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Registration is Open for ASTA’s 53rd Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, January 25-28
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 ASTA’s 53rd Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference will be held this year in “America’s Salad Bowl,” Monterey, California from January 25 – 28, 2014. The event, the fastest growing of all ASTA conventions, brings together close to 800 seed industry professionals from the U.S. and abroad for four days of unparalleled global networking opportunities. Last year’s event drew 25% of its attendees from 25 other countries. Registration is now open for exhibitors and attendees – both of whom are encouraged to book their rooms at the Hyatt Regency Monterey well in advance of the December 20 deadline.
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ASTA Welcomes Michelle Kohn to Staff
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 ASTA is pleased to announce that Michelle Kohn has been named the new Director, International Programs and Poli cy. In this role, Michelle will be responsible for providing programmatic management and director of USDA Cooperator/donor-funded programs and assisting in the development of ASTA’s international policies and priorities. Formerly at Virginia-based AGRALYTICA, Michelle provided analysis and support for market research, program evaluations and strategic market analysis for government agencies, trade associations and US exporter organizations. A graduate of the University of Maryland, Michelle is currently working on an MS-MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management from Purdue University and the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
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ASTA/NCCPB Promote Public-Private Research Projects to USDA
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On August 15th Stephen Smith, Fellow in Crop Genetics Research and Development at DuPont Pioneer and Chair of the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) provided comments on behalf of ASTA and NCCPB to the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Research, Education and Economics mission area listening session on plant breeding. The session was held to provide stakeholder feedback to a newly organized working group within USDA which seeks to better coordinate internal activities and external funding programs dedicated to plant breeding.
Dr. Smith commended USDA for establishing the Plant Breeding Working Group and taking an integrated approach to guiding plant research. He urged government and industry to work together to implement jointly identified overarching goals such as those established during the American Seed Summit Research Summit in 2008. With declining state and federal budgets, collaboration will be needed to meet the demands of a growing global population.
In the comments, ASTA and NCCPB pointed out that public and private research programs are complimentary with the private sector relying on the public sector for workforce development, research on emerging threats and conservation of plant genetic resources. The National Plant Germplasm System was singled out as the single most important USDA resource for plant breeding. In follow-up written comments, ASTA and NCCPB reiterated that the needs of customers are at the core of plant breeding work and that companies go to great lengths to meet the demands of customers for locally adapted varieties through extensive field testing.
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FuSE Offers Workshop on Seed Biotechnology and Cotton Value Chain, October 22-24
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 The Future Seed Executives (FuSE) Initiative, a subcommittee of ASTA, is hosting an educational unit at Cotton Incorporated and Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. research facilities October 22-24, 2013 in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. The workshop will include tours of Cotton Inc.’s Textile Research facilities, the North Carolina Biotech Center (NCBC), and Syngenta Biotechnology Inc., including its new Advanced Crop Lab.
Tentative Agenda
- Tuesday, Oct 22: Evening Reception Hosted by Syngenta
- Wednesday, Oct 23: Cotton Inc. and NCBC Tour – All Day / FuSE Luncheon
- Thursday, Oct 24: Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. Tour / 3:00pm – Departure
Please visit the FuSE Upcoming Events webpage for more information and to register for the workshop.
Students and ASTA members are offered a registration discount. A block of rooms has been reserved for participants at the Cambria Suites Raleigh-Durham Airport for October 22nd and 23rd at $86/night, under group code “ASTA FuSE”. To reserve your room, please call (919) 361-3311.
Registration and hotel booking deadline is September 22nd!
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Graduate Student Opportunities at ASTA’s CSS 2013 & Seed Expo
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The ASTA Program Planning Committees are pleased to invite graduate students in corn, sorghum and soybean breeding programs to present posters summarizing their thesis work at the CSS 2013 & Seed Expo event in Chicago this December 10-12. Students who wish to present posters should review the complete application packet. Additionally, any graduate student may register for the CSS 2013 & Seed Expo complimentary with proof of student ID.
Posters will be displayed at the Hyatt Regency Chicago from noon on December 10 to noon on December 12. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place and students are required to be present between 8:00-10:00am and 3:00-5:00pm on December 11 during the judging period. First prize is $300, second prize is $200 and third prize is $100.
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Warning to ASTA Conference Attendees: Beware Of Hotel and Travel Booking Scams
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If contacted via phone or email by any company claiming to represent ASTA for hotel or travel booking services for the CSS or Vegetable & Flower Seed conferences, attendees should be advised not do business with them. ASTA does not utilize any 3rd party hotel or travel booking services. These solicitations are from unauthorized and unethical companies that act as travel agencies, wholesalers or destination management companies to sell room reservations or other travel services. All travel should be booked directly through the hotels listed on the ASTA website. For questions, or to report a solicitation, please contact Jennifer Crouse, ASTA Director of Meetings & Services, at jcrouse@amseed.org.
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UC Davis Offers Seed Business 101 Horticulture Course
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With input from industry executives, UC Davis has designed its Seed Business 101 Horticulture Class to accelerate the careers of promising new employees and young managers. The course offers invaluable insights and perspectives to seed dealers and companies offering products and services to the seed industry, including seed treatments, crop protect, seed enhancement and technology, machinery and equipment.
The course will be held the week prior to the American Seed Trade Association’s Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference (January 25-28, 2014) also at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey, California. Register here for Seed Business 101. Registration includes all course materials, lunches, breaks and two course dinners. Enrollment is limited to 30 participants per course. For questions or additional information, please contact Sally Mohr at sjmohr@ucdavis.edu or at 530-752-5775.
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FuSE Social Media Webinar Available For Viewing
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On August 7th, Future Seed Executives (FuSE) hosted the third installment of a social media-focused webinar series conducted by Shannon Latham and Laura Cunningham of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds. The webinar featured case studies and tips on using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to promote products, services and events. The webinar may be accessed on the FuSE Upcoming Events page, under “Past FuSE Events” on the ASTA website.
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AOSA/SCST Seeking New Executive Director
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The Association of Official Seed Analysts and the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists (AOSA/SCST) has begun a search for a new Executive Director. The deadline to submit applications is September 30, 2013. For a detailed job description for this position and many others in the seed industry, please visit the Career Opportunities page on ASTA’s website.
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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, Suite 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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