Fall Ahead to the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference
We’re counting down the days to the NAMA Fall Conference and can’t wait to see you there! Be sure to book your room at the Lofton Hotel in Minneapolis by October 1 to secure the best rate. Rooms are expected to sell out, so don’t miss the savings.
Got your room booked? Now all that’s left to do is gear up for the exclusive agribusiness insights, exciting experiences and valuable connections awaiting you at this year’s Fall Conference!
- Speakers to Inspire and Spark New Ideas
- Keynote sessions to teach you to refine your brand, embrace modern leadership and master the art of impactful leadership
- Panel discussions on how ag industry leaders are pioneering AI technology and transforming their companies for the future
- Breakouts to Tackle Your Toughest Questions
Today’s agri-marketers juggle many challenges in crafting effective strategies and adapting to new technologies. Breakout sessions dive into a variety of crucial topics to help you stay ahead, including:
- A How-To Training for ChatGPT
- Q&A Sit-Down with Ag Influencer Brandi Buzzard
- Utilizing Proprietary AI Apps — Panel Discussion
- Marketing Case Study: Minnesota Pork & the Paris Olympics
From start to end, #NAMAFALL24 will serve up must-have ag insights, leadership tips and agribusiness best practices.
Register for the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference today!
Sponsorship Opportunities at Fall Conference – Take advantage of sponsorship opportunities available for Fall Conference! For more information, please contact Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500.
CIRB Announces Tenth Class of Emerging Leaders
The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) has named 19 industry professionals to its 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) class.
The 2024-2025 CIRB Emerging Leaders Program class includes:
Anthony Kubik, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services
Sara Hamm, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services
Tanner Schroder, AgriSompo North America
Shay Foster, AgriSompo North America
Craig Fenster, Aon
Carissa Lozier, COUNTRY Financial
Luke Aupperle, COUNTRY Financial
Kasey Engel, Farm Bureau Financial Services
Candy Magee, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
Billy Meade, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
Connor Scharfe, Gallagher Re
Brian Johnson, Great American Insurance Group
Sarah McEachern, Guy Carpenter
Mike Weber, Hudson Crop
Ronnetta Rountree, Hudson Crop
Landon Svennes, Precision Risk Management
Jon Clarke, Rural Community Insurance Services
Sandy Johnson, Rural Community Insurance Services
Kyle Jore, Watts and Associates
The ELP is designed to build the next generation of crop insurance and reinsurance leaders through a year-long program where they receive media training, learn strategies for effective advocacy for the crop insurance industry, and have the opportunity to build their professional network by joining CIRB Executive Committee Meetings.
The 2023-24 ELP class boasted 20 members and all of them were able to attend the annual meeting earlier this year in Scottsdale.
AgGateway Annual in Austin
Registration is underway for the 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference, November 11-13, at the Downright Austin Hotel in Austin, TX.
This event combines real working sessions on advanced initiatives, meet-ups and committee gatherings to discuss new and longer-term projects, and a host of conference sessions designed to create discussion and infuse enthusiasm for the AgGateway Mission. Along with learning and working sessions, the conference features multiple networking breaks and receptions, as well as a welcome luncheon for first-time attendees.
Annual Conference attendees include leading agribusiness managers, IT professionals, and other representatives from the entire crop production channel, including input and equipment manufacturing, software and data service providers, ag retailers and distributors, in addition to professionals in precision ag, academia, agricultural organizations, students, and ag media.
The 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference will discuss work being done on Environmental Reporting and provide experts and outside perspectives on programs and initiatives that have put Environmental Reporting in the spotlight.
AgGateway Executive Vice President Jeremy Wilson talked about some of the organization’s current priorities in this interview from Tech Hub LIVE in July.
2024 THL Jeremy Wilson, AgGateway 4:56Industry Ag News 9/13
LUCI Brings Food Value Chain Consensus
Steve Reinhard, USB Board Chair and Ohio farmer
The initiative is funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) in partnership with Carbon A List, and USB Board Chair Steve Reinhard, an Ohio farmer who presented keynote remarks at a recent Land Use Change Summit, said the purpose is to have farmers at the table for land use change discussions as corporations consider their sustainability programs.
“We know that we have a lot of urbanization out there where a lot of good farmland is being taken up for either homes or maybe a warehouse, so that’s another definition of land use change that actually wasn’t even considered before we had this particular meeting,” said Reinhard. “It’s great being able to have farmers there to have a conversation around the table when basically before we didn’t have that option, so we kind of had to start it on our own.”
The Land Use Change Summit was held during July at McDonald’s International Headquarters in Chicago, and gathered nearly 100 experts across the food and agriculture value chain. Reinhard says the summit set out to accomplish three goals: 1) find common ground 2) set a strategic course, and 3) prepare to engage.
We’re going to continue on with our conversations that we had and a lot of good discussion that was taken from some of the breakout sessions,” said Reinhard. “And that will all be put into a next steps type program and we’ll look forward then to having another in person conference in the future.”
You can listen to learn more in this interview with Steve Reinhard:
Interview with Steve Reinhard
To receive updates or get involved, visit the Land Use Change Initiative webpage where you can find a white paper describing critical issues and gaps, and identifies where the opportunities exist for implementing change. In addition, there is a primer report and proceedings report available that were prepared for LUCI’s workshop sessions.
Pivot Bio at Farm Progress Show
Customers using Pivot Bio sustainable agriculture products have reduced carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by over 932,000 metric tons (MT) since the beginning of 2022, and now the company is offering zero percent financing for growers through December 2025.
Pivot Bio agronomist Karen Zuver was talking with farmers at the recent Farm Progress Show about what Pivot Bio has to offer. “Our pivot bio products give you this opportunity to have that foundation product in your nitrogen plan for your grain crops,” said Zuver. “So with corn we have our PROVEN® 40 product that gives you that foundation to replace some of that synthetic nitrogen and make sure that you have that nitrogen there through the season.”
Learn more in this interview:
FPS24 - Interview with Karen Zuver, Pivot Bio 4:30
Syngenta Continues Work With EPA on Atrazine
Syngenta continues to work with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that farmers can keep using the crop protection products they need, like Atrazine.
Dave Flakne, Syngenta head of U.S. state affairs, provided the latest update at the recent Farm Progress Show. “July 7th of this year, the EPA put out an update that was somewhat favorable, but there’s still some work that needs to be done,” said Flakne. “They increased the level of concern from 3.4 parts per billion to 9.7 parts per billion in streams on a 60 day rolling average, which was a directionally correct improvement in the level of concern, but there are still issues with respect to the models that they’re using to determine where mitigation might be required.”
Flakne says right now the entire ag community is focused on the Endangered Species Act, which is being used to try and vacate registrations. “So right now there’s a lot of work going on by EPA to come up with a framework,” said Flakne. “And what that means is the agency is going to be looking at and evaluating registrations and re-registration to make sure that they’re being responsive and protective of endangered species. So that process and how that strategy is implemented is very important.”
Learn more in this interview.
FPS24 - Interview with Dave Flakne, Syngenta 7:45
Precision Ag News 9/11
Farm Foundation Hosts Farm Policy Forum
Rod Snyder and Kip Tom
Moderated by Kristina Peterson with The Wall Street Journal, The Agricultural Platforms of the Candidates for President of the United States featured Kip Tom, Farmers and Ranchers for Trump Coalition, for the Republican platform, while the Democratic platform was advocated for by Rod Snyder, former Senior Advisor for Agriculture for EPA in the Biden-Harris Administration. Topics covered included the farm bill, agricultural trade, environmental policy, farm labor and immigration, and biofuels policy.
Snyder, who recently stepped down from his position with EPA, outlined the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration in the area of rural development, and pointed out the record of Gov. Tim Walz during his 12 years in Congress, “where he served 6 terms on the House Agriculture Committee and helped write three farm bills.” In his opening remarks, Snyder expressed concerns about how Trump policies on trade and immigration would impact agriculture. “Roughly 70% of ag workers in the United States are foreign born, and nearly half of those are undocumented,” said Snyder. “Trump is promising mass deportation on an unprecedented scale without any consideration for our country’s ag system, food prices, or least of all, the human toll.”
Tom, an Indiana farmer who served as US Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture under President Trump, stressed the success of Trump’s trade policies, the impact of overregulation, and the need to control illegal immigration, as well as his concerns about reliance on foreign inputs. “Nearly 70% of the crop care products that we use in the United States are produced abroad, much in India, but primarily in China,” said Tom. “Imagine if they hit the kill switch… we couldn’t have the products that we need to fight back against the weeds, insects and diseases that we have in our crops or the the pharmaceutical or the drugs that we need for our livestock to keep them healthy.”
Their brief opening statements were followed by a lively discussion that included questions from the audience at the National Press Club that is well worth watching. Watch the whole forum here.
Listen to opening statements here:
Farm Foundation forum opening statements (18:57)