Are you looking to maximize the marketing potential of your operation? If you want to learn from two of the best in the business, make plans to attend the Building Your Brand educational session at the 2017 AHA Annual Meeting Oct. 27.

Brand recognition is the foundation to a marketing program. Learn the basics of branding your farm or ranch and what marketing tools will help you reach current and potential customers from Melissa Grimmel Schaake, Grimmel Girls Show Cattle and AdFarm Strategy Lead Matt Weeks. The session will also cover important AHA marketing resources available to Hereford breeders.

Melissa Grimmel Schaake was born and raised in Jarrettsville, Maryland as a first generation Hereford breeder and fifth generation grain farmer. She attended Kansas State University where she graduated in 2016 with dual degrees in Agricultural Communications and Journalism, and Animal Sciences and Industry. She and her husband, Shane, now live in Wray, Colorado, where she works in her home office as a Graphic Designer for Ranch House Designs, Inc., based in Wharton, Texas. Her love and passion for the Hereford breed began after attending her first JNHE in 2005 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From then, she went on to win numerous national titles throughout her junior career. She, and her sister and brother in-law Michelle and Jacob Wolfrey, now own and operate Grimmel Girls Show Cattle where they use an intensive ET and IVF program in both Maryland and Colorado. Melissa manages all marketing, social media, graphic design and photography work for Grimmel Girls Show Cattle and Schaake Farms. Melissa’s goal when it comes to marketing is not only getting noticed, but being remembered.

At AdFarm, Matt oversees the strategic planning process and provides expertise in go-to market strategies that drive customer adoption and loyalty – all within and around agriculture. Matt is a champion of the big idea and bringing it to life through connecting ideas, sharing stories and creating meaningful dialogue. An agronomist by education, Matt received Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Kansas State University.