- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, announced that it has acquired the Clearfield® Canola Production System in Canada and the United States from BASF.
- The 3rd annual Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit will be March 18, 2019, at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The Summit will focus on “Shaping Farm and Food Policy Strategies for 2040.” You can register for the Ag & Food Policy Summit online here.
- The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has awarded more than $9,000 in mini-grants to communities across the nation through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education program. Applications for a second round of mini-grants will be accepted in the spring with recipients announced in the fall. The application is available on agfoundation.org.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation released its top public policy goals for the year. The AFBF board approved its 2019 Strategic Action Plan following delegate action during the organization’s 100th annual convention in New Orleans.
- National Farmers Union hosted 71 students in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last weekend for its annual College Conference on Cooperatives. To learn more, visit www.nfu.org/education/ccoc/.
- Rhea + Kaiser has earned recognition for client and agency work from the National Agri-Marketing Association. The agency recently received regional Best of NAMA awards in the areas of advertising, digital and public relations.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a first-time Memorandum of Understanding with the National FFA Organization to advance educational outreach for EPA’s ongoing environmental and public health initiatives.
- Colleen Callahan, Chicago Farmers’ member and past TCF president, was named director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by Governor J.B. Pritzker. President of Chicago Farmers from 2008-2010, Callahan spent 32 years as a Peoria-area farm broadcaster and served as Illinois director of Rural Development during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2016.
- BigIron Online Auctions announced that Jon Stopak, independent sales representative of Duncan, NE, was awarded the Justin Zak Award for Sales Achievement.
- The findings of two new studies examining the potential economic impacts of trade policies on U.S. and Canadian agriculture will be released at the Farm Foundation Forum on Monday, March 4. For the free live audiocast, register here. Audiocasting is made possible by a grant from Farm Credit.
- Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. announced that Zack Moye has joined as Southeastern U.S. Territory Sales Manager.
- U.S. certified ginners, gin managers and superintendents are urged to register for one of the 2019 Ginner Schools. Online registration and course descriptions are at www.cotton.org/ncga/ginschool/index.cfm.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hosting a listening session for initial input on the 2018 Farm Bill. Deadline for registration to attend the event in person is February 22, 2019. Register at www.farmers.gov/farmbill. The event will be streamed live on www.farmers.gov/farmbill for those who are unable to attend in person. No registration is required to view the livestream.
- Ron E. Scherer, 74, of Columbia, Illinois, passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday, February 10, 2019, in his home, surrounded by his wife (Sharon) and daughters. Ron spent nearly 40 years working in the marketing communications field, a career that included serving as Director of Corporate Communications for DEKALB Corporation and owning his own agency, Ron Scherer & Company. He served as president of the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club from 1997-98 and was named St. Louis AgriBusiness Leader of the Year in 2001.
