A new chairman for the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) took the gavel last week during the organization’s annual meeting in Orlando. BRANDT Chief Operating Officer Tim McArdle received the gavel from Harold Cooper, CEO of Premier Ag Co-Op, and will serve a one-year term. “I’m incredibly humbled to take on this role and I look forward to working with ARA …
Moving the Middle at #ASTACSS
Tim Hassigner with Dow AgroSciences was at ASTA CSS & Seed Expo to talk with members of the seed industry about the gap in information between themselves and consumers. “It’s definitely a time when there’s more questions and concerns related to food, but […] information sharing can make a difference,” he told the audience durning the morning session. The consumer …
Topguard® EQ Fungicide at #ARA2016
FMC Corporation just launched its new Topguard® EQ fungicide premix last month so it was a hot topic at the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) convention last week. “We’re launching it in the 2017 planting season for corn and soybeans but it’s going to have a fantastic label…so we’re really excited about what Topguard EQ is going to bring to the …
Ag Economic Outlook at #ARA2016
If there is one word to describe the current economic outlook for agriculture it would probably be uncertain, according to Terry Barr, Senior Director for the Knowledge Exchange Division of CoBank. “We’re entering into a fairly dynamic period of uncertain political and economic realities,” said Barr, who spoke to a standing room only crowd at last week’s Ag Retailers Association …
Swine Health Monitoring Project Update
The 2016 North American PRRS Symposium took place over the weekend in Chicago, IL and researchers and swine vets from across the globe gathered to continue the control of the deadly swine disease. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) once again sponsored a session focused on prevention. Bob Morrison, University of Minnesota, started off the morning by giving an update on …
GROWMARK and FS Support Pollinator Literacy in Illinois
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) programs are buzzing with an increased emphasis on pollinators, thanks to GROWMARK and its FS member cooperatives. At the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) annual meeting this week, GROWMARK Corporate Relations and Foundation Manager Amy Bradford announced new collaborative efforts focused on activities and education related to the importance of pollinators. “We place a high …
Political Insights from #ARA2016 Keynote
Stuart Rothenberg knows the word “nonpartisan” is suspect, but as the Founding Editor of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, that’s what he strives to be. In his recent keynote address to the members of the Agricultural Retailers Association meeting this week in Orlando, Rothenberg talked about the recent Presidential election, and how it was big in more ways than …
Two Years of Progress for ResponsibleAg
ResponsibleAg began their safety compliance mission two years ago, and already the program has signed up 2,284 locations, Bill Qualls reported at the Agricultural Retailers Association Conference & Expo. The numbers reflect the importance of safety to members of the industry, Qualls asserts, and it is his job to make sure they’re well informed. “My goal is to help each …
#ARA2016 Awards Presented
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) presented its most prestigious awards during the association’s annual meeting this week in Florida. Being an organization of ag retailers, it stands to reason that one of the biggest awards is Retailer of the Year. Sponsored by Monsanto, ARA and AgProfessional magazine, the ARA Ag Retailer of the Year honors the very best in the …
Topguard® Terra Helping SW Cotton Farmers
Cotton root rot has been a problem for farmers in the southwest for decades, but FMC’s Topguard® Terra is making a difference. FMC Southern Regional Business Manager Matt Hancock says Topguard® Terra is an extremely systemic triazole fungicide. “So it gets into the plant and it stays there,” he said during an interview this week at the ARA Conference and …