- GROWMARK has announced the acquisition of Solu-Cal USA, a premier supplier of enhanced calcium products in the turf care industry. In addition, GROWMARK and Mid-Iowa Cooperative announced an agreement for GROWMARK to acquire the agronomy and energy assets of Mid-Iowa Cooperative.
- The J.R. Simplot Company and Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings, LLC have announced Simplot’s agreement to acquire all of the interests in Pinnacle Agriculture Enterprises, LLC and its subsidiaries. The acquisition will bring together two market leaders in the distribution of agricultural crop inputs and related services. The target acquisition close date is in early 2020.
- Registration is now open for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau’s 56th Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held February 12-14 at the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement announced fellowship opportunities to connect USDA resources with faculty and staff at Hispanic Serving Institutions, 1994 Tribal Colleges and Universities, and 1890 Land-Grant Universities.
- The Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies announced that Nicholas J. Goeser has been named Chief Executive Officer.
- FarmlandFinder, a digital toolset for farmland professionals, has raised a $3 million Series Seed funding round. Cultivian Sandbox led the round with participation from Iowa Farm Bureau’s Rural Vitality Fund and Next Level Ventures.
- USDA announced details of the 96th Agricultural Outlook Forum program, which takes place February 20-21, 2020 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The 2020 Forum is themed The Innovation Imperative: Shaping the Future of Agriculture.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will conduct the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties this winter to provide a comprehensive picture of the U.S. horticulture industry. Survey codes will be mailed this month to more than 40,000 horticulture producers to respond online. Collected just once every five years, the Census of Horticultural Specialties is the only source of detailed production and sales data for U.S. floriculture, nursery, and specialty crop industries, including greenhouse food crops.
- The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance tabbed Curt Petrich to continue as chair of the premier business association representing identity-preserved soya and specialty grains.
- American Agri-Women elected its national officers at its 2019 national convention held recently in Tigard, Oregon.
- Vermeer Corporation announced it has purchased Schuler Manufacturing, a family-owned and operated manufacturer of high-quality feeding solutions based in Griswold, Iowa.
