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Early-bird Registration for ASTA’s Annual Convention Ends May 14th
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 Hurry and register to get early-bird discount rates and preferred hotel accommodations for the 130th ASTA Annual Convention in Nashville, June 15-18. Click here to register now. And if you’re undecided, please check out the convention schedule and the great activities we have lined up.
Enjoy a tour of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel from ASTA’s Chairman, Blake Curtis!
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Administration Urged to Push Biotech Overseas
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A bipartisan group of 26 senators, led by Stabenow (D-MI) and Chuck Grassley, (R-Iowa), is urging the Obama administration to use upcoming trade negotiations to break down barriers to genetically engineered crops. Biotech crops are likely to be a key issue in trade talks being launched with the European Union. “Trade disruptions caused by barriers to biotechnology derived crops hurt both American farmers and the international customers they serve,” the senators write (pdf). “Regulatory asynchrony, zero tolerance policies, and re-registration requirements are among the most prevalent and costly regulatory hurdles.”
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Joel Brinkmeyer to Head Agribusiness Association of Iowa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Joel Brinkmeyer was recently appointed CEO by the Board of Directors of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI). Brinkmeyer, whose entire career has been dedicated to working in Iowa agriculture, most recently served as Senior Vice President, Agribusiness, Great Western Bank, West Des Moines, Iowa.
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Check Out eConnectivity Progress at AgGateway’s Mid-Year Meeting
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ASTA reminds members that registration is open for AgGateway’s Mid-Year Meeting in Johnston, IA, June 17-21. ASTA is a member of AgGateway, the non-profit consortium of agri-businesses working to expand electronic business within the ag industry. At this meeting, important discussions take place among industry players on critical projects that will affect how ag companies work with their trading partners. AgGateway members and non-members alike are welcome! Participants will be updated on current AgGateway projects, including the Standardized Precision Ag Data Exchange (SPADE) Project.
Of particular interest to ASTA members will be discussions of the Seed Council and updates on the Seed Connectivity II Project, the new Automated Information Data Capture (AIDC) Project, Precision Ag Council projects, and compelling educational programs/workshops. Networking opportunities include receptions and breaks, as well as a tour of the John Deere Des Moines Work’s factory, where the company makes commercial application equipment, cotton harvesters and planting equipment.
There’s no registration fee for the meeting, so it’s a great time to invite a colleague or trading partner and get up to speed on AgGateway and the eBusiness processes that will be affecting your business. Visit AgGateway.org for more information and click here to register today!
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Registration now open for All-America Selections Summer Summit 2013
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The staff of All-America Selections invites you to a two-day casual and relaxed, but informative and educational tour of flowers, vegetables and vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula August 12-13. Highlights of the Summit include tours of the many container trials at JVK in St. Catharines; the AAS Flower, Bedding Plant and Vegetable Trials at Stokes Seeds’ Research Farm; demonstrations of an ethnic vegetable breeding program, their drought tolerance testing and more at the Vineland Research Station; the Niagara College Teaching Winery, the center of wine (and beer) education in the Niagara; and the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area to take in the beauty of the Niagara Escarpment.
Click here to register for the AAS Summer Summit.
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Asian Plant Breeding AcademySM completes a successful session in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
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The UC Davis Plant Breeding Academy (PBA) is a premium professional certificate program offered in the USA, Europe and Asia. To date, 114 industry breeders have attended the UC Davis PBA, making it the most significant program of its kind. Participants attend six, 6-day sessions over two years. The instructors are internationally recognized experts in plant breeding and seed technology.
Applications are being accepted for the European Plant Breeding Academy Class III beginning in October 2013. For more information on the UC Davis European Plant Breeding Academy contact Joy Patterson at jpatterson@ucdavis.edu or visit pba.ucdavis.edu.
Other Upcoming UC Davis Classes:
Program Management for Plant Breeders
The course objective is to enhance the management skills of professional scientists who are leading and directing plant breeding and laboratory programs in modern agricultural research and development programs of agribusiness companies and the public sector. Some of the topics include:
- Understanding where your plant breeding or research program fits in the overall strategy of the organization. Establishing a vision and goal for your program and defining your key strategies and capacities.
- Comprehending the financial aspects of your program. Managing budgets, expenses, capital projects and period reporting. Reading and understanding a financial statement and managing your resources within the goals of your organization.
- Leading and managing people towards a common goal. Learning the principles of effective hiring, retention, evaluation, promotion, training, mentorship and motivation. Handling difficult situations using conflict resolution. Dealing with and embracing change and creating a culture of innovation.
- Creating effective and efficient programs. Understanding the principles of work flow, scheduling, safety, and legal compliance. Learning issues surrounding intellectual property and contracts, treaties and agreements.
Lead instructors include industry experts, Fred Bliss, Tom Francois and Rale Gjuric. This course will be at UC Davis on September 17 – 19, 2013. Registration is available here.
Seed Business 101SM
This one week course is designed to expose participants to the five functional areas of a seed company (R&D, production, operations, sales and marketing and administration). By creating a virtual seed company and case studies for each functional area, the course content is delivered in a very interactive way. The program gives new employees a broad understanding of the major aspects of a seed company’s operations and cross-departmental knowledge of best practices for profitability. The course is taught by widely respected industry executives with additional help of industry experts participating as guest speakers. Since the beginning of this program in 2010, more than 170 participants have completed this course. Registration is located here.
Field Crops: September 30 – October 4, 2013, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Horticultural Crops: January 20 – 24, 2014, Monterey, California, USA
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In Memoriam:
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Fayte Brewer, President of Ag Alumni Seed in Romney, IN and active member of the following ASTA committees/divisions: Brokers/Agents Division, Corn & Sorghum Seed Division, Farm Seed Division and Seed Industry Relations Committee. More about Fayte’s well-lived life can be found here.
Dr. John Baylor, aka “Mr. Alfalfa” and “the Moses of Penn State Agriculture,” an active member of state, regional and international associations, as well as ASTA. Read more about Dr. Baylor’s accomplishments here.
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ASTA proudly introduces its newest members:
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Morris Bixby Group
The Weitz Company
Albaugh, Inc.
Seed Genetics International Pty. Ltd
AlphaSun LLC
Hamer LLC
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Seeding Success
It’s your membership and financial support that allows ASTA to do this work and get you the information you need. Please encourage other seed industry colleagues to join ASTA and contribute to the success of the industry.
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American Seed Trade Association
1701 Duke Street, Ste. 275
Alexandria, VA 22314
(p) 703.837.8140 │ (f) 703.837.9365
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ASTA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact ASTA at 703-837-8140.
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