, group review sessions and expert feedback. We’ll wrap up Sunday evening, in time to gear up for AMS!
This is a workshop you won’t want to miss. Cost for the two-day session is $200 ($300 for those not attending AMS), and you will be responsible for lodging and dinner Saturday night.

Most important is that SPACE IS STRICTLY LIMITED, and we will close registration on May 3. Reserve your space TODAY by contacting me at dianej@flash.net. Additional details will be provided this spring.