Georgetowne Club, Omaha, NE

The Midwest International Trade Association (MITA) presents the 2008 World Trade Conference hosted by the on May 20th. This year’s theme is “New World, New Challenges, New Opportunities.” MITA is also celebrating its 40th anniversary in promoting international trade in the Midwest. Governor Heineman will give the “Welcome” and present the Importer and Exporter of the Year awards. Bob Turner, Senior Vice President Corporate Relations, Union Pacific; Rajive Johri, President, First National Bank (invited); John Kavanagh, FBI and Chris Roth, President, Reinke Manufacturing, Co., are just a few of the speakers for this year’s Conference. A complete agenda for the program will be published shortly. This year the World Trade Conference will be held at the Georgetowne Club, 2440 South 141st Circle, Omaha, Nebraska from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Visit the URL below to register, for more information, or for a nomination form.

http://www.mitaonline.org

Council Bluffs, IA

The Iowa State University Extension, The Vegetable Growers News and The Fruit Growers News have partnered to host an educational and fun networking opportunity for farm marketers, vintners and those involved with agri-tourism - and anyone else looking to add new features to their farm.

Stops on the tour include:
-Ditmar Orchards
-Brickyard Orchards
-Hodge Greenhouses
-Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm
-Breezy Hills Winery
-Plus other top-notch stops

Your reservation includes welcome reception, lunch, snacks, transportation for the day and educational fun.

Visit the site below and select the bus tour button for registration information.

616-887-9008

http://www.fruitgrowersnews.com

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

This five day intensive training program will be beneficial to anyone seeking in-depth training in the uses, economics, horticulture, processing, chemistry and biochemistry of botanical products, aromatic and medicinal plants, essential oils, herbal teas and spices and in the actual commercialization process for natural products and nutraceuticals including plant scientists, pharmaceutical and medical researchers and health care practitioners.

The program includes workshops, lectures, hands-on laboratory including herbarium vouchering, and the screening of botanicals for antioxidants, total phenols and antimicrobial activity, and in the testing and evaluation of product quality (chemical and physicochemical attributes). Site visits to The New York Botanical Gardens (Bronx, NYC. Visit: http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/), Herbalist and Alchemist, a commercial botanical manufacturer (Washington, NJ) and our own Rutgers field breeding and agricultural research experiment station (Pittstown, NJ) are planned.

Registration required at the website listed below.

Professor James E. Simon , Dr. Adolfina Koroch

jimsimon@aesop.rutgers.edu , akoroch@rci.rutgers.edu

http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~newuseag/

Iowa State University, Ames, IA

The 2008 Growing the Bioeconomy Conference will focus on strategies to achieve the new federal cellulosic biofuels mandate and advance the Midwestern Governors Association energy and climate change platform.

The conference will feature:

-Cutting edge research on cellulosic feedstocks production and processing technologies; biomass harvest, storage, and transportation systems; biofuels and climate change; and human, social, economic, and policy dimensions of the bioeconomy; biofuels.

-Tours to learn about new biomass crops and cropping systems research at the Iowa State University New Century Farm

-Demonstrations of biomass harvest equipment prototypes at the Iowa State University New Century Farm

Jill Euken

jeuken@iastate.edu

(712) 769-2600

http://www.bioeconomyconference.org/

Raleigh, NC

ELP`s Politics of Food national conference will engage participants in a challenging exploration of how and why our food system works as it does, whether it is secure, just, and sustainable, and how it might be reshaped for the future. The conference will provide an interactive forum that enables attendees to make new connections and share information around the common goal of developing visionary, yet practical, solutions to local and national food-related challenges.

North Carolina State University Park Scholarships and Department of Food Science will co-host the “Politics of Food” conference. North Carolina’s rich and diverse agricultural heritage has put it at the crux of the challenges facing modern agriculture, and this setting provides a terrific opportunity to explore strategies that North Carolina communities and businesses are using to build a more sustainable food system from the ground up.

Adam Robinson

202-332-3320 , Ext 5

http://www.elpnet.org/foodtour/conference.php

Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, Paris, France

When you`re at SIAL, the world comes to you. It`s a unique opportunity to boost your exports, meet representatives of all the retail sectors and grow your BtoB sales to catering companies and food manufacturers.

http://en.sial.fr/ExposiumCms/do/admin/visu?reqCode=showPage&siteId=71150&pageId=95310

Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, Fairfield, IA

This is the second annual event for residents in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois to celebrate and learn about local food systems. The day will be filled with presentations relating to expanding the production and sale of food grown close to home. Producers, educators and local food consumers will all find something to take from the event.

The conference will held from 10am-4pm at a cost of $25 per person.

Detra Dettmann

detra.dettmann@ia.usda.gov

641-472-6177

http://www.PathfindersRCD.org