California Grain & Feed Association

85TH Annual Convention

April 29 - May 2, 2009The Meritage Resort

Napa, CA

2009 ~ A Vintage Year

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The California Grain & Feed Association’s Annual Convention is the major event of the year for CGFA, featuring a program of business sessions, social functions and recreational events. The Annual Convention serves as a showcase for CGFA, therefore a strong emphasis is placed on presenting high quality programs for the membership. As the needs and interests of the industry change year to year, so do the program activities and topics presented at the Convention. This year’s Convention Committee has put together a quality program we hope you enjoy ~ 2009, A Vintage Year!

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, April 29thRegistration at The Meritage Hotel. The registration and hospitality area will be open for members to stop by and visit with staff and other members while enjoying some refreshments. Sponsored by: Western Milling LLC

Pre-Convention Golf Tournament at The Chardonnay Golf Club. This pre-convention tournament will be played on Wednesday afternoon at the beautiful Chardonnay Golf Club. This Golf Club is a unique destination, combining the elegance and natural beauty of the wine country with a full service, award winning golf experience. Sponsored by: J.D. Heiskell & Company

CGFA PAC Reception. Join us under the stars as we kick-off this year’s convention. The Political Action Committee (PAC), serving the CGFA, will be the benefactor of this one hour outdoor rendezvous at The Meritage Hotel. Sponsored in part by: Richardson Oilseed Limited; TPi and V-V Enterprises

Thursday, April 30thRegistration at The Meritage Hotel. The registration and hospitality area will be open for members to stop by and visit with staff and other members while enjoying some refreshments.

Past Presidents’ Breakfast Meeting: A private breakfast of the Past President’s Council. CGFA Past Presidents meet to visit with old friends and talk about issues impacting today’s grain & feed industry today.

The CGFA Business Session ~ CGFA.... Your Resource for Dealing With Today’s Challenges Join your colleagues as we hear from a broad range of experts who will teach us skills to maintain and protect your business. In these economic times have the fundamentals really changed? Get back to the basics of handling the day-to-day challenges we are facing in the agricultural community.

How Anti-Animal Industry Groups Exploit Media and What You Can Do About It: By: Charlie Powell• , College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University. The animal industries and related enterprises are coming under increasing fire from a minority that don’t like what you do for a living. Sadly, they use the media masterfully to take advantage of an unknowing majority and to leverage their cause. One only has to look at recent names in the news to understand: Topps Meats, Denny’s Restaurants and Hallmark/Westland. This talk will point out what has changed, and what the existing big players are doing to protect their business interests under the constant threat of infiltration, the glare of a Web. 2.0 spotlight, and self-generated media. Sponsored by: The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF)

CGFA Annual Meeting & Activity Reports:• Get a 2008-2009 update on your partnership with CGFA from CGFA President, Sonda Sibole of Kemin Industries, and a review of our past year operations from Executive Vice President Chris Zanobini, along with CGFA’s regulatory specialist, Tad Bell and governmental relations experts, Dennis Albiani and Debbie Murdock. Sponsored by: Kemin Industries

Feed Lien Law & Risk Management: by Bradley A. Silva• , Attorney at Law. Brad will update the group on supplier liens under the Food and Agricultural Code: the Dairy Cattle Supply Lien, the Poultry and Fish Supply Lien and the Agricultural Chemical and Seed Lien. He will discuss enforcement of feed and grain contacts in declining markets and what can be done to recoup “equity” in repudiated contracts. There will be discussion of minimizing credit risks and information on issues currently facing the feed industry in the credit arena. Sponsored by: Evonik Degussa Corporation

Economic Chaos...World in a Tailspin: By Richard A. Brock, • Brock Associates. In his presentation to the CGFA convention in Napa, Richard Brock will address the changing world economic environment and what it means to agriculture. Impact on the dairy industry, grain prices and real estate prices. Where are we headed and how will this impact decision making in the feed industry. The world will never be the same…..but what changes can and should we make.Richard A. Brock is president of Brock Associates, one of the country’s largest and most respected agricultural market advisory companies. Brock Associates publishes The Brock Report and BrockDaily Electronic Comments, manages grain sales for farmers and advises food companies on purchasing programs. His straight-forward presentations are refreshing and insightful. His agricultural commodity advisory firm has been helping farmers, farm owners and agribusinesses make educated grain marketing and purchasing decisions for 25 years. Sponsored by: Westway Feed Products

Culinary Institute Demonstration, Tour & Shopping Trip: Nestled in the heart of the Napa Valley is The Culinary Institute of America’s West Coast campus. Since 1995, the CIA at Greystone has provided continuing education opportunities and career development programs for food, wine and hospitality. Along with superior facilities, a renowned faculty and a vast selection of innovative year-round pro-grams, Greystone hosts public cooking demonstrations. Come join us for a cooking demonstration and tour of the facilities. Then shop at the Spice Islands Marketplace for cookware, bakeware, culinary tools and specialty food products. There’s simply no better place to experience the mingling of food and wine.

Napa Valley Wine Train Luncheon & Tour: All Aboard!!! Join fellow CGFA convention attendees on the Napa Valley Wine Train for a leisurely 3-hour journey through the beautiful wine country of Napa Valley in meticulously restored vintage rail cars. Not just a train ride, but a culinary experience as well. The Napa Valley Wine Train is one of the most unique and finest Napa res-taurants. Choose from an excellent seasonal menu, and then enjoy the dish that was prepared to your specifications in the specially designed kitchen cars. Locally famous Executive Chef, Kelly Macdonald, uses only the freshest seasonal ingredients.

No-Host Reception and Silent Auction: Come and join the cama-raderie of the CGFA folks as you stroll around. This no-host reception is a great chance to meet someone new, form a new friendship or spark a new business opportunity and relationship. The silent auction will be set up during this reception. You won’t want to miss out on the bidding for some fabulous items -- sports tickets, wine, trips, baskets and other surprises!Donors so far include: H & H Eng. Const., Inc., Richardson Oilseed Limited, Screw Conveyor Pacific Corp., V-V Enterprises and William C. Loughlin & Co.

President’s Dinner, Entertainment & Live Auction: Lively mu-sic, a delightful dinner and some of the best entertainment around will be your Friday Night President’s banquet. The evening will be capped off with a few high end live auction items. There won’t be too many items, just enough for some excitement and a fun chance at a handful of wonderful prizes.

Saturday, May 2ndHike in Sonoma Hills: For casual hikers with limited time who want to experience a breathtaking view of Sonoma, the Overlook Trail is within walking distance from the center of Sonoma. Join us Saturday morning as CGFA staff member, Anita Gore, leads the way. It is the most accessible and gratifying route for anyone willing to walk a country mile with a spectacular view. Even young energetic children and healthy octogenarians can master this excursion. Substantial sports shoes are sufficient, but hiking shoes are recommended. A good number of hardy locals use the Overlook Trail as a jogging route. Transportation, water and snacks will be provided. Sponsored by: MB Commodities Winery Tour at Fontanella Winery & The Hess Collection:Fontanella Family Winery is owned and operated by Jeff Fonta-nella, winemaker and co-owner, who has been making wine in Napa Valley for 11 years, and his wife Karen Kruse Fontanella. Karen is the granddaughter of Otto Kruse, founder of the O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling Company. Fontanella Family wines are a blend of tradition, skill and distinctive winemaking style. The winery is set in the western hills of the Napa Valley on Mt. Veeder with stunning views of oak studded knolls and graced by the natural beauty that surrounds this world renowned winemaking region. The second stop of our Winery Tour will be The Hess Collection, a producer of outstanding Napa Valley wines, and a unique wine country exhibitor of vivid, powerful and thought-provok-ing modern art.

Continued Thursday, April 30th.....Spouse/Guest Program: Enjoy a morning cooking demonstration with Laurent Berthon, the Meritage’s own chef. Laurent will dazzle you and share professional cooking techniques to make entertaining a snap.

Group Luncheon and Keynote Speaker, Bruce Vincent: “With Vision There Is Hope” It is time for change, and change will be our friend. America is ready for a new vision of conservation and environ-mental stewardship that is based upon hope instead of fear. In order to share this vision we must first reintroduce the American consumer to both the processes and the people of production, and then must lead - not just fight - the discussion over our environment. Those who work at the ground level in implementing society’s framework for protecting the environment are positioned at the leading edge of the changes and challenges of this discussion. That edge provides exciting opportunities and hope.

Industry Social Hour in the Estate Wine Cave: The Estate Cave is the only facility of its kind in the wine country -- an over 20,000 square foot wine cave built underneath the resort’s proprietary vineyard. The cave is an environmentally friendly structure, reducing topsoil removal,

taking advantage of natural insulation for energy ef-ficiency and extravagantly furnished to enhance the experience. Join us Thursday night for our most popular convention event! Meritage Wine Cave Venue Sponsored in Part by: V-V EnterprisesWe will have great food, music, Napa Valley wines, and a photographer available that night for group and couple photographs. Photography Sponsored by: Anderson Clayton Corp.

For those who want to do a little star gazing we have hired Professor Nebula’s Tour of the Night Sky Sponsored by: Simplot Agribusiness

Food/Beverages Sponsored by many industry companies; including so far:Anderson Clayton Corp., DSM Nutritional Products, Evonik Degussa Corp, H & H Eng. Const. Inc., InterWest Insurance Services, Kemin Industries, Pennfield Animal Health, Premier Chemicals, Richardson Oilseed Limited, Ridley Block Operations, V-V Enterprises, William C. Loughlin & Co.

Friday, May 1stRegistration: The registration and hospitality area will be open for members to stop by and visit with staff and other members while enjoy-ing some refreshments.

Golf Tournament at Eagle Vines Golf Club: Join us FORE a beau-tiful day of golf at the Eagle Vines Golf Club. The golf course at Eagle Vines Vineyards & Golf Club is a challenging test of golf for all players, yet is playable for all skill levels with four sets of tee boxes to choose from. The golf course was designed by World Golf Hall of Fame mem-ber Johnny Miller. The course takes advantage of the natural beauties of Napa Valley by featuring rolling hills, majestic oak trees, ambling creeks, and working vineyards. A round of golf at Eagle Vines will make a lasting memory!Hole Sponsors to date include: Anderson Clayton Corp., Balchem Corp, DSM Nutritional Products, Evonik Degussa Corp., InterWest Insurance Services, Kemin Industries, H & H Eng. Const. Inc., Pennfield Animal Health, Premier Chemicals, Richardson Oilseed Limited, Simplot Agribusiness, V-V Enterprises, William C. Loughlin & Co., and many more coming in each day.

~ Program At A Glance ~

Wednesday, April 29th

11:00 / 5:00 Registration & Hospitality Room Open11:30 / 5:00 Pre-Convention Golf at Chardonnay Golf Club6:00 / 7:00 CGFA PAC Reception

Thursday, April 30th

7:00 / 8:30 Registration & Hospitality Room Open7:30 / 8:30 Past President’s Breakfast Meeting (past president’s only)8:30 / 12:00 Business Session & Speakers

Charlie Powell•CGFA Annual Meeting & Reports•Brad Silva•Richard Brock•

8:30 / 11:30 Spouse Brunch Program & Cooking Demonstration12:00 / 1:30 Group Luncheon & Keynote Speaker, Bruce Vincent6:00 / 8:00 Industry Social Hour in the Estate Cave

Friday, May 1st

7:30 / 2:30 Golf Tournament at Eagle Vines Golf Club8:00 / 1:00 Registration & Hospitality Room Open10:00 / 3:00 Napa Valley Wine Train Tour & Luncheon12:30 / 4:00 Culinary Institute at Greystone Tour6:00 / 7:00 No-Host Reception and Silent Auction7:00 / 10:00 President’s Dinner & Entertainment

Saturday, May 2nd

7:30 / 10:30 Hike at Sonoma Outlook Trails11:00 / 3:30 Wine Tours at Fontanella Winery/The Hess Collection

Cancellation Policy: The CGFA policy on refunds: full refunds will be given with 11 days notice; 50% refund will be given within 3-10 days notice and there will be no refunds within 72 hours of the start of the convention.

HOTEL INFORMATION: Located at the southern tip of the Napa Valley, near where Napa and Sonoma meet, the Meritage Resort at Napa offers an experience like no other for wine enthusiasts, business travelers and special events.

With the world’s only spa in a wine cave, the region’s only private wedding chapel, and the most expansive meeting space in the Napa Valley, the Meritage Resort brings together the perfect blend of ser-vices and facilities for an unforgettable stay in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations.

The Meritage Resort offers a perfect blend of sumptuous amenities and an attentive staff to make your wine country visit relaxing and productive:

Lavish guestrooms and suites, with features such as oversized ter-•races, granite counters, plasma TVs, tile floors, Internet access,refrigerators. The Estate Wine Cave—featuring wine the country’s only under-•ground full service (Spa Terra), the Trinitas Tasting Room, (where you can sample Trinitas Cellars’ latest releases by the glass or pick up a bottle to enjoy in your room), and the Entertainment Cave available for private dinners and weddings — all built underground with artisan stone, tile, and woodwork. Award winning Siena Restaurant, where their chefs use local, sea-•sonal and sustainable ingredients to create stunning meals. Dine in, orenjoydiningalfrescofire-sideontheSienaPatio.The Meritage Bar featuring regional wine selections and signature •cocktails in a setting of rich, polished wood and romantic lighting. Complimentary Saturday morning Basic Yoga in the Estate Cave. •Walking along the hillside on the vineyard path (weather permit-•ting) from our Lady of the Grapes Landing through the vineyards to the Grape Crusher statue.Outdoor entertainment area with a covered terrace, heated pool, •firepit,bocceballcourt,andpoolsidefoodandbarservice.Our Lady of the Grapes, one of the only private wedding chapels •in the Napa Valley, with a soaring wood-beam ceiling and soft, natural light.

Call For Group Rates of $180.00The Meritage Hotel

(707) 259-0633 or (866) 370-NAPAIdentify Yourself as Part of the

California Grain & Feed Association by April 7, 2009 Group rate is available 3 days prior/3 days post of the meeting

www.themeritageresort.com

Location: Conveniently located at the crossroads of Highway 29 & Highway 221.

875 Bordeaux Way Napa, California 94558

United StatesPhone: 1 707 259 0633

Fax: 1 707 259 0661

2009 CGFA Convention Committee

President, Sonda Sibole & Dr. Jim Killen, Kemin Industries and Strauss FeedsChaircouple, Sharon & Ted Hargis, Westway Feed Products

Committee:Chris & Julie Benevedes, Ridley Block OperationsMike & Frankie Hearne, L.A. Hearne Company

Nicki & Gary Lodi, George Verhoeven Feed CompanyDon & Tami Sneddon, Evonik Degussa Corp.David & Sherrie Van Vliet, V-V Enterprises