House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) says the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress Thursday is a “game-changer for America.” “The One Big Beautiful Bill is a victory for rural America, making the largest investment in agriculture in decades, restoring integrity to SNAP, and saving millions of family farms from the death tax. This bill gives …
ASTA Wraps Up Forage, Turf and Conservation Seed Conference
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) wrapped up its annual Forage, Turf and Conservation (FTC) Seed Conference in Kansas City, Missouri last week. The meeting, held on October 29 in conjunction with the Western Seed Association Annual Meeting, gathers over 800 attendees in the conservation and grass seed sector to learn about the latest industry news, share the obstacles and …
ASTA Honors Industry Pioneers
The American Seed Trade Association honored industry pioneers during the 2024 ASTA Leadership Summit this week in Nashville, Tennessee. Awardees were recognized in the following categories: Heritage, Distinguished Service, Lifetime Honorary Member, and Excellence in Science. The Heritage Award serves to preserve and build seed industry history by honoring and recognizing individuals who have significantly impacted the American seed industry …
ASTA Survey Finds 10.5 Million New Cover Crop Acres
Representatives of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) were at the Commodity Classic last week with member GO Seed to talk about cover crops. A recent ASTA survey found that an added 10.5 million acres of cover crops will be planted in the next five years as a result of USDA’s Partnerships for Climate Smart-Commodities projects. The program, announced in …
ASTA FCSC Farm Bill Session
As most of agriculture knows, Congress agreed last month to an extension of the current farm bill to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers, but when a new farm bill will be crafted remains uncertain. At the recent American Seed Trade Association Field Crop Seed Convention, Syngenta’s Mary Kay Thatcher moderated a …
Climate Smart Ag Partnerships at ASTA FCSC
With governments and corporations increasingly leading with climate-smart and sustainability initiatives, there is a role for the seed industry to play. At the American Seed Trade Association’s Field Crop Seed Convention last week, former USDA NRCS Chief Bruce Knight with Strategic Conservation Solutions led a panel on the topic with Ben West, Farmers for Soil Health, and Jared Knock, South …
ASTA Chair Pleased With Industry Direction
American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Chair Dave Armstrong, President and CEO of Sakata Seed America, sees a lot of opportunity for the seed industry right now. “Conservation and cover crops is one area ASTA has been spending a lot of time on because that’s an emerging and rapidly evolving segment for the seed industry,” said Armstrong. “Treated seed is another …
The Majors Take the Stage at ASTA FCSC
Representatives from the seed industry’s four largest companies sat down with Ag Resource Company’s Dan Basse at the American Seed Trade Association Field Crop Seed Convention Tuesday to discuss what the future of the seed industry may hold. Eric Boeck with Syngenta Seeds, Tom Schuler of BASF, Jagresh Rana with Bayer, and Tim Glenn with Corteva Agriscience talked about global …
New Name, New Place, Same Basse
Just about everything is different this year about the American Seed Trade Association’s annual winter conference now called the Field Crop Seed Conference, starting with the new name and the new location in Orlando instead of Chicago. But one constant is the popular and traditional Dan Basse Agricultural Economy Report. Basse of AgResource has been presenting his outlook every year …
Seed Industry Conference Starts Next Week
The American Seed Trade Association‘s newly-branded Field Crop Seed Convention kicks off its first year next week in Orlando. The convention will host seed industry professionals from over 30 countries for educational sessions, networking and the Seed Expo. “We’re excited about it,” said ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne during an interview at the recent NAFB Trade Talk. “We’ve got …