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July 6, 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. Questions, comments and your industry news are welcom — contact Jason Laney at ASTA. Past issues can be viewed here .
Seed eNews Update Due to the summer schedule and activities, as well as a staff transition in the ASTA Public Affairs Department, the Seed E-News will be published on an as needed basis for the next two months. During this transition period, please send any articles or announcements for the E-news to Jason Laney, Director of Membership Services. 2007-2008 ASTA Officers Please congratulate the following individuals who were elected as the association's Officers at the recent Annual Convention in Broomfield, Colorado.
* Elected June 26, 2007 at ASTA Annual Convention. 540 Attendees "Reach the Peak" at ASTA's 124th Annual Convention in Colorado
ASTA's Anniversary Year Officers Installed A highlight of 124th Annual Convention in Colorado was the installation of the 2007-2008 ASTA officers, who will preside over the 125th Anniversary Year, culminating in the 125th Annual Convention next year in Orlando, Florida. This anniversary celebration was kicked off officially at the convention's Gala Banquet by Mike Peterson of Peterson Genetics, Inc., the new Chairman of the Board, who unveiled a special Florida-themed dessert and video presentation of the Gaylord Palms Resort, host of next year's convention. The new officers inducted for the coming year were as follows:
ASTA Presents Highest Honors to Members and Industry Leaders Chairman Harry Collins presented four of the highest honors ASTA bestows at the 124th Annual Convention. David Hegwood of USDA and Richard Matteis, formerly of the California Seed Association, each received the Distinguished Service Award, while Don Wertman of Seedway and Francois Korn of SeedQuest each received the Honorary Lifetime Member award. Hegwood was selected for the award based on his assistance to the seed industry with the years of negotiation of the Standard Material Transfer Agreement. Matteis (pictured at bottom left) was honored for his thirty years of service at the California Seed Association, a role he is departing for a new position at the California Farm Bureau. Wertman (pictured at bottom center), a former ASTA Chairman and chair of several committees and divisions, as well as leadership positions at several other seed associations, was presented with the Honorary Lifetime Member award based on his constant and active service to the association. Likewise, Korn (pictured at bottom right), formerly ASTA's Associates Division chairman for an extended term and constant media partner and advocate for ASTA membership and events, was honored for his consistent support and service. All four award recipients were highlighted with tributes at the Opening General Session and were recognized as well-respected individuals who are deeply committed to their contributions to the U.S. seed industry.
ASTA Honors Dairyland Seed Company's 100th Anniversary A special "Century of Service" award presentation was made at the 124th Annual Convention on June 25 to Dairyland Seed Company, in honor of the company's 100th anniversary. Tom, Steve, John and T.J. Strachota were on hand to receive the award on behalf of Dairyland, a long time ASTA member. A third generation seed company established by Simon and Andrew Strachota, the company originally began as an accumulator of locally grown clover seed. One hundred years later, Dairyland Seed has evolved into a company that is unique in the seed industry. Dairyland is the only family-run seed company in the 750 plus member association with proprietary plant breeding programs in hybrid corn, soybeans and alfalfa. They are recognized as a leading developer and provider of genetics in all three crops by customers and colleagues.
Convention Attendees Celebrate the Wild West Enjoying the mountain backdrop and delightful weather, 124th Annual Convention attendees participated in a number of "extracurricular" networking activities while in Colorado. The special events program included the Gary Arthur Memorial 5K Fun Run (participants pictured below), honoring ASTA's late First Vice Chairman, the Annual Golf Tournament, and a fun-filled "Wild West Welcome Reception" at the Omni Interlocken Resort.
The Wild West Welcome Reception was held on Sunday, June 24 at the resort's pool pavilion and featured several interactive activities for all family members, including a saloon shoot-out, calf-roping, line dancing, and even an inflatable mountain climb designed to serve as the convention theme of "Reach the Peak." Chairman and First Lady Harry and Dottie Collins greeted guests in costume as "Buffalo Bill" and "Calamity Jane," to the delight and amusement of all guests.
The Gala Banquet, on Tuesday, June 26, featured the turning over of the gavel from 2006-2007 Chairman Harry Collins to 2007-2008 Chairman Mike Peterson as well as the installation of all of the next year's officers, in addition to a special kick off of the 125th Anniversary Year by incoming Chairman Mike Peterson. The evening also featured the return of Kennedy Center favorite "Big Ray and the Kool Kats," who had the guests once again dancing until midnight.
Panel Discusses Intellectual Property Rights in China at ASTA Annual Convention A panel of U.S. Government and Industry experts addressed intellectual property issues in China during the joint meeting of the International and Intellectual Property Committees at the recent ASTA Annual Convention. Karen Hauda, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, provided an overview of the recent U.S. Government actions regarding counterfeiting at the World Trade Organization and discussed a bilateral forum where China and the United States can address IPR issues. Michael Henney, USDA Foreign Agricultural Services, presented information regarding U.S. Government actions related to IPR and products of biotechnology. Kater Hake, Delta and Pineland Company, provided an industry perspective on the challenges of doing business in China. The panel discussion was an important opportunity for ASTA members and U.S. Government officials to discuss both the problems encountered by industry in China and possible mechanisms by which those problems can be addressed.
State of the States ... State and Regional Seed Association Workshop at Annual Convention The second State and Regional Seed Association Workshop, held during the recent Annual Convention was a success on many accounts. Sixteen associations were represented among the 40+ attendees. The interactive program focused on how the associations can address the variety of issues facing the seed industry, as well as a survey of the needs of the associations that could be fulfilled with ASTA assistance. The audience participation suggested a great deal of interest in future, similar sessions. The program started with the following issues overview presentations: Each of the presenters provided hand-outs and/or visual presentations of their materials. For copies, contact Pat Miller, ASTA Director of State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs.
Following the presentations, a panel fielded questions related to specific association needs. The panel was moderated by ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne (pictured far left) and its members were Betsy Peterson, California Seed Association (pictured second from left); Charles Leamons, Texas Seed Trade Association (pictured in center); Gary Biel, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (pictured second from right); and Al Simons, Seed Trade Association of Arizona & Arizona Crop Improvement Association (pictured far right). Communication assistance seemed to be a common theme. Most of the associations present desired an information conduit and issues guidance to be able to assist their members in an efficient and effective manner. Awards were presented to a few individuals and organizations to recognize their contributions to the seed industry and to ASTA, as follows: Numerous comments after the session complimented the program. Look for future similar programs and more opportunities for ASTA-state/regional association interaction. Program moderator Andy LaVigne, stated, "ASTA's success is based upon grassroots support." The interaction between the states in attendance certainly cemented that concept. For more information on state affairs, contact Pat Miller.
10 Graduate and Undergraduate Students Experience ASTA Annual Convention At the recent Annual Convention, 10 graduate and undergraduate students participated in the meeting as part of American Seed Research Foundation (ASRF) and Future Seed Executives (FuSE) sponsored programs. Seven graduate students participated in the ASRF Operation Student Connection program while three undergraduate students participated in the brand new FuSE Campus Connections program. These programs introduce students to the seed industry and allow them to interact with the hundreds of industry leaders in attendance at the Convention. During the meeting, the students are paired with a senior industry member who serves as their mentor throughout the Convention. One participant commented, "I feel privileged to have participated in the program — it was an eye opening experience." For more information on ASRF, contact Ann Jorss and for more information on FuSE, contact Jason Laney.
Future Seed Executives (FuSE) Kicks off 2008 Program at Annual Convention The 124th ASTA Annual Convention was a huge success for the FuSE Committee. 2007 was the kick-off year for the Campus Connections program where three undergraduate students were awarded grants covering all expenses to attend the convention and were paired with a mentor. Special thanks to Chad Lanik, Nicole Marshall and John Zielinski who participated in the program as students and Jerry Monk, Marc Cool and Don Wertman who served as their mentors.
The support and interest in FuSE is at an all time high including a packed Monday afternoon committee meeting (pictured at left). In addition to the program and event updates, FuSE was proud to host Bill, John and Shannon Latham of Latham Seed Company and Latham Hi-Tech Hybrids as their guest speakers. As a multi-generational family-owned seed company and being very involved in ASTA, the presentation focused on their perspectives of the seed industry; past, present and future as well as advice for new professionals in or entering the industry. Don Wertman, past ASTA Chairman, has been an integral part of FuSE from its inception in 2004. After the convention he commented: "The FuSE initiative is one of the most inspiring and successful programs ever sponsored by ASTA. In the past, a young person entering the seed industry would need to be involved in attending association meetings for many years before having an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and make a meaningful contribution. With FuSE, participants have an opportunity to learn about the association, demonstrate their initiative and leadership skills and become meaningful contributors. With the concern about retiring baby boomers, I believe FuSE will help close the leadership gap in ASTA."
New Members Join ASTA at Annual Convention Please welcome the following new members who joined the association at the Annual Convention. Active: INTX Microbials LLC- Kentland, IN
US Farmers Plant Largest Corn Crop in 63 Years U.S. farmers planted 92.9 million acres of corn in 2007, exceeding last year's planted area by 19 percent and surpassing the March projection by 3 percent, according to the acreage report released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The actual planted acreage is the highest since 1944, when farmers planted 95.5 million corn acres. Driven by favorable prices, growing ethanol demand and strong export sales, farmers in nearly all states increased their corn acreage. They set state records in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and North Dakota, while Iowa continued to lead all states in total corn acres. The increase in corn is offset mainly by fewer acres of soybeans in the Corn Belt and Great Plains, and fewer acres of cotton in the Delta and Southeast. Read more.
New Technology Could Lead to More Energy-Efficient Ethanol Production Ethanol to fuel cars, trucks and other vehicles might take less energy to produce, thanks to a device invented by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in California. Chemical engineers Richard D. Offeman and George H. Robertson at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif., think it may be possible to cut energy costs by using a series of specially designed permeable plastic sheets, or membranes, to produce ethanol from fermented broths of corn, or straw and other kinds of biomass feedstocks. Read more.
Europe Set to Lift Ban on GM Crops The European commission is about to give the go-ahead to the first commercially grown genetically modified crops since a public outcry nine years ago halted their cultivation, according to several articles. The commission has begun the final approval stages for at least four applications by biotech companies to let farmers grow GM potatoes and maize in British and European fields. The first crop is expected to be given the go-ahead by the end of this month. "We hope that it will have been approved ... so that it will be ready for planting next year," said a spokesman for BASF, the German company that created the potato. Read more.
RR Alfalfa No Threat to Organic, Export Markets Says UC-Davis Report Organic activists and environmental extremist groups would have the public believe that Roundup Ready (glyphosate tolerant) alfalfa is a "threat to organic alfalfa and alfalfa export markets." Reality says otherwise. Of the 22 million acres of alfalfa grown in the U.S. last year, USDA estimates that only about 200,000 acres were Roundup Ready - about 0.01 percent of the total. And the risk of cross pollination in forage production is extremely remote. According to the University of California-Davis (click on "Biotech Alfalfa"), for gene flow to occur from one hay field to another, the following must occur: 1) Fields must flower simultaneously, 2) pollinators must move between fields; 3) pollen must fertilize plant; 4) embryos must turn into seeds: 5) seed must fall to ground and germinate; 6) germinating plants must compete with existing alfalfa. Agronomic experts point out that there are severe environmental limits to each of these steps happening, and further, most hay is harvested pre-bloom; the few surviving seeds that may germinate do not contribute significantly to hay biomass (estimates at <0.001 percent). Read more.
Company News and People on the Move Hear the latest Giant Views at www.seedworld.com. The newest installment of Seed World's groundbreaking video series, Giant Views of the Industry Online, features Bill Romp, Business Unit Manager for the Becker Underwood Seed Coatings Unit. This streaming video series features interviews with leading thinkers in the seed industry, updated on a monthly basis. In this installment, Romp discusses the overall state of the seed enhancement sector, the use of color in seed enhancements, the status of polymers, and future areas of growth for Becker Underwood. Seed Genetics, Inc. is pleased to announce that Jeff Ludlow has been promoted to a new position as Director of Sales. His responsibilities will be to provide service and support to SGI Sales Managers and customers. Jeff brings years of seed experience to his new role at SGI. Most recently, he was Central Sales Manager for SGI with responsibility for customers in Illinois and Indiana. Jeff will continue to provide product service and support for customers in the Central Region. Agriliance LLC owners Land O'Lakes, Inc. and CHS Inc. today announced that they are repositioning two business segments of the Agriliance agronomy joint venture. CHS is acquiring the crop nutrients wholesale distribution business. Land O'Lakes is acquiring the crop protection products business, and will align that business with the Land O'Lakes Seed division. Terms of the transaction, expected to be completed in September 2007, will not be disclosed until details are finalized.
Moderator Announced and Registration Now Open for Upcoming FuSE Discussion Group on Seed Labeling
The next FuSE Discussion Group, to be held July 18 at 10:00 a.m. CST, will feature a discussion on labeling including a review of ASTA's position and an update on state action. The call will be moderated by Scott Beck, Vice President of Beck's Hybrids and immediate past Chairman of the ASTA Corn and Sorghum Division. Scott was also an instrumental member of the ASTA ad hoc Committee on Labeling. Click here to register for the call. For more information on the Discussion Group, contact Jim Schweigert.
Upcoming Industry Events
Click here for a schedule of additional industry events
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