ASTA Announces New Leaders and Award Recipients

Cindy Zimmerman

New ASTA Chair Brad May thanks John Latham for his service as Chair

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) announced its newly-elected officer team and honored industry award winners during its 2021 Policy & Leadership Development Conference this week in Washington, D.C.

Brad May of BASF will officially take office as ASTA Chair on July 1, taking over from outgoing chair John Latham, Latham Seeds. First Vice Chair for the coming year is Jim Schweigert, GroAlliance, and Second Vice Chair is David Armstrong, Sakata Seed America. May presented Latham with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in gratitude for his service to ASTA.

“It’s an honor to serve on behalf of this great industry, which has proven time and time again—especially this past year– just how resilient, and essential, we truly are. As we head into this new year, it’s my goal to ensure we’re prepared as an industry, and as an association, to continue leading and moving forward, to address whatever future challenges lie ahead,” said May.

The ASTA Distinguished Service Award was presented to two individuals this year – Chet Boruff, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Analysts (AOSCA) and Dr. Barb Glenn, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

There were also dual recipients of the Lifetime Honorary Member Award. Tim Johnson, Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc. and John Schoenecker, H.M.CLAUSE.

Listen to John Latham’s ASTA Chair report and Brad May’s introduction of new officers and remarks:

ASTA PLDC21 Chair Report - John Latham (6:12)

ASTA PLDC21 New Chair Brad May, BASF (3:36)

ASTA, Audio, BASF, Seed

Alltech ONE Wellness for Your Health

Cindy Zimmerman

Three months ago Alltech launched Acutia, a wholly owned subsidiary “that combines science and sustainability to provide high-quality supplements that enhance everyday nutrition and improve long-term wellness.”

Nikki Putnam-Badding is a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of Acutia, and she is also chair of the health and wellness track for this year’s Alltech ONE Ideas Conference. As one of the presenters for the conference, Nikki talks about how Alltech fosters the concept of intrapreneurship that leads to new growth and innovations, such as Acutia health supplements.

“Really what we are focusing on with this company is our tagline, the science of sustainable wellness,” said Putnam-Badding, which means both sustainability in packaging and sourcing, as well as long-term health and wellness.

Other presentations on-demand in the ONE Health and Wellness track include Grow Your Brain to Boost Your Memory, Gut Reaction: Feeding a Healthy Microbiome, Sleep Well and Wake Up to Better Brain Health, and Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices: The Invisible Influences That Guide Our Thinking.

Learn more about Acutia and the Alltech ONE health and wellness track in this interview.
Alltech ONE - Nikki Putnam-Badding, Acutia (5:38)

Acutia has just announced the expansion of its product line with the launch of Acutia Brain Health, joining Acutia Selenium, which provides immune system support, antioxidant benefits and essential nutrition and helps maintain healthy thyroid function. Acutia Digestive Health will round out the initial offering from Acutia, with an expected launch slated for later this year.

During the session on intrapreneurship, Alltech CEO Dr. Mark Lyons has a conversation with Nikki about Acutia’s journey from an idea presented at the 2018 Alltech ONE to where the company is today. Here is part of that discussion.

Alltech ONE - Nikki Putnam-Badding and Mark Lyons, Acutia (4:50)

Alltech, Audio, Sustainability

MyLand Growing for a Regenerative Ag Future

Cindy Zimmerman

MyLand is growing as it focuses on soil health. The Arizona-based company continues to add expertise as it moves into the “next stage of growth for a regenerative future.” In the past month, MyLand has announced four new appointments.

Jonah Parker is Vice President of Operational Planning. In this role, he will oversee the development and roll-out of MyLand’s regional Soil Health Center network. The Soil Health Centers are key to MyLand’s soil health mission and will amplify the company’s next stage of growth for a regenerative future.

Joe Ruiz was named Director of Sales, Western Region, responsible for client expansion and new client acquisition in the important Western United States and Mexico. He will work with growers and partners in this region to implement MyLand’s cost effective and scalable regenerative agriculture solution, analyze soil health improvement, and deliver a seamless customer experience.

Dr. Pradeep Monga, former Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was appointed to the Board of Directors for MyLand. This appointment elevates the company as a global leader in soil health and regenerative agriculture and positions it at the forefront of the conversation around the impact of investing in land and soil health on decarbonization, climate resilience, water efficiency, food security, nature-based health solutions, eco-restoration and the economic security of farmers and local communities around the world.

Shelley Baugh joins the company as Senior Director of Marketing responsible for leading all marketing initiatives, communications, and public relations for the organization. She comes to MyLand with over 14 years of diverse experience in data driven marketing, most recently as Director of Marketing & Communications for Heliae where she led the planning and development of soil health marketing initiatives.

MyLand’s innovative and patented technology allows farmers to easily and rapidly implement regenerative agriculture practices and improve their soil health by harnessing the land’s own natural ecosystem. MyLand partners with farmers to infuse life into the soil, helping to return farms to their most fertile state, achieving greater productivity and enhanced profitability. For additional information on how MyLand is transforming soil health globally, visit MyLand.ag.

AgWired Precision, Soil, Sustainability

Senate Hearing Examines Cattle Markets

Cindy Zimmerman

The Senate Committee on Agriculture held a hearing Wednesday on “Examining Markets, Transparency, and Prices from Cattle Producer to Consumer” to address a wide range of issues, including the urgent need for robust price discovery and differing industry views on how to achieve it, greater market transparency and oversight, and expanded beef processing capacity.

Among the witnesses was Mark Gardiner, owner-operator of Gardiner Angus Ranch in Kansas, who testified on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

In his opening remarks, Gardiner confirmed the importance of solutions that put producers in the driver’s seat. “Please do not create regulations and legislation that have the unintended consequence of harming value-based marketing. Doing so would undo many years of progress for producers such as my family and those of our customers,” said Gardiner. “Onerous legislation has the potential to result in a reversal of quality that is simply unacceptable to consumers.”

Earlier this month, NCBA and 37 affiliate state cattle organizations sent a letter urging the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry. Multiple lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have written the U.S. Department of Justice calling for the swift conclusion of their investigation into whether or not anticompetitive practices have taken place in the meatpacking sector. NCBA was also at the forefront in 2019 of calling for an investigation after the “black swan” market event of a fire at Tyson Foods’ Finney County beef plant in Holcomb, Kansas.

Recent industry meetings in Phoenix, Arizona and Kansas City, Missouri have also brought together economists, associations, and market participants to discuss industry-led solutions.

Listen to Gardiner’s opening remarks here:
Mark Gardiner, Kansas, testifies for NCBA (5:12)

Last week in Washington DC, NCBA Directory of Market Regulatory Policy Tanner Beymer discussed the issue and said there is no one answer to the problem.
Tanner Beymer, NCBA (2:11)

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Livestock, NCBA

Alltech ONE Loves Pets

Cindy Zimmerman

Pets have played a vital role in the mental health of millions during the past 18 months as COVID pandemic measures kept us home, but many are experiencing separation anxiety now that businesses are getting back to more normal and people are going back to work.

Dealing with the post-pandemic pet blues is just one of several interesting presentations on-demand for pet owners and industry representatives as part of the virtual Alltech ONE Ideas Conference debuting this week. Alltech Companion Animal Sales Manager Kami Grandeen says they have a great line up. “I really think this is probably the best track that we’ve put together so far because we are addressing a lot of different topics and trends that pet owners are concerned about,” said Grandeen. “We have a wide variety speakers and perspectives, including perspectives from China and Latin America.”

Other presentations include Supporting Cognitive Function in Pets, Minimizing the Environmental Pawprint of Your Brand, and What’s in Store for the Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail. Learn more about what the ONE Pet Track offers this year in this interview with Kami.

Alltech ONE Pets - Kami Grandeen, Companion Animals (8:51)

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Precision Ag News 6/23

Carrie Muehling

  • The Scoop and Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative, have been named exclusive media partners of the 2021 InfoAg Conference, presented by The Fertilizer Institute. The event is set for Aug. 3-4, 2021, at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel.
  • Join Farm Foundation on Tuesday, June 29 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. CDT online via Zoom as we survey the landscape of biological crop protection (aka “biologicals”) in agriculture.
  • Indigo Agriculture announced plans to unveil a new brand identity for its carbon farming program: Carbon by Indigo. The refreshed identity will officially debut at the inaugural “Carbon Farming Connection” learning session on June 23. The session will bring together farmers with private industry and scientific experts supporting the development of a robust global market for agricultural carbon credits.
  • In a recent election at the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), Dr. Sally Flis — Sustainable Ag Field Manager with Nutrien Ag Solutions — was chosen as the President-Elect for 2021-2022.
  • Bushel, an independently-owned software technology company for growers, grain buyers, ag retailers, protein producers and food companies, announced its acquisition of FarmLogs, a leading provider of technology farm management systems for row crop farms. The addition of FarmLogs’ technology and team to Bushel creates a stronger digital connection between growers, commodity buyers, ag retailers and consumer packaged goods companies.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Alltech ONE Equine Track is a Winner

Cindy Zimmerman

Horses have a special place in the heart of Alltech and the equine track for this year’s ONE Ideas Conference offers six amazing sessions for horse lovers.

Alltech Lifestyle and Companion Animal Director Tim Karl just joined the company last August and he is very excited about the lineup, which includes a look at the new World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala, Florida with Jim Wolf, president of Wolf Sports Group. “He’s going to share his insights into this unique venue and what it has to offer,” said Karl. Other topics include equine welfare, sustainable equine management, senior horse feeding, marketing, and trace mineral research.

Karl is also excited about Alltech’s new line of Lifeforce premium equine supplements. “We developed Lifeforce back in 2010 for the Alltech World Equestrian Games and we’ve built on that with this refreshed launch,” he said.

Learn more about the ONE equine track and Lifeforce in this interview.
Alltech ONE Equine - Tim Karl, Alltech (7:30)

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Audio, Horses

Alltech ONE Focus on Future of Flock

Cindy Zimmerman

Poultry is undoubtedly the most important segment of the livestock industry worldwide but the poultry industry must continue to find solutions that meet the needs of people and the planet.

Alltech U.S. Poultry Business Manager Karyl Hedden says the poultry track at the Alltech ONE this year gives producers a lot to think about. “We have four different presentations and they really do hit all parts of the globe,” said Hedden.

One panel includes a global view of how poultry farming differs around the world, with discussions about poultry myths, sustainability, animal welfare, ag-tech and innovation, antibiotics, vaccinations, nutrition and more. The sustainability presentation on “Future of the Flock” features Helen Anne Hudson, Senior Advisor for Corporate Social Responsibility with this year’s Alltech Canada Planet of Plenty Winner Burnbrae Farms. The track also includes “A New Way to Sell Chicken” and Planet of Plenty: Poultry Partner Spotlight Nobel Foods.

Learn more in this interview with Hedden, and register for ONE if you have not yet done so to have access to all of the exciting content.
Alltech ONE Poultry - US Poultry Business Mgr Karyl Hedden (4:15)

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Poultry

Alltech ONE Ideas Conference Underway

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2021 Alltech ONE Ideas Conference opened its virtual doors Tuesday to officially welcome more than 10,000 attendees from around the world for an exploration of agri-food, business and beyond.

Now in its 37th year, Alltech’s flagship event continues to be an invaluable industry resource, with unmatched content and innovative ideas, inspiration and motivation from world-class speakers. Registrants from 99 countries have access to a virtual platform that includes on-demand tracks, streaming keynote presentations, live workshops and an interactive networking experience, allowing attendees to connect around the world.

“We are on the brink of a new beginning, and I don’t believe that is just a new beginning for Alltech. I think it’s a new beginning and a new golden era for agri-food, and it’s led by what we believe is a bold vision,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, in his opening remarks. “We want to deliver smarter, more sustainable solutions for our customers and for all of agri-food.”

The program got off to a great start with Anna Rosling Rönnlund, vice president and head of design and user experience at Gapminder and co-author of “Factfulness,” who designed the user interface of the famous animated bubble-chart tool Trendalyzer for better understanding global development trends. She was followed by professional photographer, filmmaker and former photojournalist for National Geographic, Dewitt Jones, who has made a career of storytelling through images and has traveled the world on a mission to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Both of their presentations and much more is available now on-demand for ONE registrants.

ONE was delayed by a month to finish the final tweaks in the custom built platform for the virtual event, but Dr. Lyons says it was important for them to make sure they got it just right. Listen to Lyons discuss day one of ONE and the recent news of Alltech’s partnership with HELM Agro.

Alltech ONE 21 CEO Mark Lyons comments (4:50)

Over the course of the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference, more than 70 on-demand presentations will explore challenges and opportunities in aquaculture, beef, business, crop science, dairy, equine, health and wellness, pet, pig, and poultry sectors. Registration for the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference will remain open, offering attendees 24/7 access to all on-demand content, including keynote presentations and tracks, until April 2022.

AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio

Alltech ONE Honors International Journalists

Cindy Zimmerman

The winners of the 2021 IFAJ-Alltech International Award for Leadership in Agricultural Journalism were announced in conjunction with the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference Tuesday. They are Kallee Buchanan of Australia and Craig Lester of Canada. The award, in honor of Dr. Pearse Lyons and his love of storytelling and journalism, recognizes and rewards excellence and leadership of young journalists within their local IFAJ guild.

Kallee Buchanan has worked as a journalist, presenter and producer since 2008 across radio, print and digital media. She is currently the President of the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists.

My vision is to develop the ACAJ into a professional development organisation that assists rural and remote journalists and agricultural media specialists to connect with the IFAJ and the broad knowledge these organisations contain to help them grow as reporters.”

Hear more from Kallee in her video and the interview below.
Alltech ONE 21 IFAJ award winner Kallee Buchanan (19:04)

Craig Lester is the co-owner of Rural Roots Canada, a multimedia agriculture
production and distribution company that brings together independent content producers from across the country under one roof to tell stories about agriculture. He is the current President of the Alberta Farm Writers’ Association.

“As journalists in agriculture, we have a responsibility to contribute to the industry’s sustainability by covering the stories that matter and sharing them with the world, inspiring the next generation of leaders. Media has the power to connect people, ideas, and resources.”

Watch Craig’s video and listen to an interview with him below to learn more about him.
Alltech ONE 21 IFAJ award winner Craig Lester (8:06)

Alltech, Audio, IFAJ, Media