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2019 Annual Meeting
December 8, 2019 - December 10, 2019
MOFB Annual Meeting is an opportunity for MOFB members to gather, learn about the latest trends in agriculture, meet other like-minded individuals and enjoy great food and entertainment. County-appointed voting delegates also discuss, amend and adopt policy positions to guide our advocacy efforts for the coming year. All Missouri Farm Bureau members are welcome to attend.
Featuring
Keynote Speaker: Jayson Lusk
Monday, December 9th, 9:00 AM
Jayson Lusk heads the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University and is known for his studies about what we eat and why we eat it. His book The Food Police: A Well-Fed Manifesto about the Politics of Your Plate, is a critical account of food and agriculture economics.
After years of studying food regulations and comparing costs and benefits of the policies in question, Lusk grew disenchanted with a movement that he feels ignores the realities facing most American consumers and farmers. Lusk argues that the “food elite” in America have made food more expensive — putting lower-income consumers at a disadvantage and preventing us from taking full advantage of emerging technologies in the food industry.
In his book, Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and Technology are Serving Up Super Foods to Save the World (2016), Lusk explains how technology and agriculture can work together to help solve the world’s largest food issues and improve our farming system. Since 2000, he’s published more than 190 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on topics ranging from the economics of animal welfare to consumer preferences for genetically modified food.
Entertainment: Porter Union
Monday, December 9th
Porter Union, led by the husband and wife team of Cole Michael and Kendra Porter, is the result of two old souls spending much of the last decade traveling the country together to play their music everywhere from dive bars and honky tonks to festivals and theaters. When you hear the story of Cole and Kendra meeting in a hometown bar, falling in love while writing and playing together, it sounds like fairy tale built by corporate music row. That’s where the comparison stops. Their honest approach to songwriting combines raw emotional themes with a traditional country sound to bring the listener into the story. They’ve shared a stage with many notable artists, including many of their own heroes. Recently, Porter Union was selected by Travis Tritt as a contestant on REAL COUNTRY on the USA Network.
Label to Table Panel
Sunday, December 8th, 3:30 PM
A special Label to Table Panel on Sunday afternoon will delve into how emerging trends will change farming. Fake meat, hemp and CRISPR gene-editing technology are all up for discussion. Those on the panel include: Dr. Jayson Lusk; Dr. John Newton, American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Chief Economist; and, Mace Thornton, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the United Soybean Board in Chesterfield, Missouri. He is former Executive Director of Communications for AFBF. Come early to get a seat, the afternoon panel often draws a big crowd.
Hill Top Cities to Perform at Church Service
Sunday, December 8th, 9:30 AM
There is plenty of talent to go around within Missouri Farm Bureau and this year’s annual meeting worship service highlights a great example. The Sunday service will feature Hill Top Cities. This contemporary Christian band hails from Willow Springs, Missouri. All four members of the band are Farm Bureau members and have also served as praise and worship leaders at Willow Springs’ St. Paul Lutheran Church since 2014.
The four brothers, three biological and one spiritual, include Ryan Luerssen on 12-string acoustic guitar and vocals, Jared Luerssen on bass guitar and vocals, Matthew Luerssen on keytar/keyboards and vocals, and Curtis Beaulieu on the drums.
The band’s name is derived from the Gospel of Matthew. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”
Advocacy Communications Training
Sunday, December 8th, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Being an advocate can be intimidating! Attendees will learn how to easily prepare for an interview, answer reporters’ questions, and look and sound great on camera. Anyone ages 18+ is welcome to participate, but all attendees must pre-register.
Trivia Night
Sunday, December 8th
After the conclusion of the Ambassador Contest at Annual Meeting (you do not have to attend Annual Meeting to come for Trivia– EVERYONE is welcome!). There will be 10 different categories of questions with many fun agriculture related twists! Kids are welcome and family interaction is encouraged!
