Michael Torrey Associates welcomed Barbara Patterson and Marissa Dake to its growing team in February 2018. The Washington, D.C.-based firm offers effective government relations, strategic communications and issue advocacy and full-service association management to a growing number of clients in the food, agriculture, and forestry sector.- Culver’s is celebrating National FFA Week in a big way. Through its Thank You Farmers Project, the restaurant will launch its fourth annual FFA Essay Contest on Feb. 19. The three winning essay writers will win $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, for their FFA chapters. This year’s essay contest prompt is: The 2017 National FFA Convention & Expo theme was “I can. We will.” What does this mean to you, and how will you apply it in your future ag career? The contest ends April 6, 2018, at 5 p.m. CST.
- American Vanguard Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary AMVAC Netherlands B.V. has recently hired Thomas Britze as general manager of AMVAC do Brasil Representações LTDA. Britze will be based in Sao Paulo. In addition to his responsibilities as General Manager for Brazil, Britze will coordinate the introduction of AMVAC’s new application technology SIMPAS (Smart Integrated Multi-Product Application System) in key international markets.
- Congress cleared a budget agreement and disaster-aid package that has a significant impact on farmers for the 2018 crop year. The budget agreement passed the House by a vote of 240 to 186 and passed the Senate by a vote of 71 to 28. The President has also signed the legislation. The legislation includes $90 billion in disaster assistance for communities impacted by storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. The legislation also includes provisions for cotton farmers by making seed cotton eligible for Title 1 Agriculture Risk Coverage and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.
- Bringing children accurate knowledge about how their food is grown is the goal of Feeding Minds Press, a new children’s book publishing venture from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The new publisher’s first book will be “Right This Very Minute,” written by award-winning author Lisl Detlefsen. It is scheduled for release in January 2019.
