April 26, 2004

Dear NASDA Members, Spouses and Guests:

Welcome to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) 2004 Annual Conference. This year’s conference will be held from September 24-29 along the mighty Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. The conference theme is “Minnesota A Grand Excursion,” and we will showcase the many ways Minnesota agriculture has turned promise into reality. Our conference follows on the heels of St. Paul’s Grand Excursion 2004 celebration, recreating the historic 1854 expedition that brought worldwide attention to what was then America’s wild, western frontier.

We have a number of exciting events planned, including a visit to the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, where we will take a step back in time to revisit the city’s early flour milling days. We will take a look into the future at the Cargill Microbial and Plant Genomics Building, the first facility of its kind to be housed at a public research university. We will enjoy dinner and entertainment on a restored Victorian-era river boat floating on the Mississippi. We will enter St. Paul’s limestone caverns to explore our capital city’s fascinating history as a “rest stop” for Depression-era gangsters during a fun-filled dinner at the Wabasha Street Caves. This unique restaurant is known as the site of 1930s mobster shoot-outs and, more recently, ghostly lore. The highlight of the conference will be a Mississippi River Barge tour. We will board a working barge for dinner and a scenic ride down the river. We also have numerous events planned for spouses and guests, highlighted by shopping days at the Mall of America and a spa day.

Although September in Minnesota is usually sunny and warm, our state’s reputation for fickle weather is well deserved. To help you pack, we created a webpage titled “How To Dress”. This page offers helpful suggestions on what to wear for each event and also links you to the latest weather forecast for St. Paul.

We encourage you to register as soon as possible so we can more effectively meet your needs. Please feel free to contact conference coordinator Becky Balk at 651-215-0369 if you have questions at any time. For more details on the spouse/guest program, please contact Karen Matthees at 651-296-9852. Additional information is also available on the NASDA website.

We hope you will join us in making this conference a memorable and enjoyable event.

Sincerely,

Gene Hugoson
Commissioner and NASDA President