ASTA Seed Foundation Update

Cindy Zimmerman December 17, 2014

First the Seed Foundation (FTSF) is a not-for-profit organization established in 2008 by the American Seed Trade Association with a focus on attracting bright young minds to the industry.

“The seed industry is an exciting, dynamic, high tech industry,” said Foundation chairman Bud Hughes of Verdant Partners during an update at CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week. “We want people to see that whether their interest is marketing and communications, or computer skills, or back to being a biologist or a plant breeder, that there are many different careers available in this industry.”

Hughes says they have taken on several major initiatives over the past six years, with funding by industry participants. “We’ve put together a product we call ‘Grow’ which is a career kit aimed at high school students,” said Hughes, adding that the program has already reached an estimated 500,000 students.

Another project they call “TomatoSphere” which was originally developed in Canada and is aimed at elementary and middle school students. “TomatoSphere takes tomato seeds as an example of a biology project and puts them into the classroom,” he said.

The Foundation has just developed a seed specific school curriculum for teachers, called “Planting the Seed,” based on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) system. And they also have a Seed Ambassadors program which encourages industry professionals to be spokespersons at their local schools.

Hughes says FTSF has grown to the point now where they have hired their first full-time administrator, Jim Reynolds, who is a former educator, coach and high school principal.

Learn more about FTSF from their website and in this update from Hughes at CSS.
Bud Hughes, First the Seed Foundation chairman

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More Renewable Energy Means Healthier Forests

John Davis December 17, 2014

Harvesting biomass from forests is not only helping those forests’ health, it’s helping the country achieve energy independence. This news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) has removed 200,000 tons of biomass that could have been a fire risk and was turned into biofuels.

“This initiative helps to retrieve forest residues that are a fire risk, but otherwise are costly to remove,” said [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack. “In just three months, working with private partners across the country, the program helped to reduced fire, disease and insect threats while providing more biomass feedstock for advanced energy facilities.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency administered the program earlier this year. Eligible farmers, ranchers or foresters participating in BCAP received a payment to partially offset the cost of harvesting and delivering forest or agricultural residues to a qualified energy facility. Up to $12.5 million is available each year for biomass removal.

This past summer, 19 energy facilities in 10 states participated in the program.

Biofuels, USDA

Get ARC Activities on 2015 Calendar

Chuck Zimmerman December 16, 2014

We’ve got a lot of activities on our 2015 calendar and here are a few more we need to add. How about getting them on your calendar? Agricultural Relations Council President Mike Opperman says he is expecting continued growth in the next year.

The board also developed and put into place a strategic plan that will help guide future ARC growth. A significant part of that future growth, and a strong goal for 2015, is to continue to grow our membership. While membership programs will help make that happen, membership benefits are what bring value to your investment in ARC. We are looking forward to more professional development opportunities in 2015 through webinars, information on the ARC website, another terrific annual meeting program and other resources to help you grow your skill set.

January 30, 2015
Golden ARC Contest Early Bird Deadline

March 1, 2015
Applications due for Scholarship Program for University Students Studying Ag Communications

March 6, 2015
Golden ARC Contest Final Deadline

March 15, 2015
Applications due for New Inductees of Ag PR Hall of Fame

June 24-26, 2015
ARC Annual Meeting
The Magnolia Hotel
Denver, Colorado

July 27-28, 2015
ARC/AMS Silent Auction
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ

Ag Groups, ARC

GOP Senate Ag Committee Members Named

Cindy Zimmerman December 16, 2014

The new Republican majority Senate has made committee assignments for the 114th Congress.

For the Agriculture Committee, the new faces are Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Joni Ernst of Iowa, David Perdue of Georgia and Thom Tillis of North Carolina – all newly elected senators. Retired senators include Republicans Mike Johanns of Nebraska and Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, and Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa – all three states that now have new senators on the committee.

Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas is expected to become the new chairman while current ranking member Thad Cochran of Mississippi becomes Appropriations Committee chair. Remaining Republicans assigned to the ag committee include returning Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, John Boozman of Arkansas, John Hoeven of North Dakota; Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and John Thune of South Dakota

The assignments are subject to ratification by the Republican Conference as well as the full Senate.

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African Seed Trade Learns from ASTA

Cindy Zimmerman December 16, 2014

It was AFSTA meets ASTA last week at the CSS 2014 and Seed Expo in Chicago.

Denias Zaranyika is the Vice President of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and he attended last week’s event to see what he could bring home to his colleagues in the countries of Africa. “We want to exchange information and learn from Americans,” he said. “I’ve had meetings with our counterparts, the global players…and the meetings and presentations here are very informative.”

Zaranyika works for the African seed company Seed Co, based in Zimbabwe. “At the moment we are in 15 African countries,” he said. “Our mandate is to make sure that we produce seed that will feed Africa and beyond in the future.”

New hybrids are important to African farmers, he said, “most international seed companies are looking to Africa for food security in the future.” Zaranyika says Africa is still considering the use of biotech traits. “At the moment, people don’t know whether it’s right or wrong,” he said, adding that African farmers are working more right now on improving agronomic practices to increase yields.

I enjoyed my conversation with Denias, who extends an invitation for everyone in the American seed industry to attend the AFSTA annual meeting in Victoria Falls, March 2-5, 2015. Interview with Denias Zaranyika, AFSTA

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Future Seed Executives at CSS & Seed Expo

Leah Guffey December 16, 2014

ASTA FuSE members with Bill Whitacre, president and CEO of Simplot

Future Seed Executives (FuSE) had a week full of activities last week at the ASTA CSS & Seed Expo, including some quality time with Bill Whitacre president and CEO of Simplot.

FuSE Iniative is an official subcommittee of the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Management Skills Committee. Since its formal inception in 2004, FuSE has focused on educating and supporting seed industry professionals with fewer than seven years of seed industry experience. Programs are designed as regional opportunities to expand learning, cultivate management skills, promote networking and improve general understanding of the seed industry.

“FuSE has been important to me,” FuSE chairman Ryan Betka of Syngenta told me. “It’s something that my boss and I discuss every year as we set performance objectives throughout the year is how am I going to develop professionally. FuSE is always number one on that objective for me.”

Listen to my interview with Ryan here Ryan Betka, ASTA FuSE Chairman

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Swine BioPortal Provides Flexibility to Data Evaluation

Jamie Johansen December 16, 2014

The collection of data is important when it comes to monitoring the PRRS virus. But what do you do with all those numbers once you have them? Dr. Enrique Mondaca, Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI), hit on that during BIVI’s session at the North American PRRS Symposium last week in Chicago.

The Swine BioPortal is an answer to how veterinarians and producers can better evaluate all the sequences of data. “Managing these huge amounts of data is difficult when you try to generate sub-sets of information. A lot of times you are not interested in looking at all those hundreds of thousands of sequences.” In a matter of seconds, the portal allows you to only select sequences you are interested in at any given time. This data can also be compared to others in a specific geographical area.

In my interview with Dr. Mondaca, he goes on to share more about the different types of sub-sets the Swine BioPortal has to make the evaluation of data much easier for the end user. Interview with Dr. Enrique Mondaca, Boehringer Ingelheim

Find all the photos from the event here: 2014 BIVI PRRS Seminar Photo Album 2014 BIVI PRRS Seminar Photo Album

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Swine

Students Present Posters at ASTA CSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 16, 2014

Three students were awarded prizes sponsored by Dow AgroSciences for their winning poster presentations at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week in Chicago.

First place was awarded to Adam Gaspar from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is pictured here explaining his presentation to one of the judges.

Second place went to Lillian Brzostowski, a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for her presentation on Stacking Resistance Alleles from Three Sources to Increase Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode.

Adriano Terras Mastrodomenico, also with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, received third place for Characterization of Commercial Corn Hybrids in Response to Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates and Plant Populations.

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Fermentation Education from BASF at CSS

Cindy Zimmerman December 15, 2014

Fermentation education was going on at the BASF booth during the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo last week in Chicago.

The fermentation educator was BASF Biological Operations Manager Chris Feiden who explained and demonstrated for us the fermentation and filling process that takes place at BASF research facility in St. Joseph, Missouri and their quality assurance process. “We walk through multiple steps as part of the process of fermentation,” said Feiden. “The product has already gone through over 25 quality assurance steps before we reach our internal quality assurance department.”

The bacteria produced and manufactured into a rhizobium inoculant benefit crops by providing a nitrogen rich enhancement to the soil, explains Feiden, which ultimately increases yield for growers. “You’re looking at a three-to-one return on investment,” he said. “That’s a pretty good investment in my opinion.”

Here’s my interview with Chris, and below you can watch the demonstration of the fermentation process on display at the CSS 2014. Interview with Chris Fieden, BASF

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Economic Outlook at ASTA

Cindy Zimmerman December 15, 2014

Back again by popular demand this year at the ASTA CSS 2014 and Seed Expo was AgResource Company president Dan Basse giving his economic outlook for the year ahead.

Basse says the protein side of the plate is doing very well right now, dairy and beef in particular, “so we call it the Year of the Cow” and while grain farmers will likely struggle for the next few years, “they’ve had a very good 5-7 years behind them.”

Basse notes that this crop year is historic in that it’s the first time we’ve seen record world production for corn, wheat and soybeans. “So something agronomically is afoot here,” he said. “World producers are starting to pick up on some of the traits that American farmers are using – whether more seeds per acre, better seeds, better fertilizer…we’re not sure what it is but we’re impressed what the world is producing for grain.”

At this point, Basse thinks “we’re farming more and more for the government” and he stressed the importance of farmers looking carefully at their choices of farm bill programs for the coming year. “If you like the PLC decision, you would have a more bearish outlook on grains for the next five years,” he said. “ARC may give you some extra income for the nearby years.”

Lots more in this interview with Basse here – a condensed version of his one hour breakfast presentation at CSS. Interview with Dan Basse, Ag Resources

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