2016 National Ag Day Poster Contest Winner Selected

Kelly Marshall December 11, 2015

Congratulations to Emily Eibs from the University of Wisconsin-Stout for her first place National Ag Day poster. Her work was chosen from among many young artists who participated in the competition. The contest is held by the Agriculture Council of America and Meredith Agrimedia. This year’s theme was Agriculture: Stewards of a Healthy Planet.

In addition, her artwork and a profile of Eibs will be prominently featured in Successful Farming magazine and Ag Day correspondence. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Meredith Agrimedia. Media releases will also be sent to all Ag Day sponsors and supporters. The original artwork will be on display in a public location.

National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America and will take place March 15, 2016 in Washington, DC. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public’s awareness of agriculture’s role in modern society.

The National Ag Day program encourages Americans to understand how their food and fiber are produced. They hope to educate about the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant, affordable products and how that builds a strong economy. National Ag Day also hopes to encourage career opportunities within the industry.

Ag Day, Ag Groups

Dupont and Dow to Combine in Merger

Chuck Zimmerman December 11, 2015

Here’s your big news of the week. Dow Chemical and Dupont plan to combine in a merger of equals with the new company to be named DowDupont. This has led to some concerns in the industry. More on that below.

Pictured are Edward D. Breen, chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont and Andrew N. Liveris, Dow’s chairman and chief executive officer.

DuPont (NYSE:DD) and The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) today announced that their boards of directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock merger of equals. The combined company will be named DowDuPont. The parties intend to subsequently pursue a separation of DowDuPont into three independent, publicly traded companies through tax-free spin-offs. This would occur as soon as feasible, which is expected to be 18-24 months following the closing of the merger, subject to regulatory and board approval.

The companies will include a leading global pure-play Agriculture company; a leading global pure-play Material Science company; and a leading technology and innovation-driven Specialty Products company. Each of the businesses will have clear focus, an appropriate capital structure, a distinct and compelling investment thesis, scale advantages, and focused investments in innovation to better deliver superior solutions and choices for customers.

The National Corn Growers Association issued this statement from Chip Bowling, Maryland farmer and NCGA President, regarding the agreement this morning.

“The National Corn Growers Association is committed to protecting the best interests of our members and our nation’s corn farmers. With respect to the proposed merger, we anticipate that we will have an opportunity to submit comments regarding the effect this merger may have on agricultural research, innovation, grain marketing, and the competitive pricing of farm inputs. We will do all we can to protect farmer interests and preserve an open and competitive marketplace.”

Post Update:

The American Soybean Association has also released a statement:

“As always, we welcome competition and innovation to the industry, while keeping the best interests of soybean growers at the forefront,” said ASA President Richard Wilkins, Greenwood, Del. “ASA looks forward to the opportunity to provide comments to the companies and U.S. regulatory authorities that must approve any merger, and will continue to study how this merger will affect soybean farmers.”

Merger Fact Sheet

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Agribusiness

Record Student Participation at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 11, 2015

The American Seed Trade Association has stepped up its efforts to “Seed the Future” with a new generation of seed industry professionals, which resulted in a record number of students participating in the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo this week.

“We designed the entire Thursday program this year to be a one day event for student track…and it just worked,” said ASTA Director of Meetings and Services Jennifer Crouse. “We offered a free lunch event for the first time inside the Seed Expo so it was a very interactive design.”

The poster presentations this year nearly doubled the previous record of 17 to total 30 students from universities all over the country. “We’ve seen a lot of students come away from the poster presentation experience and come again as attendees because they’re now professionals themselves,” said Crouse, who added that they are looking at ways to expand the poster program even more next year.

All students receive complimentary registration for ASTA meetings with a copy of their student ID. The ASTA Future Seed Executives (FuSE) also has the Campus Connections program, which allows juniors working towards a career in the seed industry to apply for travel expense grants to attend ASTA’s annual convention.

Listen to my interview with Jennifer here: Interview with Jennifer Crouse, ASTA

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ASTA, Audio, Education, Seed

Washington Post Columnist at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 11, 2015

Washington Post columnist and Cape Cod oyster farmer Tamar Haspel (@tamarhaspel) provided some good food for thought at the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo Thursday with a session that focused on science communications and influencing public opinion. In a lively discussion with attendees, Haspel stressed the need for the agriculture industry to be more effective when communicating about science by doing more listening and understanding.

“Science is complicated, especially when it comes to agriculture,” Haspel said in an interview with Gale Cunningham, farm director at WYXY radio in Champaign, Illinois. “The way we make decisions about science isn’t always fact-based. Human beings tend to be led by our emotions, our values, our cultural affiliations – and all of those things get in the way of our seeing science clearly.”

“The first step is understanding that everybody believes that their position is science based,” Haspel says. “People who hold views that are essentially the equivalent of flat earth believe that the evidence supports their opinion and people who disagree with them are looking at the wrong evidence.”

She offered the following tips to communicate more effectively about science:
1. Be convinced
2. Reconsider the word “bias”
3. Drop “anti-science” from your vocabulary
4. Vet your sources. Manage your media
5. Acknowledge both risks and benefits
6. Find the smartest person who disagrees with you, and listen
7. Understand and appeal to values
8. Reach across the aisle

Listen to Gale’s interview with Tamar here: WYXY interview with Tamar Haspel

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ASTA, Audio, Media

ASTA Chair Pleased With #ASTACSS 2015

Cindy Zimmerman December 11, 2015

Another successful ASTA CSS and Seed Expo comes to a close today and nearly 3000 attendees are returning home with a week full of industry contacts and information to digest before the holidays.

American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) chair Risa DeMasi of Grassland Oregon was thrilled with this year’s attendance and informative program that included a great session on her main passion – cover crops. “The panel was fantastic … to get all those different perspectives and just connecting the dots and get everybody talking about it,” she said.

Communications is also a passion for Risa, especially communicating the significance of the seed industry. “We have such a great story to tell,” she said. “Everything around you starts with a seed, that’s where everything begins.” DeMasi is also pleased with the increased media attention at the CSS/Seed Expo and thankful for BASF for sponsoring the media room to give those who attend a comfortable and functional working space.

With the conclusion of this event, Risa is looking forward to the 2016 ASTA annual meeting which will be held June 18-22 in her home state. “It will be in Portland, Oregon and we’re very excited about doing it in conjunction with the Oregon Seed Association … it’s just another opportunity for us to get together and talk about our shared values and how we can tell our story on a bigger stage,” she said.

Between now and June, ASTA members will be heading to Washington DC in the spring to “storm The Hill” again and tell their stories to members of Congress. DeMasi says ASTA’s 2015 legislative event set new records in terms of membership involvement and the number of meetings they had with legislators.

Listen to my interview with Risa here: Interview with ASTA Chair Risa DeMasi

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Agribusiness, ASTA, Audio, Seed

BASF Shares Seed Treatment Survey at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 11, 2015

According to a recent survey by BASF Ag Products, a growing number of farmers are utilizing seed treatments on their soybean acreage to protect their crop and maximize their return on investment. The survey of 250 growers with at least 1,000 corn and soybean acres found that 93% used a seed treatment or inoculant for soybeans in 2015.

“The seed treatments are a great way to set up their crop for the best chance for yield,” said BASF US Crop Seed Enhancement Manager Steve Bergschneider. At the same time, he noted that the survey found a need for continued seed treatment education at the grower level. “A lot of farmers don’t necessarily know what’s being used as their seed treatment so they’re relying on a retailer to make that decision for them,” Bergschneider said. “I think that’s an opportunity for us to educate them so they have a better understanding when they’re making that decision.”

Bergschneider says this will become even more important in the future with an increasing number of seed applied technologies heading to market. “BASF has a healthy pipeline of products coming down the line over the next four to five years, several being seed treatment products, from active ingredient products, to biologicals, to functional coatings,” he said.

In this interview, Bergschneider talks more about BASF’s seed solutions portfolio and the benefits for farmers: Interview with Steve Bergschneider, US Crop Seed Enhancement Manager, BASF

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ASTA, Audio, BASF, Crop Protection, Seed

Plant Breeder Scholarships at #ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 10, 2015

Three graduate students received scholarships during the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo this week from the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB).

The organization presents the scholarships annually to outstanding graduate students in the field of basic, applied, or developmental research in genetics and plant breeding. The students recieve $2,500 for their education, plus a travel allowance to attend the CSS/Seed Expo.

This years winners, pictured here with NCCPB president Marcelo Queijo of Dow AgroSciences (left), are Ben Campbell, University of Minnesota; Ben Stewart Brown, University of Georgia; and Craig Beil, Colorado State University.

Learn more about these young men and why they are interested in pursuing their PhDs in plant breeding. Interviews with NCCPB scholarship winners

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ASTA, Audio, Education, Research, Seed

Happy Holidays from MGEX

Chuck Zimmerman December 10, 2015

It is holiday time. As in years past we love to share Christmas and other holiday greetings we receive.

The winner of being first in our inbox is the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.

Wishing you health and happiness this holiday season and prosperity in the New Year.

Uncategorized

#ASTACSS Highlights Seed Treatment

Cindy Zimmerman December 10, 2015

The application of seed treatment technologies in agriculture is such a growing and important segment of the industry that it was the very first session at the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo this week in Chicago. The session on Monday afternoon featured (pictured left to right) Terry Meyer with INCOTEC, moderator Jim Shearl with AgReliant Genetics, and Eda Reinot of BASF.

“We wanted to be able highlight important components of the seed treatment recipe, how they all come together and how the proper testing is in place before those products come to market,” said ASTA Seed Treatment and Environment Committee Chair Jeff Daniels with the DuPont Seed Enterprise.

The seed treatment products coming on the market are delivering more value than ever to growers and Daniels says it’s important that they be used correctly, which is why ASTA developed the seed treatment stewardship guide a few years ago. “We’ve gotten the chance to get this in front of many grower groups and other key stakeholders, and other been able to demonstrate to EPA and other regulatory groups that we’re taking a proactive approach to steward seed treatment products,” said Daniels.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with ASTA Committee Chair Jeff Daniels, DuPont Seed Treatment

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ASTA, Audio, Seed, Technology

AgGateway Launches New Logo for eBusiness Resources

Kelly Marshall December 10, 2015

A new logo is now available for member companies of AgGateway to use in promoting their eBusiness products and services. The logo, a checkmark proclaiming “Enabled by AgGateway eAgriculture Resources,” will allow companies to brand their business as being actively involved in promoting AgGateway’s industry-wide eAgriculture resources.

“We hope that use of this logo will encourage greater connectivity between trading partners – and that ultimately should mean greater efficiency and productivity within those businesses,” said Rana Kundu, Manager of the Innovation Group at YASH Technologies and 2016 Chair of AgGateway’s Allied Providers Council.

Companies can apply to use the logo on appropriate materials (e.g., products, websites, communications and marketing materials). The logo can only be used in connection with products and services that utilize AgGateway eBusiness resources, such as AgGateway standards, guidelines, the Ag Glossary, and/or the Agriculture Industry Identification System (AGIIS). Use of the logo does not represent an endorsement by AgGateway of the company using the logo or any of the company’s products or services. Companies must obtain permission by AgGateway before using the logo, including applying for its use, signing a waiver, and receiving acceptance of the company’s application.

The logo was created by volunteers serving in the Allied Providers Council. To learn about using the logo see the “Enabled by” page at www.AgGateway.org or contact Member Services at Member.Services@AgGateway.org or (+1) 866-251-8618.

Agribusiness

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