On January 13, a group of organic and conventional farmers at the Maine Agricultural Trade Show will come together in a workshop to discuss the future of working together for the common good. While genetically-modified crops have traditionally had little support in the organic community, the workshop is focused on how the two agricultural practices can coexist. The workshop goes from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13.

Keynote speakers will include Dr. Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak, the husband and wife team who co-authored “Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food.” Pamela is a plant geneticist at UC Davis, while Raoul is an organic farmer. The workshop will be followed by a reception featuring Maine produced beer, wine, vodka, and  hors d’oeuvres. Pamela is also a member of our CBI Experts List. Their book has been reviewed in numerous magazines and journals, including Science, Nature Biotechnology and Organic Gardening Magazine.    She’s also been the subject or author of several blog posts on CBI’s Web site.

The trade show will also feature a keynote speech by Jonathan Foley, Director of the new Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota  at the Augusta Civic Center on Wednesday, January 13^th, at 1pm. He will talk about major issues that must be addressed if we are going to double world food production in the next 40 years given continued population growth, increasing meat consumption and pressure from biofuels.

The Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau is a CBI state partner and co-sponsoring organization of the Trade Show.  Its mission is to promote informed discourse on biotechnology issues and the positive benefits for Maine, its citizens and its environment.

For more information on the Maine Agricultural Trade Show, click here or contact Judy Blaisell at jblaisell@maine.gov. The trade show is free and open to the public.

Agri-business in Michigan is gearing up for spring at the 77th Annual Michigan Agri-Business Association’s Winter Conference and Trade Show, January 11-13. The conference will have numerous informative sessions, including sessions on climate change, and the public image of agriculture and sustainability, among others.

On January 11, the lunchtime speaker was Bill Daley, Midwest Chairman of J.P. Morgan Chase, Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 1997-2000, and former special counsel to the President on issues relating to NAFTA.

Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in Michigan’s economy, generating more than $73 billion and creating more than 1 million jobs. And because Michigan agriculture is driving new opportunities in bio-tech, the MABA event devotes several sessions to issues related to bio-tech, from seed and fertilizer to renewable energy.

For more information on the conference, click here or call MABA at (517) 336-0223.

The Michigan Agri-Business Association was established in 1903 (then called the Michigan Grain Dealers Association) to further the development and prosperity of businesses engaged in agriculture.

Women from all over California will come together January 8-10 in beautiful San Juan Bautista for California Women for Agriculture’s (CWA) annual convention. The event will include a tour of San Benito County and feature its many agricultural assets, including crops, cattle, and vegetables, as well as a wine tasting and reception at Cienega Valley Winery.

After the statewide meeting, there will be a reception honoring CWA’s new president, Celeste Settrini, where there will be a special guest appearance by nationally acclaimed writer/speaker and agricultural advocate, Trent Loos. Loos is a sixth-generation American farmer who is currently on the national radio program, Rural Routes, a one-hour program aimed at bridging rural and urban America.

CWA supports a sustainable agricultural industry and a domestic food supply that utilizes advanced technologies to produce the safest, most affordable and healthiest food, fiber, fuel and floral supply in the world.  CWA is proactively advocating the benefits of biotechnology, as well as other agricultural technologies and tools to its local and state elected officials, as well as consumers.

California Women for Agriculture’s mission is to promote educational programs in order to develop the interest of California women in agriculture and to promote agriculture in California. It is a statewide organization with more than 1800 members.

For more information on CWA’s Annual Convention, click here or contact Abby Taylor-Silva, Chair, at 831.332.0584.