- UPL North America recently announced the addition of David Haas as territory sales manager. In his new role, David will work directly with customers in California’s Southern San Joaquin Valley, representing the UPL product portfolio for the Kern and Tulare county regions. He will report to Gene Vernon, Western Region Sales Manager.
- Farm Foundation and the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute are partnering to host a Digital Dialogue series entitled Managing Agricultural Trade in an Increasingly Chaotic World.
- Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced a new agreement that formalizes a partnership between the two organizations to document and accelerate sustainable outcomes for U.S. cotton production.
- Odessan Royce Bodiford, age 83, passed away June 22, 2020. Royce began his broadcast career in 1959 at KGNC Radio/Television in Amarillo, Texas, moved to KEEL Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana, for three years, and then returned to KGNC. In 1977, he became general manager of KGNC until moving to public broadcasting in the 1990s as general manager of KOCV Radio/Television at Odessa College. His involvement in the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) included serving as Chats editor, Mid-South Region Vice President, and 1976 NAFB President. He was named 1976 Farm Broadcaster of the Year and was inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame in 2014. Royce was a 61-year member of the NAFB.
- The GROWMARK Foundation is a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross, donating funds to its overall mission along with specific disaster relief over the years. People looking to donate blood can go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter their respective zip code to find local donation sites. In addition, the Red Cross has an updated app that you can download that not only tells you where you can donate, but also gives you an update weeks later on how your blood donation was used.
- Internationally recognized experts in consumer insights and the food industry will reveal the latest research on consumer trends, the current environment in food and agriculture and what the future holds during a free fundraiser webcast to help those experiencing hardship. “CFI NOW: COVID-19 Pivot from Panic to Progress,” Tues., July 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT, is hosted by The Center for Food Integrity and will benefit the Feeding America COVID-19 Relief Fund and the National Restaurant Association Employee Relief Fund.
- INTL FCStone Inc. announced that it is rebranding the firm as StoneX Group Inc. The StoneX Group name was approved by an overwhelming majority at a recent shareholder meeting and effective July 6, 2020 the Company will be traded under the symbol SNEX.
- Purdue University announced June 24 that Beck’s, a family-owned and -operated seed company, intends to open a satellite location in Purdue’s Discovery Park District. Officials from Beck’s worked with Carr Workplaces – a pioneer and leader in the co-working industry – to establish a location in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration. Convergence is located in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus.
- Cargill is pleased to announce that Hank Gray has joined the team as the U.S. Origination Manager for cotton within Cargill’s Agricultural Supply Chain business, effective June 22. In this new role, Hank will focus on setting and executing on Cargill’s farmer-facing strategy in the cotton space.
- Amy McEvoy, head of Earned Media at Rhea + Kaiser was recently announced as a fellow for the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation Class of 2022. McEvoy was selected to be part of the 20th class following a competitive application and interview process.
- The International Agri-Center®, World Ag Expo® and the Central Valley Toyota Dealers presented a check in the amount of $90,100 to the Guilds of Valley Children’s Healthcare on May 14 in Madera, CA. Due to COVID-19, the All Guild Picnic could not be held in 2020. The Picnic is a time for the Guilds to celebrate their fundraising success and present annual checks to Valley Children’s. In place of the in-person event, a check presentation video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1n5Q3SsVvM&feature=youtu.be.
- The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Fan-Li Chou as Vice President, Scientific Affairs and Policy. Building on the strong legacy of Dr. Bernice Slutsky – who is retiring after 15 years with ASTA – in this high-profile position, Dr. Chou will work closely with ASTA’s diverse membership, key government officials and stakeholders at the domestic and global level to ensure a strong future for innovation in plant breeding and plant sciences.
