National Farm-City Council Selects 2010 Annual Symposium Panel for “Agriculture: A Growing Story”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 6, 2010 – Four panel members have been selected to address the urban media’s coverage of agriculture in the annual Farm-City Week Symposium "Agriculture: A Growing Story" to be held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 18.

The purpose of the Symposium will be to explore friendly methods that can help assist the urban media when preparing news or feature stories that could significantly and negatively impact farmers, ranchers and the many agribusiness industries.

The four panelists and the areas they represent are:

• TRADITIONAL MEDIA: Charlene Shupp Espenshade, currently special editor at Lancaster Newspaper Publications and former employee of the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture’s office. 
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Chuck Zimmerman, social media expert, blogger and AgChat Foundation Board Member.  Chuck is president of ZimmComm New Media, parent company of several on-line agricultural publications, including Agwired.com.
• AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS: Chris Pierce, general manager at Heritage Poultry Management Services in Lititz Pa., and an egg industry spokesman.
• CONSUMER: Jeanne Menapace, retired attorney, educator and former food activist and founder of Housewives Against Higher Prices (HARP). 

“The goal of this Symposium is to consider tools with which local, state and national agricultural leaders and organizations can use to assure that the information obtained by the media is from reliable and credible sources,” says Al Pell, noted national agricultural broadcaster and chairman of the National Farm-City Council.  “With a successful merging of efforts with the urban media, we can more confidently be assured that accuracy will be paramount in communicating this growing story of agriculture.”

The Symposium begins at 10:30 a.m. EST and will continue until noon.  Discussions from 11 a.m. until noon will be broadcast live over the nationally syndicated AgriTalk radio show, hosted by another nationally noted broadcaster, Mike Adams.   It will be followed by a lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with an address by Shannon of WGAL-TV.

Shannon anchors “News 8 at 6” and “News 8 at 11” on weekends.  She is also the Learning Matters reporter during the week.  Shannon grew up in Lancaster County, received a bachelor of arts dual degree in political science and mass communications at Bloomsburg University, and is pursuing a master's degree in politics from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.  She began her career with WGAL-TV anchoring the weekend morning newscasts. Before working at WGAL-TV, she worked as a morning news anchor, producer and assignment editor for WHP-TV in Harrisburg, PA.

The Lancaster Host Resort is located at 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pa., on Route 30, easy driving distance from other major regional cities.  Cost of the Symposium and luncheon is $50/person.  The special student rate is $25/person.

For more information on the National Farm-City Council Symposium on “Agriculture: A Growing Story,” contact Holly Fritz at 610.621.2253 or holly.fritz@hbfritz.com.

The event kicks off National Farm-City Week from Nov. 19-26, ending on Thanksgiving, and celebrates the important partnership between farm and urban residents in providing the nation with a bounty of food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other other products.

The National Farm-City Week, recognized by a White House proclamation, is organized by the National Farm-City Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. The Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow their food.

For those interested in organizing a local Farm-City event, go to the National Farm-City Web site at www.farmcity.org or contact@farmcity.org.

National Farm-City Council Selects “Agriculture: A Growing Story” As 2010 Annual Symposium Topic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sept. 7, 2010 - "Agriculture: A Growing Story" will be the 2010 topic of the annual Farm-City Week Symposium held at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, Pa., on Thursday, Nov. 18.  The public is invited to attend. 

The purpose of this symposium will be to explore friendly methods that can help assist the urban media when preparing news or feature stories that could significantly and negatively impact farmers, ranchers and the many agribusiness industries. 

“Today, the chances of incorrect information on agricultural issues being mistakenly passed to the general public are not only a possibility – it is a reality that has caused serious financial damage and hardship to farmers, ranchers and others within the industry,” says Al Pell, noted national agricultural broadcaster and chairman of the National Farm-City Council.   

“The goal of this Symposium is to consider tools with which local, state and national agricultural leaders and organizations can use to assure that the information obtained by the media is from reliable and credible sources.  With a successful merging of efforts with the urban media, we can more confidently be assured that accuracy will be paramount in communicating this growing story of agriculture.”  

The Symposium begins at 10:30 a.m. EST and will continue until noon.  Discussions from 11 a.m. until noon will be broadcast live over the nationally syndicated AgriTalk radio show, hosted by another nationally noted broadcaster, Mike Adams.   It will be followed by a lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. with a special speaker.
Symposium participants and the lunch speaker will be announced later.

The Lancaster Host Resort is located at 2300 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pa., on Route 30, easy driving distance from other major regional cities.   

For more information on the National Farm-City Council Symposium on “Agriculture: A Growing Story,” contact the National Farm-City Council at contact@farmcity.org, or by calling 877.611.8161. 

The event kicks off National Farm-City Week from Nov. 19-26, ending on Thanksgiving, and celebrates the important partnership between farm and urban residents in providing the nation with a bounty of food, fiber, fuel and a growing list of other products .

The National Farm-City Week, recognized by a White House proclamation, is organized by the National Farm-City Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. The Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow their food.

For those interested in organizing a local Farm-City event, go to the National Farm-City Web site at www.farmcity.org or call 877.611.8161.

National Farm-City Council Selects Animal Agriculture As 2009 Annual Symposium Topic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aug. 31, 2009 – “Farm Animal Care: Myths vs. Facts” will be the 2009 topic of the annual Farm-City Week Symposium during National Farm-City Week, celebrated Nov. 20 to 26, 2009, and ending on Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the National Farm-City Council and its state organizations will work to communicate to urban audiences the challenges facing producers of America’s meat supply. These issues will be discussed at this year’s Farm-City Week Symposium, which will be held in Indianapolis at the Westin Hotel on November 19, 2009. The public is invited to attend.

“Across the country, we’re seeing livestock producers facing new challenges,” says Al Pell, chairman of the National Farm-City Council. “Oftentimes, these come from well-intentioned citizens in urban areas who don’t know what a good job producers are doing to practices caring and ethical animal husbandry. Our goal is to help raise this issue and help educate those in cities and towns who are beginning to have an impact on livestock operations through legislation and regulation.”

Further details on the Farm-City Symposium, its speakers and program, and details about attending the event will be announced shortly.

The National Farm-City Week, recognized by a White House proclamation, is organized by the National Farm-City Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. The Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow their food.

Farm-City activities are grassroots in nature. Communities across the nation hold Farm-City events ranging from banquets to tours to job exchanges. The Council works closely with Agriculture in the Classroom programs in educating students and teachers about agriculture. The “Farm Animal Care” theme for this year’s Farm-City Week has been communicated to state and county volunteers, who are gearing local activities to match the national strategy. In future years, the Council plans to address other potentially divisive issues that affect farm families and urban residents. The Council’s goal is to bridge the gap in understanding by focusing on one issue each year.

In addition, the National Farm-City Council recognizes organizations, businesses, groups and individuals for their outstanding work in accomplishing the mission of farmcity relations.

NFCC's "Combating Hunger in America" Symposium and The National Farm-City Week Kickoff Luncheon!

• The national radio show AgriTalk, broadcast live from the Farm-City Symposium in Birmingham, Alabama, on November 20, 2008 due in part to a grant given to the National Farm-City Council from New Holland Agriculture. Host Mike Adams moderated a lively discussion on the topic of "Combating Hunger in America" with a panel of distinguished leaders from industry, academia and non-profit organizations.
• Following the broadcast, the discussion continued between the panel and attendees, along with the luncheon offering special recognitions and the presentation of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture® Book of the Year Award.

What a great way to kick off National Farm-City Week!

The 2007 National Farm-City Week Kickoff Luncheon in Washington D.C. featured music, celebrities, awards and live media coverage.

[ Click here for more details. ]

Hazlehurst Farm-City Day produces bumper crop of smiles

Where can you milk a goat, dig your own potato, see plenty of smiles and enjoy other signs, sounds and smells of a family farm? At a Farm-City Day, of course!

[ Click here for more details. ]

National Farm-City Council Celebrates Its 50th Year

The year is 1955. Dwight D. Eisenhower is president. Just over half of American households proudly own a television. (1%, by the way, are color sets.) The McDonalds Corporation opens its very first fast-food restaurant. Pollsters find America's favorite meal is fruit cup, steak and potatoes, peas, rolls with butter, and pie a la mode. And… the National Farm-City Committee is born.

[ Click here for more details. ]

11,000 people showed up for a festive two-day Family Farm Days event near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

[ Click here for more details. ]

Find out what Farm-City organizations throughout the country are doing and more in the Farm-City Connections e-Newsletter.

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Find out what Farm-City organizations throughout the country are doing in the Farm-City Connections, the newsletter of the National Farm-City Council.

[ 2009 (Sept) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2009 (Aug) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2006 (Fall) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2005 (Fall/Winter) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2005 (Spring) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2004 (Fall) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]
[ 2003 (Fall) Farm-City Connections Newsletter (PDF) ]