Custom Agronomics Names New CEO
Florida-based plant nutrition company Custom Agronomics announces Scott Addy as new chief executive officer.
“Retailers are looking for solutions that deliver real value, and the private label products developed by Custom Agronomics are second to none,” Addy said. “The science is incredibly strong, and the company’s advanced technology and manufacturing capabilities set it apart. I’m excited about the opportunity to help drive continued growth at Custom Ag.”
Addy brings more than 30 years of experience in the agriculture industry. He most recently served as Vice President of Brand Technology at Wilbur-Ellis, a leader in crop protection, seed and nutritional products. He previously held national leadership roles involving crop protection chemicals and seed.
Addy was raised on a Georgia farm and earned a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Georgia. He previously worked in sales and marketing roles at DuPont Crop Protection, Griffin, and American Cyanamid.
Perennial and rTek Partner to Regenerate Degraded Grasslands
Kazakhstan-based nature-based solutions (NbS) carbon credits project developer rTek has selected Colorado measurement, reporting, and verification company Perennial as its exclusive soil carbon MMRV provider for the next 10 years to deliver high-integrity carbon credits globally.
The goal of the partnership is to regenerate Kazakhstan’s soils through sustainable agricultural land management by leveraging Perennial’s expertise in digital soil mapping (DSM) and advanced soil organic carbon (SOC) modeling with rTek’s local proficiency in land management, design, and implementation of carbon projects.
Supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this initiative falls under the Kazakhstan Resilient Agroforestry and Rangeland Project, which promotes sustainable pasture management. The activity “Support for Access to International Carbon Markets,” aims to demonstrate how carbon trade can serve as a catalyst for attracting private investments. By doing so, it seeks to enhance sustainable pastureland management, develop critical infrastructure, and facilitate access to international carbon markets for long-term financial sustainability. Set to begin baseline modeling in 2025, this initiative will implement advanced MMRV methodologies compliant with Verra’s VM0032 standards, enabling accurate soil carbon credit generation and enhancing rTek’s capacity to manage and expand grassland restoration.
The partnership is seeking investors and carbon credit buyers to join them in transforming 500,000+ hectares of Kazakhstan’s long-degraded grasslands into a global example for sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration.
Industry Ag News 5/27
Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida. This year’s theme is “Ridin’ Out the Storm.” View the conference schedule and register online here. Registration rates increase by $75 on June 16, 2025.
Tech Hub LIVE 2025 Marks 5 Years of Ag Tech Innovation
Tech Hub LIVE Conference and Expo returns to the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines July 21-23 to mark five years of delivering real-world ag tech solutions under the theme “TECH THAT WORKS: Driving Efficiencies for Retailer Success and Farmer Resilience.”
Powered by the CropLife Media Group™, in partnership with the Global AgTech Initiative and AgriBusiness Global brands, Tech Hub LIVE continues to grow as the industry’s largest gathering of ag retailers, dealers, agronomists, distributors, manufacturers, consultants, and tech providers committed to advancing practical innovation in agriculture.
Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will officially welcome attendees and open the conference with a forward-looking conversation on innovation, sustainability, and the future of farming while Jeff Blair, President and CEO of GreenPoint Ag, will headline the keynote presentation, “Beyond the Headwinds: Adapting & Advancing.”
The 2025 event will feature an active exhibit hall showcasing the latest technologies, along with a dynamic lineup of breakout sessions, panel discussions, expert exchanges, Tech Talks, and fireside chats with CropLife editors—offering unique insights into the future of ag retail and data-driven farming, while giving attendees the flexibility to tailor their experience across a wide range of sessions and formats.
Partner sponsors include Agri-Access and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, further reinforcing the event’s strategic focus on innovation and community impact.
Registration is now open, with Early Bird Rates available through May 30 at www.TechHubLIVE.com.
MAHA Creates Concerns for Farmers
Ag Secretary Rollins, President Trump and HHS Sec. Kennedy
Making the announcement at the White House with President Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy said the report is a call to action for common sense. “It’s common sense that we can celebrate the innovations of modern life while also demanding fearless inquiry into ameliorating the negative effects of medication, agriculture and farming practices,” said Kennedy.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stressed the role of farmers and ranchers in the MAHA movement. “We all know that at the center of making America healthy again is making American agriculture great again,” said Rollins.
“I have to say we have the greatest farmers in the world and we love our farmers and we want to pay respect to our farmers and we always will,” said President Trump as he introduced Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who also stressed the farmers’ role.
“It does start with the farmer, it starts with soil health and I just want you to know that our farmers are so committed to this as well and and so many of them are already doing great things,” said Marshall. “They’re making the soil healthier, they’re using less pesticides, they’re doing all the right things. It’s going to take a little bit more effort and time to get everybody with those practices. But the American farmer and rancher were the original environmentalists, the original conservationists.”
Listen to the announcement here:
MAHA Report Announcement 19:54
The report itself talks about the potential health issues in children exposed to chemicals such as pesticides, but makes it clear that food production needs must be weighed. “American farmers rely on these products, and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection, alternatives, and cost of production. Precipitous changes in agricultural practices could have an adverse impact on American agriculture and the domestic and global food supply. The federal government will continue to regularly review the safety of these important crop protection tools.”
Despite such assurances, agricultural groups have been unanimous in raising concerns about the report. Read More
Farm Groups Praise House Passage of Big Beautiful Bill
President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” passed in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday morning on a vote of 215-214, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against. Agricultural organizations are pleased with several of the bill’s provisions.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall says the bill “modernizes farm bill programs and extends and improves critical tax provisions that benefit America’s small farmers and ranchers. Updated reference prices will provide more certainty for farmers struggling through tough economic times. Making business tax deductions permanent and continuing current estate tax exemptions will ensure thousands of families will be able to pass their farms to the next generation.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein says they are pleased that the bill includes key cattle health, disaster recovery, and tax priorities crucial to the success of America’s cattle farmers and ranchers.
“Cattle farmers and ranchers need Congress to invest in cattle health, strengthen our resources against foreign animal disease, support producers recovering from disasters or depredation, and pass tax relief that protects family farms and ranches for future generations,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Buck Wehrbein. “Thankfully, this reconciliation bill includes all these key priorities. NCBA was proud to help pass this bill in the House and we will continue pushing for these key policies until the bill is signed into law.”
The bill includes an increase to the estate and gift tax exemption amounts to $15 million per individual and $30 million per couple, adjusted for inflation annually and makes this exemption permanent.
Other provisions include a permanent increase to the Section 199A Small Business deduction from 20% to 23%, expanding the limitation on Section 179 from $1 million to $2.5 million, reinstating the 100% bonus depreciation for five years and extending the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023.
The bill now goes to the Senate where changes are anticipated.
Syngenta Opens South Carolina Biologicals Plant
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster joined Syngenta CEO Jeff Rowe this week for the grand opening of Syngenta’s new biologicals production facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
“Farming is vital to this nation and we are strongly committed to American farmers,” said Rowe. “The new biologicals facility not only underscores a commitment to our footprint and economic development in South Carolina, but also supports farmers all across this great nation.”
The Syngenta facility is located in Orangeburg County and highlights the significance of science, research and technology to the area. “The opening of this Orangeburg facility is a win for both South Carolina and Syngenta. It reflects the strength of our workforce and the value of our partnerships. We are proud to support a company that is not only innovating in agriculture but investing in our people and our future,” said Governor McMaster.
In addition to Rowe and McMaster, speakers at the opening event included Quinn Showalter, head of North America Seedcare and Biologicals for Syngenta and Roberto D’Addario, Syngenta Biologicals plant manager.
“We are proud of our long-standing commitment to farmers, empowering their choices and supporting their freedom to operate,” remarked Showalter. “The Orangeburg facility will continue to connect the supply chain to customers more directly – enhancing our distribution capabilities in the region and meeting growing market demand.”
The facility will introduce cutting-edge technologies to produce plant biostimulants, meeting current and future demand for innovative sustainable agriculture solutions in the United States. “Collaboration across Syngenta teams, local contractors and suppliers, and South Carolina authorities was essential in every stage of the site’s development,” said D’Addario. “By accelerating progress towards a shared goal, we were able to engineer the plant to meet high levels of automation, process control and safety standards that effectively handle production volume, which is expected to nearly double from 2025 to 2028.”
Several Applications Available at the ACN – Agricultural Communicators Network
Multiple ACN Award Applications Open!
Here’s a list.
- 2025 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders Program
- ACN is offering eight, PIF-funded stipends to help members attend the 2025 IFAJ Congress in Kenya October 15–18
- IFAJ Star Prize 2025
- Design ideas for an ACN sticker
- Andy Markwart Horizon Award
Find more information on all of them here.
ACES, IFAJ commit to launching a Certificate in Global Ag Comm
Great news for international ag journalists. Find all the details here.
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has announced a new international education partnership between the college’s Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications (ALEC) program and the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). The agreement formalizes plans to launch a Certificate in Global Agricultural Communications, a milestone initiative of the proposed James F. Evans Global Center for Food and Agricultural Communications.
The partnership was unveiled recently at a ceremonial signing between ACES Dean Germán Bollero and IFAJ Vice President Adalberto Rossi. Signing together in the photo.
The certificate — which will be delivered online and available broadly — is being developed by ALEC faculty and is informed by research conducted with IFAJ members. It is designed to be globally accessible, career-relevant, and aligned with the needs of agricultural communicators working across languages, geographies, and media platforms.
Read More