Summer Conference Workshops

2009 MAAE SUMMER CONFERENCE

MONDAY, JULY 6

10:00 SAE Committee Meeting

10:00-12:00 MAAE Officer Meeting

10:00-5:00 ALL DAY WORKSHOP

Principles, Skills and Tools From the Quality Movement For Instructors – Dr. Bob Milligan,

Professor Emeritus, Cornell University

Although the quality movement – Deming, Juran, TQM – began in manufacturing, it has now

spread to all sectors of our economy including education. The focus on NO DEFECT products

has shifted to NO DEFECT processes. A NO DEFECT process is one where the actions and

tasks in the activity – process – are carried out every time exactly as specified. In this session

we will explore the myriad of opportunities to utilize quality movement principles, skills, and

tools to improve instruction and student learning. The workshop will define quality, identify the

three requirements for a NO DEFECT process, focus on consistency, use the 5 WHY tool, and

focus on the importance of excellent communication skills.

1:00-5:00 FINPACK Update and Data Report Interpretation – Dale Nordquist, CFFM, University of MN

How did your close out session move along this past year with the new version of FINPACK?

Dale will answer our questions and give us some useful tips for next year. He will review many

of the data reports generated and give us an interpretation of each.

Can You Be A Farm Business Management Instructor? – Mike Mastey, FBM Instructor,

Ridgewater College

Many high school agriculture teachers have made the switch to adult instruction as a farm

business management instructors. Current FBM instructors that have made the switch from high

school instructor will review the joys and challenges of working with adults and working for the

MnSCU system. Perhaps you could find real success working with real farmers with real

situations as a farm business management instructor.

FFA Applications 101 – MAAE SAE Committee

This workshop will focus specifically on the Minnesota FFA Degree and Proficiency

applications. It is targeted for instructors who have not completed an applications or who have

limited experience in completing the applications. Instructors will learn the correct process and

procedures for correctly completing these applications.

National Quality Program Standards – MAAE NQPS Leadership Team

National Quality Program Standards provide an opportunity for Agricultural Educators to

evaluate their programs with an objective eye. This workshop will give the first round of

educators a chance to learn about the National Quality Program Standards, the assessment and

the best practices for program improvement. Participants in this workshop will also have a

follow-up workshop at Ag-Tech in January of 2010.

Animal Science Lesson Share – Christa Williamson, Ag-Ed Instructor

Looking for new and exciting activities and labs for your animal science class? Do you do

something “really cool”? Participants in this workshop should bring 1-3 ideas to share with the

rest of the group. Lessons to share do not need to be complete lessons, they can be a lab,

introduction activity or just something they do in class. Why reinvent the wheel? Come share

in the fun of Animal Science! .

12:30-3:00 MAAE Pre-Conference Board Meeting

3:00-5:30 Regional Deans Meeting

3:30 CDE Committee Meeting

4:00-5:30 2009-2010 MAAE Officer Meeting

5:00 Fishing In The Minnesota River

Just a few miles from our conference location is a great place to fish in the Minnesota River.

The river is a unique fishing experience and you never know what you will catch. Over a dozen

species of fish thrive in the murky water including northern, flathead catfish, channel catfish, sheep

head, red horse, and small mouth bass. No boat is required to have great luck in the river. All that

is needed is a fishing rod with heavy to medium action, any tackle that you are willing to loose, a lawn

chair and a beverage or two. An experience river fisherman will escort you to the fishing location.

Meet at the conference registration are at 5:00 and we will car pool to the river.

6:00 Past President’s Dinner – Reception @ 6:00, Dinner @ 6:30

8:30 Region 5 Conference Planning Meeting

Evening Family activities on your own

TUESDAY, JULY 7

7:30-9:30 Conference Registration

- refreshments provided

7:30-9:30 Exchange of Ideas Registration

7:30-4:00 Exhibits Open

8:00-9:00 TIP Brunch

8:00-9:00 PEP Brunch

9:30-10:30 General Session – Speaker & Door Prizes

10:30-11:15 Regional Meetings

11:30-12:30 Luncheon – Voting for 2009-2010 Officers

1:30 Minnesota FFA Alumni Board Meeting

1:30-5:00 Sectional Meetings (High School, Post Secondary, and Farm Business Management)

2:45-3:45 Break – visit exhibits

3:45-5:00 Sectional Meetings Continued

5:00-8:00 Picnic & Volleyball Tournament

8:00 Retirement Party / Roast for Retiring Teachers – This activity is open to ALL conference

attendees.

8:00 Young Professionals Reception

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

7:30-9:15 Agricultural Trade Association Breakfast – Buffet breakfast served from 7:15-7:45

Exchange of Ideas Awards MAAE Director Recognition

9:30-10:15 Regional Meetings

10:30-11:45 MAAE Annual Meeting

11:45-1:00 Light Luncheon

1:15 Tours

Goblirsch Dairy

The days of squatting by a cow during milking have been over for some time with the advent of

milking parlor. Now, the farmer does not even need to be present. See the latest innovation in

dairy, complete robotic milking. Nels and Matt Goblirsch give an informative tour of their

robotic milking system in which even the milkers are attached to the cow automatically. Nels

and Matt discuss cow comfort, her health monitoring and the latest in feeding.

Brau Brewery

From the humble beginnings of a micro brewery inside the Brau Haus restaurant, to a complete

brewery and hop farm, the Brau Brothers, Dusty, Trevor and Brady have marketed a small value

added enterprise into a commercial brewery. The brothers are in the second year of growing

hops for their own use in the brewery and have over 15 different varieties.

Monsanto Seed Plant

A step by step tour in the processing of corn and soybean seed at the new state of the art facility

near Redwood Falls. See how seed is sized, cleaned, and bagged for farm use. High tech,

computerized cleaners sort soybean seed by color using jets of air to remove all seed that does

not meet color standards. Millions of dollars worth of plant and equipment ensure only the best

seed is sold. If time allows, the nearby test plots are where the next generation of Monsanto

products are researched.

Alpaca Farm

The Rich-Nes Alpaca farm near Morgan has been raising Alpacas for many years. These unique

animals thrive in the Minnesota climate and Agnes & Richard market breeding stock as well as

the mohair. This would be a great addition to alternative animal or large animal science curriculum.

Bio-Diesel From Waste Oil and Tallow

Central Bi-Products operates their fleet of vehicles for animal carcass pickup from bio-diesel that

they manufacture on site. See how the oil and animal tallow are converted into fuel. There is a

lot of chemistry involved that can be easily adapted to the high school classroom on a small

scale. There are opportunities for small on the farm production that can be used to power

agricultural equipment.

High Water Ethanol

This 50 million gallon dry mill corn plant is slated to come on line in the summer of 2009. The

focus is to add value to locally grown grains by providing a local outlet to process the corn

grown in the area, and at the same time, increase the total demand for corn in the Southwestern

Minnesota region. To meet this mission, Highwater will provide a processing facility that will

allow members to invest in a growing industry. The facility will produce and market 200 proof

denatured ethanol, distillers, dry grains with soluable(DDGS) and distillers wet cake.

Equine Connections

If you’re a horse enthusiast or maybe you would like to learn a little more about riding styles,

Equine Connections would be a great tour for you. North of Olivia, Equine Connections

utilizes horses for personal growth. The owner, Rae-Ann Bartz, offers lessons, boarding, and

team building for families, group and businesses while utilizing horses. During this tour you

will see the facilities and watch a few riding demonstrations. There will also be an experiential

session on teambuilding involving a small group of participants.

Alliance Pipeline

A large natural gas pipeline moves gas from Canada to Chicago. On this 1000-mile trip, the gas

is moved along by compressor stations. One of the two stations in Minnesota is located near

Bird Island. In this tour we will view this large compressor station and see that it is powered by

a real jet engine. We will see an overview of the company and their safety procedures. This is a

very interesting tour provided by a very strong supporter of Ag-Ed and the FFA in Minnesota.

Holmberg Apple Orchard

Located near Vesta, the Holmberg’s have developed a large apple orchard and market their

apples and other products through a mixture of farmers market and Ag entertainment. We will

view the many types of growing apples as well as hear about how the orchard has expanded into

other products such as pies and apple crisps. During the apple season the orchard offers a petting

zoo and kids play area as well as family snack bar. Come see how this special business

expanded and grew over years.

Christensen Family Farms

One of the real supporters of FFA and Agriculture Education in Minnesota, Christensen Family

Farms is offering a tour of their large feed mill and company headquarters in Sleepy Eye.

Christensen Family Farms is one of the largest hog producing companies in the country. At the

company offices we will review the development of the company and hear about the future

direction of the swine industry in this county.

Fieldstone Vineyard and Winery

Just a few minutes from Jackpot Junction, Fieldstone has been growing grapes and producing

high quality wine for the last nine years. They have over four acres of vineyard on site as well

as a winery and retail store. We will tour the vineyards and see some of the cold hardy grapes

developed at the University of Minnesota that is changing the grape business in the northern US.

We will also tour the winery and see how wine is made and wine tasting will be available for $3

at the end of the tour. The retail store will also be open.

2:00-4:00 Team Ag-Ed Meeting

6:30 MAAE Annual Banquet

9:00 Reception for Award Recipients

THURSDAY, JULY 9

8:00-11:30 Workshops

Economic Systems for Agriculture Teachers – ALL DAY THURDAY AND FRIDAY – TWO FULL DAYS

This class is sponsored by the Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) and will

accommodate 20 Minnesota Agricultural teachers. It will provide skills and information to

enhance your teaching of economics in agriculture to include to include both macro-economics

and micro-economics concepts. This “Economic Systems” class will prepare you to meet the

state academic standards in economics. The class includes a review of basic economic concepts

and the use of materials to augment interactive learning as well as an examination of assessment

methods. It will meet during the MAAE Summer Conference on July 9-10 and two days during the

MAAE Ag-Tech Conference in January of 2010. There may be 1-2 additional Saturdays during the school

year. This series of classes will provide free curricula materials, increased understanding of economics, and

copies of numerous learning activities. The program is made possible by a collaboration of the MCEE,

MAELC, Food Industry Council, and the Minnesota Officer of High Education.

Shop 101 – ALL DAY WORKSHOP AT Buffalo Lake-Hector High School

This workshop is intended for new instructors or advisors with relatively little experience

in the shop courses typically taught in high school agricultural education departments. The

morning sessions will include an overview and materials for use in the following classes:

Woods, Welding, Small Gas Engines, Auto Mechanics, Electricity, Plumbing and Home

Repairs. The afternoon sessions will allow instructors to pick and choose from several hands-on

stations to gain experience and get practice in some or all of the areas listed above using the

materials and experience at Buffalo Lake-Hector High School. Instructors will walk away with a

CD-Rom with all presentation materials needed to get a beginning teacher started in any of the

classes listed.

“Rethink?, Resize?, Refinance? – Tips For Working Your Way Through An Economic

Downturn AND Minnesota Family Farm Law Project - Ruth Ann Karty, Minnesota Farm Advocate

Ruth Ann Karty is a Minnesota Farm Advocate, contracted to the Minnesota Department of

Agriculture. Ruth Ann joined the Farm Advocate program in the midst of the farm crisis of the

80’s. She has served through more than two decades of roller coaster farm economy. Today’s

question is – NOW WHAT? Reports on the farm economy tell the world that U.S. farmers are

thriving. Those of us on the “front lines” aren’t so sure. Clearly, 2008 was the most volatile

year in farm history. Exponentially rising input costs and grain market explosions make it nearly

impossible to predict the future of the farming operation. For many farmers, 2008 was not a

good year. 2009 has been a planning nightmare. Learn strategies to reinvent the operation.

The second half of this workshop will focus on the Minnesota Family Farm Law Project and mediation.

A bankruptcy attorney will discuss the process of bankruptcy. Additional topics will include renegotiating

leases, getting out of leases and getting out of secured vs. unsecured debt. With the current farm economy,

this workshop will provide information on available options.

Latest In Seed Industry – Cory Buysse and Kyle Freeman, Monsanto

Monsanto has been an industry leader in bringing new products and technology to the market

place. To achieve this Monsanto invests over $800 million in research annually. With the

introduction of new genetics and traits each year, it can be very challenging to stay current with

the newest technologies that are available to producers to increase productivity on their farms.

This session will cover the background of Monsanto’s beginnings and how we have become an

industry leader in Traits and Seeds Research. Topics will include current products and traits

available today, value and prices of products in the marketplace, agronomic issues associated

with today’s growers, and what does the Pipeline of Research have in store for the future of the

seed industry.

Moodle / Gaggle – Jennifer Oerter, English Instructor, KMS High School

Looking for ways to reach your students who are interested in only the surfing net? Learn how

to create interactive discussion boards and utilize Moodle for classroom instruction. Take your

teaching to the next level – the Internet level. This workshop will provide you with basic

instruction on Moodle / Gaagle as well as ideas on how to best fit into your curriculum.

Forcing Bulb & Poinsettias In The School Greenhouse – Don Josco

Learn the art of forcing bulbs and poinsettias in the school greenhouse. Emphasis will be

placed on teaching methods and sharpening your own skills in producing these exciting crops.

A CD will be available for purchase or P.O. or $30. (not necessary to attend workshop to purchase CD).

Ag Sales CDE – Kim Lippert, Ridegewater College

Have you been looking for new ways to provide your students with life-long skills? Have you

always wanted to encourage your students to participate in the Ag Sales CDE, but were overwhelmed

by the size of this contest? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, this workshop is for you! This will

be a practical workshop, walking you through the various parts of this contest.

Canoeing On The Minnesota River – Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center

See the Minnesota River in a new way. See Bald Eagles, turkey vultures, and other wildlife

as you paddle a 16 passenger canoe down the Minnesota River. A guide from the Prairie Woods

Environmental Learning Center will lead the group on this great experience. The Minnesota

River is a beautiful environment and one the area’s most underused resources. The trip will be

about two hours in length.

Integrating SAE Into Your Curriculum – Paul Lanoue, Christa Williamson, Dan Dylla, Eric

Sawatzke, Ag-Ed Instructors

Various Ag-Ed instructors from throughout the state will talk about their trials and successes in

integrating supervised agricultural experiences into the classroom. The instructors will share

their assignment and assessment tools. Participants are asked to bring examples, if they have or

how they have integrated SAE into their classroom.

P.M.

1:00-4:30 Workshops

Canoeing On The Minnesota River – REPEAT

Latest In Seed Industry - REPEAT

Crop Insurance Coverage – United Farm Credit Services

Where would many producers have been last year without crop insurance? This year brought

more changes to the equation challenging more of us to be able to give our producers proper

guidance. This workshop will examine the changes along with the different coverage levels

and types of crop insurance available.

Internet Show And Tell – Zach Rada, FBM Instructor, Ridgewater College

The Internet is one of the most useful tools in the world, but it is so big we can’t know it all.

This session is open to all MAAE members and we invite participants to bring their favorite web

sites used for work, education and fun to share with the group. Each site will be demonstrated

and a master list will be e-mailed to all that attend.

USDA Co-op Curriculum – Amy Fredregill, Cooperative Network Vice President and Ed Terry,

Randolph Ag-Ed Instructor

Amy and Ed will describe creative ways to use the newly produced seven unit CD Rom from the

USDA. Ed will outline his October Co-op Month activities that can supplement the newly

produced USDA curriculum. Every year he has students create a fruit co-op to demonstrate how

a real co-op business function. Other Ag-Ed instructors serving on an advisory committee for

the Cooperative Network will speak on the panel to discuss activities they include in the

classroom on co-ops. Fredregill will explain different ways to get in touch with the leaders of

your local co-ops. Participants will receive a free copy of the new CD Rom.

Nursery Landscape CDE – Jim Weninger, Ag-Ed Instructor, HLWW High School

Winnie will take you through the basics of nursery identification with the help of a local nursery.

Participants in this workshop will also receive a list of resources for preparing for the contest.

Winnie will also walk participants through practicum’s providing helpful hints for instruction.

Grafting and Budding - Don Josco

Learn the art of budding and grafting trees. This is a very hands-on workshop. Bring a sharp

floral knife or jackknife. The workshop will focus on plant structure basics, grafting & budding

techniques, and timing. Be prepared to make samples and lessons that will fire-up students and

teachers alike. A training CD will be available for purchase or P.O for $30. (not necessary to

attend workshop to purchase CD).

Integrating Technology In Agricultural Education – Leah Schwachtgen, Ag-Ed Instructor,

Montevideo High School

The integrating technology workshop will be a hands-on course created to give teachers new

ideas and applications to bring back to their classrooms. The first portion of the class will deal

with Notebook software and using the SMARTBoard effectively. You do not need a

SMARTBoard in your classroom to attend this course. We will also take a closer look at a

variety of Web 2.0 tools that can enhance your curriculum. There will be time for hands-on

work and sharing of ideas. Please bring a laptop and USB flash drive, if you have one.

Agtivities For An Engaging Classroom – Natasha Mortenson and Ellen Thompson, Ag-Ed

Instructors

If you are feeling like your curriculum isn’t charging your students to get learning, we have the

tools to help YOU make YOUR Classroom Engaging, Fun and Exciting. This workshop will

identify and demonstrate numerous engaging strategies that can be used in any subject matter.

Participants will leave with a handbook full of over 40 useful tips for implementing the

agtivities in the classroom.

Ag Communications, Marketing Plan and Agricultural Issues CDE’s – Christa Williamson,

Bruce Mathiowetz, Seena Glessing, and Lavyne Rada, Ag-Ed Instructors

Ag Communications, Marketing Plan, Agricultural Issues??? What are these CDE’s? How do I

get started? What resources do I need? These questions and more will be discussed. Instructors

with State and National experiences in these areas will introduce you to the opportunities

available for your students in these fun and exciting CDE areas

4:30 Post Conference Board Meeting

FRIDAY, JULY 10

AM

8:00-11:30 Farm Transition and Estate Planning – Gary Hachfield and Dale Nordquist, University of MN

Concepts and techniques in farm transition and estate planning will be discussed. Outlining

strategies and procedures to consider in the transfer and estate plan will be done giving one a

road map to use in helping farm families.

Growing Grapes In Minnesota – Current Vineyard Growers

Minnesota is the hub of the new cold hardy grapes that are changing grape production in the

northern US. Many of the cold hardy grapes have been developed at the University of

Minnesota. This session will explain where to get plant stock, equipment needed and economic

reasons driving the industry. Both high school and FBM instructors can benefit from this class.

2010 Agricultural Mechanics CDE – Neil Pearson, Ag-Ed Instructor, Willmar High School

This workshop will focus on the 2010 Agricultural Mechanics CDE topics. The topics will

include: large tractor power, skid steer loaders, footings & foundations for a wood or metal

building, electric controls and sensors, tool maintenance & plumbing, and land measurement &

leveling. Skills performance, problem solving, and reference materials will be reviewed.

Communities of Practice and Other Great Web Resources for the Busy Ag Teacher – Ellen

Thompson, Ag-Ed Instructor

This workshop will explore the World Wide Web Ag Teacher Style. The NAAE Ag Teacher

Resource and Collaboration website Communities of Practice will be the showcase. You’ll learn

how to find answers, pose questions, login and create documents. This online tool is a great way

to connect with Ag Teachers from across the US and receive quick, easy information. Other

websites will also be shared and we will discuss how you could utilize these in your classroom.