WBGA Conventioneers ... Grab your room now!

[parsley]

I was told the Sheraton room rates will rise to $300.00 per night by 18th January, so if you are going, book now for under $200.00 convention rates. I'm booked.

A friendly reminder.


WBGA 2008 Annual Convention
February 13, 14 & 15, 2008
www.sheratoncavalier.com/calgary/


Western Barley Growers Association
Agriculture Centre - 97 East Lake Ramp NE
Airdrie, AB T4A 0C3
Phone: (403) 912-3998
www.wbga.org Email: wbga@wbga.org

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Here is the agenda for the first night:


Wednesday, February 13

4:00 p.m. Pre-registration

7:00 – 10:00 p.m. President’s Welcome Reception
“Struggle For Market Choice – Lifetime Awards”


CP, I think they will serve aperitifs if requested.


Parsley

[parsley]

THURSDAY MORNING AGENDA:
Thursday, February 14

8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast in the Trade Fair
Registration

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Opening of Convention
Doug Robertson, Convention Chair

Jeff Nielsen, President, Western Barley Growers Association

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Hon. George Groeneveld, Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Food

10:00 - 10:15 a.m. Alanna Koch, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Saskatchewan

10:15 – 10:30 a.m.Coffee in Trade Fair

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Tim Stonehouse, Group Malt Sales Director Muntons Malt
"Barley and Malt: Production and Usage in the EU and Challenges in the Future"

11:30 – noon Russ Crawford, Agrinomics I T Consulting Ltd.

“AgClearing - Improve Contractual Risk Management”

12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. Lunch in Trade Fair

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THURSDAY AFTERNOON AGENDA

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. TBA - Prince Rupert Port Authority - “The Port Challenges”

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Larry Weber, President - Weber Commodities Ltd.
“Global and Local Grain Price Differences”

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Coffee in Trade Fair

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. John Christensen, FarmPure Seeds
“New Presentation”

4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Free Time

6:00 p.m. Reception

7:00 p.m. Banquet
8:00 p.m. Banquet Entertainment - Hugh McLennan - “Spirit of the West”

9:00 p.m. Fun Auction - Don Savage, Don Savage Auctions

[parsley]

What will Thursday Night Hold for you?

Dressing up in your Auction Purchases and going out?

Dressing up in your Auction Purchases and staying in?

Nighclubbing?

Buying shooters for the President?

Appreciating Dianne?

Laughing amongst friends?

Debating supply management with agstar? (I like his humor, actually)

Being silly?

Whatever you decide, WBGA agenda next day is full.

Parsley

[parsley]

FRIDAY MORNING (headachey for some)


Friday, February 15

8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast in Trade Fair

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. President’s and Chairman’s Messages
Western Barley Growers Association - Jeff Nielsen, President
Alberta Barley Commission – Terry Young, Chairman

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.Resolutions

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Coffee in Trade Fair

11:00 – 12:00 noon Carman Read, C & N Partners Inc.; David Shambrock, Shambrock Consulting and Dr. David Bressler, U of A (Fermentation Research)

“Ethanol From Barley - A New Market And A Better Bottom Line”

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch in Trade Fair

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FRIDAY AFTERNOON


1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Dr. Kevin Hicks Ph.D., Research Leader, USDA-ARS Crop Conversion Science & Engineering Research

“New Technical Breakthroughs in Fuel Ethanol Production
from Hulled and Hull-less Barley”

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. Tony Overwater, Parkland AgriServices & Lynn Kennett, Agrium

“Land Use: Carbon Credits & Climate Control “

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. Coffee in Trade Fair

3:15 – 4:00 p.m. Petra Rowell, Alberta Environment

“Water for Life: A Wetland Policy and Implementation Plan”

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

PANEL -- Fuel versus Food Debate

Food - Bob Sutton - Rahr Malting Canada
Fuel - Dr. Kevin Hicks - USDA-ARS
Feed - Alberta Beef Producers - Rich Smith or Rick Thiessen

5:00 p.m. Closing remarks

[mustardman]

Parsley
just how many members does wbga have ? are there more than one hundred?

[parsley]

I don't know.

[mustardman]

parsley
you've been to convention before, so is it closer to 25 to 50 members? and if so then could it be called a Special interest group and if so why is Alberta gov't funding special interest groups ?

[parsley]

mustardman,

I don't know what the membership of Wild Rose is either. I don't know about the funding of the convention either, and I'm going to guess funding is an issue that most conventions can't pin down until the last minute.

Any farmers' group, if they actually farm and I've said this many times before, has validity with me.

NFU included.

Parsley

[parsley]

mustardman,

Any farmer Assocaitions, whether it be oats growers, or fruit groers, or flax straw growers, organic growers, or wildcrafters, or canola growers, etc, etc, ....every one of them that serve farmers....should be respected.

Parsley