New Grassroots Advocacy Campaign, First Woman Officer, Adoption of Strategic Plan Among News From American Seed Trade Association’s 130th Annual Convention

Nashville, TN (June 19, 2013) Almost 400 of the seed industry’s trade and science policy leaders gathered in Nashville over the past three days to elect new leaders and to adopt legislative and regulatory strategies for the coming year, according to ASTA’s newly elected chairman, Craig Newman of AgReliant Genetics, LLC.

“This is our most important meeting in terms of setting the policy agenda for the seed industry over the coming year,” said Newman, who replaces Blake Curtis of Curtis & Curtis, Inc. as chairman. “We rolled out some enhanced initiatives and tools here at the convention to help promote fair and sound seed policies at the state, federal and international levels.”

Among the initiatives was the launch of the “Seed Advocate” program to mobilize grassroots support for the seed industry in all 50 states. While ASTA has successfully utilized individual members’ help for recent policy debates, it is the goal of the “Seed Advocate” program to aggressively harness the power of its more than 700 member companies for future state and federal battles.

“Our members understand what is at stake when their representatives are uninformed or misinformed about the impact of seed-related laws and regulations,” said Andrew W. LaVigne, president and CEO of ASTA. “The Seed Advocate program will help to alert them to opportunities to contact state or federal officials before these are enacted.”

ASTA will be utilizing its just-launched new website – www.amseed.org – to recruit, educate and mobilize Seed Advocates. The website has been designed to become the leading online resource for all topics related to the production and movement of seed worldwide – from intellectual property rights protection to phytosanitary standards to conventional, organic and biotech farming issues. It also contains valuable information about organizations that support education and careers in the seed industry (First-the Seed Foundation, Future Seed Executives, etc.); comprehensive guides to Seed Treatment Stewardship and Seed Quality Management; and registration for ASTA’s four annual conferences.

Other news coming out of the convention was the election of the first woman officer in ASTA’s 130-year history. Risa DiMasi of Grassland Oregon was named 2nd Vice Chair.

“We’re all trailblazers in our widely diverse business sectors,” said DiMasi. “And we are all responsible for using out voices – big and small – to participate and to contribute.”

Other incoming officers include:

First Vice Chairman – John Schoeneker, HM. Clause

Southern Region Vice President – Alan Ostercamp, RiceTec, Inc.

Northeastern Region Vice President – Andy Ernst, Ernst Conservation Seeds

Northwestern Region Vice President – Rob Mitchell, The J.R. Simplot Company

Vice President from Canada – Wayne Gale, Stokes Seeds

State & Regional Ex-Officio Representative – Jim Byrum, Michigan Agri-Business Association

At the convention, ASTA’s Board of Directors adopted a new five-year Strategic Plan that establishes key focus areas in intellectual property rights, domestic policy, state and local issues, international programs, communications and membership.