Valent U.S.A. Corporation announced a series of expansions to its commercial business aimed to support its growing specialty and row crop portfolio, as well as enhance service and technical support to customers across the agricultural regions of the United States. The Climate Corporation announced the acquisition of 640 Labs, an agricultural technology startup based in Chicago. Bayer CropScience, in partnership …

Select Sires Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of Jennie Johnson as graphic designer and administrative coordinator for the beef sire department. The National Corn Growers Association welcomes Brooke Appleton as director of public policy and political strategy. Kubota Tractor Corporation announced that it will open a 450,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Parts Distribution Center in Edgerton, Kansas. The annual …

The 26th MOSES Organic Farming Conference happens Feb. 26-28, 2015 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis. Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd. and DuPont Crop Protection announced that Sumitomo Chemical has acquired the DuPont™ Asana® Insecticide business in the United States. Brookside Agra, a leading producer of all-natural agricultural and environmental products, has partnered with soil and plant nutrition …

Jeff Sands joins Syngenta as a manager of federal government relations and industry relations for corn, based in Washington, D.C. Attendees at United’s Midwinter Leadership Forum will have a front row seat to examine the hottest trends shaping the 2015 food and retail landscape from renowned food industry expert Phil Lempert, known as the Supermarket Guru. Verdesian Life Sciences, LLC …

Louis Dreyfus Commodities named Mayo Schmidt, former head of Canadian grain handler Viterra, as its new chief executive in the latest stage of a corporate shake-up at the 163-year-old global trading firm. Zoetis, the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and Kansas State University (KSU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together and promote the Doctor of Veterinary Program (DVM) …

United Fresh Produce Association welcomes Mary Coppola as Senior Director, Marketing Communications. Syngenta AG, the world’s largest maker of crop chemicals, said it will cut or relocate 1,800 jobs as Chief Executive Officer Mike Mack tries to tackle its cost base in countries such as Switzerland. Reinke honored its top dealerships throughout the United States and Canada at the company’s …

Nominate the cream of the crop by January 16, 2015 – Agribusiness Leader of the Year and NAMA Marketer of the Year. Registration is now open for the U.S. Grains Council’s 12th International Marketing Conference and 55th Annual Membership Meeting, scheduled for Feb. 9 to 11, 2015, in Heredia, Costa Rica. The 31st class of ASA DuPont Young Leaders began …

Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CropLife America (CLA), announced that Dr. Janet E. Collins will join CLA as senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs, effective January 5, 2015. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to issue the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). …

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of eight individuals to serve on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. The American Farm Bureau Federation together with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Global Social Enterprise Initiative and the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative’s StartupHoyas announced the four national finalists of the first-ever Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. Missouri Farm …

Professors Paul Ferraro of Georgia State University and Kent Messer of the University of Delaware will head the newly created Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Policy Research (CBEAR), supported with a $750,000 award from the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The annual meeting of the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics will take place …