- The 2020 World Ag Expo® season kicked-off with a beef and pork deep pit dinner on September 21. Jim Parsley was chosen to lead the 1,400 volunteers who have staffed World Ag Expo® since its inception in 1968.
- World Ag Expo® is taking on the hemp conversation in cooperation with Plant Growth Group, a consultancy in the hemp marketplace. A 9,400 square foot tent will house thirty 10’x10’ exhibitor spaces, and a seminar stage, on the south east side of the grounds at the February show.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Industrial Hemp Council have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to add 10 crop protection products to those applications approved for use on hemp. The groups made the request in rulemaking comments submitted to the agency.
- Green Point Research finalized its purchase of Sunshine Growers, a 30-acre nursery in Fort Meade, Florida, creating one of the largest hemp-dedicated nurseries in the United States.
- The American Sugar Alliance launched SugarSustainably.org to highlight the commitments the industry has made over the last several decades to preserve our natural resources, family farms and rural communities for future generations.
- MGEX, a Designated Contract Market and Derivatives Clearing Organization, reports this past month as the best September in history at MGEX with a total exchange volume of 222,077 contracts.
- MGEX announced the results of its annual Board of Directors election, held on October 3, 2019. Re-elected to the Board were Albert Cyrlin and Murray Stahl. Newly elected to the Board was Thomas P. Gallagher. All were elected to serve two-year terms.
- The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives joins cooperatives across the nation to recognize October as National Co-op Month and honor the important role farmer-owned cooperatives play in strengthening the economy, providing jobs and improving life in local communities.
- Swanson Russell recently promoted eight people in its Lincoln and Omaha offices: Bri Koch, Bailey Lisosky, Jeremie Memming, Emily Oatman, Zeth Schlenker, Kaila Shirey, Kaitlyn Stuhr and Kelsey Wheeler.
- Washington veteran Christy Seyfert will join the American Soybean Association’s senior leadership team Oct. 21 as Executive Director of Government Affairs and will work hand in hand with soybean grower-leaders from across the country and ASA’s chief executive officer to direct and implement policy strategy and manage ASA’s policy staff.
- The World Food Prize Foundation announced the selection of 18 students for its prestigious George Washington Carver internship program this Fall. Since its inception in 2001, the GWC internship program has impacted over 300 students.
- Keith Kirkpatrick passed away Sept. 23, 2019. He was a household name across Iowa after a life-long career at WHO Radio in Des Moines. As the last Lifetime Voting National Association of Farm Broadcasting member, Keith was the 1968 NAFB President, 1971 Farm Broadcaster of the Year, 2003 NAFB Hall of Fame inductee, and Oscar in Agriculture recipient, and he also has been recognized for multiple awards throughout his distinguished career.
- Alejandro Muñoz, President, Corteva Agriscience Latin America, has been named the recipient of the Great Minds in STEM™ Executive Excellence award. Muñoz was honored at the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference on September, 28 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
