C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 25, 2000
USD A To Host First Meeting Of
Meat Industry’s 828 Data Standards Group
WASHINGTON, D.C. The
USD A will host the first meeting
of MeatXML.org, a new volun
tary organization that will set
electronic supply-chain stand
ards for the meat industry, here
Feb. 22.
Kathleen Merrigan, adminis-
Direct Marketing
Conference Sets Jan. 18
Registration Deadline
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.
Jan. 18 is the deadline to register
for the upcoming Mid-Atlantic
Direct Marketing Conference
and Trade Show, set for Feb. 21-
24 here.
The conference will provide
expert advice and information
for agricultural direct-sale busi
nesses, including pick-your-own
produce operations, roadside
stands, and farmers’ markets.
The theme for this year’s con
ference is “Charting a New
Course.” Topics will include
agritourism, community rela
tions, customer service, business
planning, food safety, buying
techniques, visual presentation,
advertising, e-commerce, retire
ment planning, and liability in
surance.
Three preconference seminars
are also planned. The first is the
three-day Franklin-Covey 7
Habits’" workshop, which seeks
to improve both personal and
professional performance. In the
other two seminars, participants
may explore strategies for suc
cess at public farmers’ markets
and the possibilities offered by
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trator of USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service, said, “AMS
believes its support for these
standards is critical to facilitat
ing an open and efficient meat
and poultry supply chain in the
electronic age.”
This voluntary consensus
standards body is being formed
the gift basket business.
The trade show will feature
more than 50 exhibitors with
products and services ranging
from packaging and labeling
supplies to fun activities for chil
dren, as well as private labeled
items, gift shop suggestions, and
more.
Post-conference tours both
virtual and actual will show
case several area operations in
action including a family dairy
farm in Chesapeake and the
Virginia Beach Farmers’
Market.
For reservation information,
contact Cathy Belcher,
cbelcher@vdacs.state, va. us,
(804) 786-4046 or click on
www.madmc.com. Register for
the conference and make hotel
reservations by Jan. 18 to ensure
the best rates. The registration
fee for the Franklin-Covey
workshop must be paid by Dec.
29.
with the objective of developing
data trading terminology that
can be used industry-wide to fa
cilitate Internet-based business
to-business (B2B) trading. This
first meeting will focus on pro
viding an overview of how ex
tensible markup language,
known as XML, facilitates elec
tronic data exchange among
companies using the Internet
and the value of industry-wide
standards. The group will also
review the proposed structure
and administration of the stand
ards body and the process it will
use to approve new or revised
standards. The meeting will be
open to the public.
Representatives from compa
nies involved in meat and poul
try production and processing,
retail distribution, and com
merce network integration are
encouraged to attend.
More information about the
February meeting can be found
at www.ams.usda.gov-
/meatxml.htm
www.meatxml.org.
Lower Service Fee For
Farm Bureau Workers’ Comp
GLENMONT, N.Y. New
York Farm Bureau’s Workers’
Compensation Safety Group
#4B6’s Executive Committee has
lowered the group’s service fee
for the upcoming year.
The service fee is used not
only to administer the 2,600-
farmer member group, but also
to support the efforts of New
York Farm Bureau on behalf of
its members in a wide array of
areas, such as efforts to promote
school tax and sales tax reforms.
Safety Group #486 has exhib
ited proven stability and longev
ity since its inception in 1968.
“The service fee has been
gradually trending upwards in
recent years,” said Daniel
Hooker, New York Farm Bu
reau’s director of member ser
vices. “We are very happy to see
that trend reverse, putting us
substantially below the state’s
maximum allowable amount.
Our Safety Group Executive
Committee has provided aggres
sive leadership in responding to
the needs of the members and to
the dictates of the market. I am
sure that this is just the tip of the
iceberg when it comes to an even
more competitive and business-
and
like Safety Group.”
The New York Farm Bu
reau’s Safety Group writes
workers’ compensation policies
for nursery, sod, dairy, horse
boarding and breeding opera
tions, fruit, vegetable, berry,
grape, poultry and greenhouse
operations, in addition to feed
manufacturing and retail grain
and seed stores.
Farm Bureau members need
ing workers’ compensation in
surance or those farmers not yet
members of New York Farm
Bureau can obtain more details
by calling (800) 342-4143.
NOTICE: FARM
OWNERS
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