April 2017

FCS Professionals members are invited to attend “Making Memories” the MAFCS Annual Gala Event to honor long standing members and other FCS professionals.

Event Date: Sunday, May 7, 2017

Event Time: Doors will open at 12:30 pm and speaker at 1:05 pm

Location:  Medina Entertainment Center, Medina, MN

Speaker:  Gloria VanDemmeltraadt

Gloria is a dynamic inspirational speaker, helping people expand and intensify their personal growth, as well as teaching them how to capture their own life stories.   “How to write a memoir”   These are the events and stories you wish your Mom, Dad, or Grandparents had shared with you.  Leave your story as a legacy for your children or your family.

Registration closes on April 25, 2017.  More information and registration forms can be found on the MNAFCS.COM website under Events.      You may also register by mail simply by listing your name, address, and phone number on a piece of paper and enclosing a check for $35.00. Send your check to Donna Butterfield, 6424 Newton Avenue S, Richfield, MN 55423. The Gala committee will call you to confirm your reservation.

This is a fund raising event to promote the work of MAFCS and help support our young professionals.   PDU’s are available for this event.

The Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Alliance is presenting a free webinar tomorrow Tuesday, April 18 from 9:30-10:30 CDT

Learn more about MNvest, a Minnesota law permitting investment crowdfunding, a new way to fund Minnesota’s growing businesses. Similar to reward-based crowdfunding sites (like Kickstarter), MNvest enables Minnesota businesses to legally advertise investment opportunities to all Minnesota residents.

Agenda: 

MNVest security crowdfunding

• What is MNVest?
• Can local independent businesses use MNVest to help grow their business?

The webinar is presented by Chris Hanson – Co-founder & CEO, thedatabank, gbc (general benefit corporation) and past board President of MetroIBA. A natural entrepreneur and Internet pioneer, Chris has founded or co-founded five successful businesses including Sanus, the largest manufacturer of audio/video furniture and accessories in the US. His current company, thedatabank, gbc, a certified B-Corp, invented, in 1998, the first SaaS CRM software used by nonprofit organizations to manage relationships with their supporters.

As a small business owner, fundraiser and direct marketer, Chris has presented at numerous regional, national and international conferences. Chris was the President of the Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Alliance. A group that works to advance the many economic and social benefits of local independent businesses. He’s also a founding board member of MNVest.org, an organization that worked to pass, and is now promoting, Minnesota’s new security crowdfunding legislation.

Chris earned his Ph.D. in Organization Development at the University of Minnesota where he conducted research on the use of training to improve organizational performance in small businesses.

Register here

Produce for Better Health Foundation is sponsoring an upcoming webinar “Facts, not Fears: Reassuring Consumers About the Safety of All Produce” on Wednesday, April 19 from 1:00-2:00 CDT.

From the invite:

“With stagnating consumption and new peer reviewed research showing the potential negative impact of fear-based messaging about produce safety on consumers, we need to identify better messaging to describe production methods and farming practices that reassure consumers about the health and safety of organic and conventional produce. ”

Timing Outline

45-50 minute presentation, with 10-15 minutes of questions/answers

Target Audience

This presentation is for dietitians and other health professionals who work with consumers to improve diets by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Dietitians who work in extension offices, WIC clinics, supermarkets, or conduct any form of nutrition education would find this information useful.

 Speakers

Dr. Britt Burton-Freeman

Associate Professor

Illinois Institute of Technology, Center for Nutrition Research

Teresa Thorne

Thorne Communications

 Moderator

Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RD

President & CEO, Produce for Better Health Foundation

1 CPEU available through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)

Webinar is complimentary but requires registration in advance.  Click here to register

The Midwest Dairy Council is offering an upcoming webinar “Dairy Farmers’ Commitment to Animal Care” on Thursday, April 20 11:00-12:00 CDT.

From the invite:

Animal care is a top consumer concern. And, it is a top priority for dairy farmers. Today’s consumers want to be assured of that. Research shows consumers are increasingly committed to purchasing products when they know that the animals were treated with care.

Join dairy farmer Susan Anglin, owner of the 300-cow dairy called Triple A Farm in Bentonville, Ark, who will share the steps she and her family take to make sure their cows are healthy and well cared for to ensure the delivery of high quality, wholesome dairy products. She will cover topics including the cow’s diet, housing, health and calf care. She will also talk about her farm’s involvement in the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, that holds dairy farmers to the highest standard of animal care, and environmental and antibiotic stewardship. Ninety-eight percent of the nation’s milk supply comes from dairy farmers involved in the FARM program.

Susan will be joined by veterinarian Gerard Cramer, associate professor of dairy production medicine from University of Minnesota who will share how dairy farmers and their veterinarians regularly collaborate, particularly in the areas of overall herd heath and ongoing reproduction-related issues.

This webinar, hosted by Midwest Dairy Association, is part of an ongoing series on consumer confidence topics that are important to your staff, partners, clients and customers. As part of the session, Midwest Dairy will share examples of resources available to help answer questions from key audiences about on-farm and animal care practices. This webinar will be recorded for replay at a later date.

The webinar is free but you must register here