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February 23, 2007
Welcome to ASTA's electronic newsletter for members, allies and stakeholders. Please feel free to forward Seed E-News to others you believe might wish to receive news about the seed industry. ASTA respects your privacy and does not share this mailing list with other parties. If you have received this publication in error, you may unsubscribe at the end of this page. Questions, comments and your industry news are welcome — contact Lisa Dry at ASTA. Past issues can be viewed here . Quick Links
Visit ASTA Booth at 11th Annual Commodity Classic in Tampa "Bounty on the Bay" is the theme of this year's Commodity Classic scheduled March 1-3 in Tampa, Fla. The Commodity Classic "Pirates" at left represent the American Soybean Assoociation (ASA), the National Corn Growers Association and new this year, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) who will greet the nation's large-acreage, decision-making growers. Stop by the ASTA Booth 805 (across from ASA) in the exhibit hall and learn more about the Market Choices (TM) grain handlers program designed to help corn growers find appropriate markets for their crop. ASTA's Leslie Cahill and Pat Miller will be on site to demonstrate the web-based program and answer questions.
State of the States... Kansas. The Kansas seedsmen mobilized last week to successfully stall Kansas HB 2391. The bill, if enacted as introduced, would create a grain assessment program that defines seed retailers as "first purchasers," even if the retailer is the actual producer of the seed. An interesting note is that the check-off applies to seed/grain, even if it was produced in another state. It's been tabled at this point. For more information on these topics, contact ASTA Director of State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Pat Miller.
Farm Bureau Members Meet with ASTA This week in Washington, ASTA's Bernice Slutsky and Leslie Cahill met with the American Farm Bureau Federation's Feed Grains Committee for a roundtable discussion on seed issues. ASTA's presentation focused on stewardship; intellectual property rights; innovation in general; pipeline products/traits; availability of seed; compliance with the Federal Seed Act and accompanying state seed laws and globalization. There was a great deal of discussion on seed choice and the importance of preemption with the approximately 20 growers.
FuSE to Launch Campus Connections Program at 2007 Annual Convention The Future Seed Executives (FuSE) Committee announces that the new Campus Connections program will be launched during the 2007 Annual Convention in Denver June 23-27. Campus Connections is designed to bring college juniors from various disciplines to the ASTA Annual Convention and introduce them to career opportunities in the seed industry. More information on the Campus Connections program and applications for are available here . ASTA members are encouraged to direct students who would qualify for this new program the web site. For more information contact Alexis Ellicott or Jason Laney.
Minnesota Invasive Plants Conference March 7-8 The Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society will host "Minnesota Terrestrial Invasive Plants Conference" March 7-8 in St. Cloud, Minn. The conference will focus on the detection, identification, prevention, management, restoration of impacted areas and measuring of successful terrestrial invasive species management. More information is available here.
Reminder: ASTA Spring 2007 Workshop with APHIS March 22 Meet with APHIS officials at the upcoming ASTA-APHIS workshop, March 22 in Washington, D.C. This one-day workshop provides an opportunity for ASTA members to interact with APHIS officials and decision-makers on phytosanitary issues. Past workshops have included topics on: APHIS Permitting Process; seed, pests and pathogens; soybean rust, pest risk analyses (PRAs) for Brazil and China; seed movement issues in Mexico, Korea and Argentina; ASTA - APHIS communications; the National Seed Health System and the National Plant Diagnostic Network/Homeland Security. For more information contact Alexis Ellicott at (703) 837-8140 by March 19, 2007. For hotel information, please contact Jennifer Lord at (703) 837-8140.
On Capitol Hill... The House Committee on Agriculture has announced upcoming hearings for three subcommittees as listed below; note that they are subject to change. For information on how to listen online to the hearings click here.
Iowa State University Offers New Online Advanced Degree Program for Seed Sector Managers
Enrollment is still open for the new seed science, technology and business management master's degree program at Iowa State University (ISU). The program combines course content from the first year of an MBA with the science and technology topics that are most directly used in seed. The material will be offered online, at a convenient pace for working professionals. This course is available around the world to students who have an interest in obtaining a master's degree to advance their career path and companies that are interested in ensuring their supply of future managers and leaders. The curriculum is divided in three parts - science, technology and business. The science portion focuses on crop improvement as the source of the innovation that drives the industry and includes quantitative methods, seed pathology and seed physiology. The technology portion of the course includes field production and seed conditioning as well as courses on seed quality. A hybrid management and technology course covers the particulars of seed production and research management. The business portion includes courses covering accounting and finance, information technology, organizational behavior, marketing and logistics and a special capstone course on seed trade, regulation and policy. Additional information about the MS program is available here. The idea for the new curriculum came from seed industry leaders on board of the Seed Science Center. The advisory board suggested that using online education would permit the university to expand its role in specialized seed training by allowing it to reach out to wider geographic area and bring together students with this special interest. Current plans are for the program to begin August 2007. For additional information contact: Paul Christensen, Manager Tel: 1(515) 294-8745
Company News and People on the Move
INCOTEC, Integrated Coating and Seed Technology, Inc., has hired Jeff Weber as Account Manager focusing on film coat liquid sales and marketing to the agronomic industry. Weber brings extensive seed treating experience to this position. He will be launching INCOTEC's line of film coat liquids DISCO in corn, soybean, cotton, and other broad acre crop production applications in North America, and be located in Noblesville, Ind.
Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., has named Kyle W. Rushing recipient of the 2007 College of Agriculture and Life Science Alumni of the Year Award. The program recognizes alumni who have made a significant contribution to human or institutional progress in which a situation, institution or movement has been materially changed for the better because of their participation. The award recognizes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose personal lives, professional accomplishments and community service best exemplify the mission of Mississippi State University. Rushing is Vice President of Integrated Product Development at INCOTEC in Salinas, Calif., where he directs seed technology development for North America.
Upcoming Industry Events Mississippi Seedsmen's Association Annual Meeting Alabama Crop Improvement Association Southern Seed Certification Association Annual Membership Meeting USDA's 83rd Agricultural Outlook Forum 2007 Commodity Classic Michigan Crop Improvement Association Annual Meeting
Click here for a schedule of additional industry events
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Grain Handler's Database • National Seed Health System • CSS 2007 & Seed Expo • Annual Convention • World Seed Congress |