Victory Enterprises (VE) has announced the creation of an Agriculture Advocacy division designed to help agriculture clients navigate the public policy arena. The division will be led by Matt Alsager, a fixture of agriculture advocacy in Missouri and, Whitney Woolf, a seasoned political pro from Oklahoma.- Syngenta has announced the acquisition of Abbott & Cobb, a U.S.-owned independent breeder, producer, and marketer of vegetable seeds.
- Kelly Products, a holding corporation comprised of 12 agribusiness-focused companies located throughout Georgia, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
- Every scoop counts at Culver’s on Scoops of Thanks Day happening Thursday, May 3. Guests can get $1 single scoops of Fresh Frozen Custard, and all proceeds will go to FFA and other local agricultural organizations that strengthen American agriculture and the industry’s future leaders. Scoops of Thanks Day is part of Culver’s Thank You Farmers® Project.
- U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., have announced the Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The State of Rural America.” United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will participate in the hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.
- The National Corn Growers Association welcomes Liz Friedlander to the organization’s Washington, D.C. office as Director of Policy Communications. Friedlander will develop and implement communications plans and tactics related to NCGA’s work on behalf of farmers in Washington.
- The presidents of the nation’s two largest general farm organizations visited the “Prescribed to Death” opioid memorial in Washington, D.C., in a show of unity to address the national opioid epidemic that is disproportionately affecting farming communities. American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson joined Anne Hazlett, Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The three toured the exhibit, which memorializes the 22,000 people who died from a prescription opioid overdose in 2015.
- Tractor Supply Company and the National FFA Organization are supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders through the third annual Grants for Growing program. This year, Tractor Supply stores nationwide raised a record $830,000 through customer donations to fund sustainable, youth-driven agriculture projects made possible by the initiative.
- The Fertilizer Institute and the Agricultural Retailers Association support ResponsibleAg as a means of demonstrating the fertilizer industry’s commitment to the safe storage, handling, and transportation of plant nutrients. To date, 2,343 agribusiness retailers have enrolled in ResponsibleAg; 1,030 of those facilities have achieved certification.
- Rhea + Kaiser has announced the promotion of Erin Skly to Group Account Director, Account Management + Planning. Skly will lead the agency’s Bayer account with primary responsibilities for client relations, strategy and integrated planning, while taking a bigger role in agency management.
