Meetings
SPRING MEETING 2013
Make plans now to attend the annual NAAJ meeting April 7-9, 2013 in Washington, D.C. It will be held at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20008-2871. The room block is under North American Agricultural Journalists. The rates are $179 for standards, $210 for mid-size and $245 for large rooms. Call 202-797-6454 to make your reservation.
Registration for members is open until April 1, 2013. Register online below, or get directions for mailing registration here.
Guests registering for the NAAJ-Sonja Hillgren Memorial Scholarship, click here.
Agenda April 7-9, 2013
Sunday, April 7:
- 2:15 p.m. – leave Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Avenue NW
- 3-4 p.m. – tour President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Road, NW. (It’s $12.50 per person and you pay for this as it was not included in the registration. Click ka-phillips@tamu.edu to indicate if you plan to go)
- 4-4:45 p.m. – travel back to Kiplinger building, 1729 H Street NW,
- 4:45-6:15 p.m. – business meeting
- 7 p.m. – Dinner at Ceiba (pay your own)
Monday, April 8:
Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Avenue NW
- 8:30 a.m. – panel discussion: “Climate Adaptation, Challenges and Opportunities Facing Agriculture” moderated by Chris Clayton. Panelists: Ernie Shea, coordinator for 25X25, Fred Yoder, farmer from Ohio and Bill Hohenstein, director of the USDA climate change program.
- 10:15 a.m. – panel discussion, immigration reform options, moderated by Alan Bjerga, Panelists: Craig Regelbrugge, co-Chairman of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform. Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers. Eric Ruark, director of research for the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
- Noon – Lunch and discussion, Q&A with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
- 2 p.m. – Depart to State Department for tour and discussion (For this tour, we already submitted names, so it is closed at this time.) Briefing on an international program to reduce post-harvest losses and Feed the Future
- 5:30 p.m. – Cash-bar reception and awards dinner at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, followed by music performed by the “Second Amendments” band led by House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn. The band includes Peterson, lead singer and rhythm guitar; Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., on bass and vocals; Former Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., on drums and vocals; and Manning Feraci, a former Hulshof aide, as lead guitar player.
Tuesday, April 9:
Capitol Hill.
- 10:30 a.m. – Representative Conaway subbing for Chairman Lucas
- 11 a.m. – Ranking member Peterson
- 11:30 a.m. – Chairman Stabenow
- Noon – Ranking member Cochran
- Lunch on your own: (Capitol Visitors Center has a cafeteria)
- 2:30 p.m – White House tour of the kitchen garden and visit with Sam Kass, the assistant chef who has just been named executive director of Let’s Move, Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity campaign, and a senior policy adviser on nutrition policy.
SPRING MEETING, April 15-17, 2012
The annual NAAJ meeting April 15-17, 2012 in Washington, D.C. was a big success. It was headquartered at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008-2871.
Here’s a video from the 59th annual Awards Banquet and 5th annual dinner dance benefit for the NAAJ-Sonja Hillgren Memorial Scholarship.
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