Scholarships and Recognitions Highlighted at Annua...

Iowa State University Iowa Seed Association Scholarships Recipients Recognized at 2019 Annual Meeting and Luncheon

Back row: Chris Latham, CFO Latham Seed Company; Daniel Korhonen; Michael Geissinger; Regan Pleggenkuhle; Eric Heick; John Latham, President Latham Seed Company. Front Row: Dr. Tom Brumm, ISU Agriculture & Biosystems Engineering; Yee Shuan Lai; Caryn Dawson; Karli Buckmeier; Chee Gang Ngui; Dr. Manjit Misra, Director of ISU Seed Science Center Not Pictured: Rachel Nordhoff; Tucker Gabriel

Eleven scholarships were given to ten Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) students at the 2019 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference on February 13, in Des Moines, Iowa.  Eight Iowa Seed Association (ISA) Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded. One of ISA awarded students were selected as the Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholar and received an additional $500 scholarship. The $1,000 Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship and the $1,000 Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Scholarship were also awarded at the ISA ceremony.

This ISA scholarship competition is awarded based on academic excellence, leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and interest in a career in the seed industry or seed science.

2019 Scholarship Recipients

1. Karli Buckmeier is from Saint Michael, Minnesota and is a senior in Agricultural Systems Technology with an emphasis in Machine Systems.  She is an undergraduate student assistant at the ISU Seed Testing Laboratory, where she receives samples from customers, processes and records them into the computer system, both before and after testing is completed.
2. Caryn Dawson is from Palmer, Iowa and is a junior with a double major in Global Resource Systems and Horticulture with a double minor in Animal Science and Spanish.  She is an undergraduate student assistant at the ISU Seed Laboratory working on seed germination projects.
3. Daniel Korhonen is from Radcliffe, Iowa and a senior with a double major in Agronomy and Seed Science. He has worked as a lab assistant in the ISU agronomy, soils, and organic crops labs, as a crop scout at Central Ag Consulting in Valley City, North Dakota, and in warehouse worker for Champion Seeds of Iowa.  Upon graduation, he would like to work alongside farmers as an agronomist for a seed company or as a crop consultant.
4. Chee Gang Ngui is a student from Puchong, Malaysia and a senior with a double major in Horticulture (food crop production and management) and Seed Science and a minor in Food Science and Industry.    He has worked as an undergraduate research assistant in fruit crops in Dr. Cochran’s lab, and as a field inspector for Bayer, in Iowa.
5. Rachel Nordhoff is from Boone, Iowa and a junior with a double major in Agricultural Studies and Agronomy. After meeting ISU Seed Science Center employees at a farm expo, she decided to apply for an undergraduate assistant position at the lab.  She says that the job was a career-changing experience.  She would like the opportunity to complete summer internships in the seed industry and find a job in seed and agronomy sales upon graduation.
6. Regan Pleggenkuhle is from Waucoma, Iowa and a sophomore with a double major in Agronomy and Seed Science.  He grew up on his family farm where he was involved in all aspects of the row crop and hog farming operation. It was his childhood experience which forged his interest in agriculture as a career.
7. Tucker Gabriel is from Eudora, Kansas and a senior in Agricultural Engineering with a minor in Ag Business.  He is an undergraduate student research assistant at FloMetrix where he tests seed flow sensors and the measurement repeatability for the company.
8. Michael Geissinger is from Marshfield, Wisconsin and a senior with a double major in Agronomy and Animal Science.  His interests in seeds stems from widely diverse job opportunities in the seed industry, from sales to genetics, and from research to technology transfer.

Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholar

Michael Geissinger is also the recipient of the 2019 Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholar $500 Scholarship. In his application, he states: “The key to feed 9.6 billion people in 2050 will be understanding the physiology of the seed and maximizing its potential to be grown into harvestable crops that can be used for (food), feed, fuel, and fiber”

He completed internships as forage management at WinField-United in Wisconsin and as Seed Sales rep in Ohio, and has worked as undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Singh’s soybean breeding program, and as Agronomy Intern at the Agricultural Research Station of the UW-Madison in Stratford, WI.

He received the American FFA Degree, Wisconsin FFA Star in Ag Business awards, and ISU Agronomy Academic fellowship; and was elected National SASES member relations officer.  He is also Vice President of the ISU Agronomy club.

He seeks a career as a district seed sales manager specialized in alfalfa seed.  He believes his diversified academic and internships background makes him uniquely qualified to attack the complex seed problems and their relation to food and feed.

Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship

Eric Heick was chosen as the 2019 recipient of the 4^th annual Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship for $1,000. Heick is from West Branch, Iowa and a junior pursuing a double major in Agronomy and Seed Science. He is interested in a career in the areas of seed genetics and seed conditioning. He is an undergraduate student assistant in Alan Gaul’s seed conditioning program at the Seed Science Center.

Latham was a former president of the Iowa Seed Association, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), and the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA).  He was also the former president of his family company, Latham Seed.  Bill passed away on July 31, 2015.

Lisa Shepard Jenkins Memorial Scholarship

Yee Shuan Lai from Malaysia was chosen as the third annual Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Scholar.  Yee is a senior in Ecology and currently works at the ISU Seed Testing laboratory as an undergraduate assistant in germination and seed health testing.

She also works as a research assistant in Arabidopsis haploid induction at Dr. Lübberstedt laboratory in Agronomy Hall.  She plans to pursue a master’s degree in seed science.  The $1,000 Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Memorial Scholarship is awarded by the ISU Seed Science Center to an undergraduate student engaged in seed science and seed technology.

Shepherd Jenkins served as Seed Health Testing Coordinator for the Seed Science Center and as Director of the Administrative Unit of the National Seed Health System. She also headed one of the most active phytosanitary seed testing programs in the country and served as a chair on committees for both the American Seed Trade Association and the American Phytopathological Society.

Lisa passed away on July 1, 2015.

About the Seed Science Scholarships

This scholarship competition is open to students in any major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State University, and scholarships are awarded on the bases of four criteria:

1. Academic excellence,
2. Leadership skills,
3. Interpersonal skills, and most importantly,
4. Demonstrated interest in a career in the seed industry or seed science.

Selection Committee members include:

Dr. Barb Clawson, Horticulture

Dr. Mark Gleason, Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Dr. Tom Brumm, Ag. & Biosystems Eng.

Dr. Susana Goggi, Agronomy & Seed Science Center, & Committee Chair

left to right: ISU CALS Dean Daniel Robison, Rachel Nordhoff of Boone, and Dr. Tom Brumm, Professor ISU ABE

View more photos on the Iowa Seed Facebook page

Download 2019 ISA Scholarship handout from the event.

RSVP for ISA Cover Crop Workshop

Iowa Seed Association Cover Crop Workshop

Time & Location

Iowa Seed Forum & ISA Annual Meeting

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

PRE-REGISTRATION – $100*
ON-SITE REGISTRATION – $125*

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

2019 Registration Includes:

• Two-Day Admission to the 2019 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference & admission to the trade show floor
• Admission to the All Industry Reception on Tuesday, February 12
• Admission to all free educational sessions Wednesday, February 13
• Pancake breakfast on Wednesday, February 13 – exclusive raffle ticket
• All Industry Luncheon on Wednesday, February 13

The Iowa Seed Association continues their partnership with the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference offering ISA members the opportunity to attend a wider variety of workshops and network with all facets of the ag industry. The ISA Annual Meeting & Seed Forum will be held on Wednesday, February 13, from 9 am to Noon. ISA Annual Meeting & Seed Forum will also host the ISA Scholarship Award Recognition Ceremony and an Amazon Echo Raffle (must be present to win).

Meeting Agenda:

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. 
Morning Plenary Session – Room D
– Keynote Speaker: Iowa Dep. Sec. of Ag Julie Kenney

9:10 – 11:00 AM
Identifying Resources in Conservation Planning
– TBA, Conservation Information Technology Center

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. 
ISA Annual Meeting – Room A
− Jim Webster, ISA President
− Recognition of ISA 2019 Honorary Member
Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative Project Update
− Shannon Moeller, ISA Project Coordinator

11:15 – 11:30 a.m. 
ASTA Update
− John Latham, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, President

11:30 a.m.  – Noon 
Quality Seeds to Feed the World: ISU’s role in serving the seed industry in Iowa and worldwide
− Dr. Manjit Misra, Seed Science Center – ISU, Director

Noon 
– (1) Amazon Echo Raffle

Noon – 1:30 p.m.
All Industry Luncheon on Showcase Floor
-Keynote Speaker: Daniel Robinson, Dean, Iowa State University – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (invited)
ISU Scholarship Recognition
-2018-2019 Iowa Seed Association ISU Scholarships &
– Bill Latham ISU Scholarship recipients recognized

Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative Program Succe...

By: Shannon Moeller, Program Coordinator, Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative
Original story on Wallaces Farmer

PROVIDING PROTECTION: The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative began in 2016, with over 175 seed corn growers participating.

Cover crop use among Iowa’s seed corn growers has escalated in the past few years. This is largely due to a Water Quality Initiative grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The grant provides education and cost-share funds to seed corn growers through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative.

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative is administered by the Iowa Seed Association and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, with support from the Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, IDALS and several seed corn production companies.

Seed corn acres are highly suitable for cover crops. These fields are more vulnerable after harvest than commercial corn acres for a variety of reasons. Removing the tassels from 80% of a field’s plants during the month of July leaves less stalk and leaf residue at harvest. Add to that, every fifth row of seed corn is mowed down in July after detassling. Also, the way seed corn is picked, which includes husks and cobs, leaves very little crop residue on the soil after harvest. These fields are left with little to protect them from wind and rain erosion, and that’s where cover crops can come into play.

Seed growers see covers’ benefits

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative kicked off in summer 2016, with over 175 seed corn growers across more than 25 counties participating. For more than half of these growers, it was their first time using cover crops. With the cost-share provided through the initiative, over 30,000 seed corn production acres were covered after harvest

Partnerships are a factor in the success of this project. In areas of the state with other watershed projects, higher percentages of seed corn growers use cover crops and other conservation practices, such as no-till and strip-till planting.

Seed corn companies including Bayer, Corteva, Mycogen, Gro Alliance, Cornelius Seed, Syngenta, Remington Seeds, AgReliant Genetics and Beck’s Hybrids see the benefits of cover crops and promote this practice with their seed growers. Many of these companies have over 50% cover crop use in their seed corn production fields, compared to 5% to 10% cover crop usage across the state before this program was established.

Use of covers continues to grow

Company promotion has led to a growing interest in cover crops after seed corn production. Even though seed corn production acres in the state were lower this year than in 2016-17, this project has new growers signing up for cover crops.

Also, projections show that at least 35% of the seed corn production acres in Iowa will likely have cover crops in 2018. This does not factor in the growers who may be using cover crops without cost-share, or who are receiving cost-share through other sources and are therefore ineligible for cost-share through this program.

As seed corn growers continue to see the benefits of cover crops to protect the soil over winter, the percentage of those using them will keep growing. For more information, visit sustainableseedcorn.org.

About the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association in conjunction with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn. A grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture under their Clean Water Initiative program provides funding for the project, which began in 2016.

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative focuses on ways to help increase adoption of cover crops specifically within the seed corn production system in Iowa. The focus on seed corn is driven by the unique opportunity that seed corn provides due to the earlier harvest, thereby providing better timing opportunities for establishing cover crops in the late summer and fall after harvest. This focus is also heavily driven by the seed corn industry in Iowa, and their efforts to help promote and support the use of cover crops as part of Iowa’s Nutrient Strategy.

Iowa Seed Corn Growers Eligible for Cost Share Pro...

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association in conjunction with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn. A grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture under their Clean Water Initiative program provides funding for the project, which began in 2016.

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative focuses on ways to help increase adoption of cover crops specifically within the seed corn production system in Iowa. The focus on seed corn is driven by the unique opportunity that seed corn provides due to the earlier harvest, thereby providing better timing opportunities for establishing cover crops in the late summer and fall after harvest. This focus is also heavily driven by the seed corn industry in Iowa, and their efforts to help promote and support the use of cover crops as part of Iowa’s Nutrient Strategy.

Primary Objectives:

• Directly engage seed corn companies to work with their growers on adopting cover crops

• Increase the number of seed corn growers utilizing cover crops

• Develop and deploy new strategic partnerships with agricultural retailers to provide turn-key services for growers to assist them with cover crop implementation

• Develop and distribute educational and informational materials primarily targeted to entry-level audiences to provide more focus on beginning cover crop user needs

• Hold demonstration field days and grower meetings to provide information and advice designed to equip farmers with the resource support needed for successful establishment and management of cover crops

Project Details:

• Funds will be made available exclusively to farmers that grow seed corn

• Cost-Share (C/S) assistance is available to growers for planting cover crops on seed corn acres only.

• Both winter and non-winter hardy cover crops are allowed.

• C/S rate available to growers is $15/acre for winter-hardy and $7.50/acre for non-winter hardy.

• Seed companies and other supporting partners can offer incentives of their own in addition to the C/S from project funds if they desire to do so (e.g. discounts on cover crop seed or seeding services or $/acre incentives from seed companies).

Grower Resources:

https://www.sustainableseedcorn.org/grower-resources

More information:

Visit SustainableSeedCorn.org for cost-share eligibility, resources, tools, and more!

Seed Partner Resources:

Download social media packet here>>

2018 ASC Summer Workshop & Field Day

Did you attend the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference in Feb? If so, you could save $25 on regular admission to the Summer Workshop & Field Day!

Gain additional insights on data use and collection at the Summer Workshop & Field Day on August 1. Experts will join us at Kirkwood Community College to share their experiences with data collection and usage, alternative forage crops, nitrogen management options, and building soil health. A full day of insights you can take to the field. Earn 6 CEUs!

PRINTABLE FLYER 
PRINTABLE REGISTRATION FORM – EMAIL TO AAIAGRIBIZORG
SESSION DETAILS

VIEW EVENT WEBSITE: WWW.AGRIBIZSHOWCASE.COM/CCA

Schedule

8:30 AM – Registration
9:00 -11:55 AM – Field Day Demonstrations
Noon – Lunch at Horticulture Hall
1:00 – 3:55 PM – Afternoon Workshop Sessions

Workshop Field Demonstrations Include:

• Unique Forage Blends and Feed Values
• Precision Planting Technology
• Nitrogen Management Trial Evaluation
• N Application Variances in Well Water
• Spatial Analysis of Farm Data
• Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health

Cost & Registration

2018 AICMC Participant = $50
($25 discount for all attendees who attended the winter conference on Feb 13-14, 2018)

All other Attendees = $75

Location

Registration is in the Horticulture Hall building on the Kirkwood Community College Campus
Address: 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

Field Day Location is at the Iowa Equestrian Center
Address: 801 76th Ave Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

The morning sessions are to be held outside of the Equestrian Center. Lunch and afternoon session are in the Horticulture Hall building. Locations are in close proximity and shuttling will be available between locations.

Parking & Entrance

Participants can either park in the Horticulture Hall lot or the west lot of the Equestrian Center. Use the main entrance to each building.

Cancelations

No refunds will be available after Wednesday, July 25, 2018, after 5:00 PM. If you need to update or cancel your registration please email aaiagribizorg  (aaiagribizorg)   by July 25.

2018 ISA Golf Tournament Results!

Pollinator Health and Stewardship Resources and Ac...

A healthy and vibrant level of biodiversity is essential for agriculture.  Most crops depend on various natural resources to thrive, including some of the following like various pollinators, beneficial insects to mitigate pests, ample water, and a fertile healthy soil structure.  Many industry players are committed to promoting and protecting pollinator health.  The Iowa Seed Association is also committed to helping increase education and awareness amongst its members.  We’ve attempted to capture known pollinator resources, education materials, Iowa pollinator seed suppliers, and habitat initiatives.  We’d ask for your feedback, questions, and input if you know of more resources and activities that we didn’t capture.

Palle Pedersen Named 2018 Honorary Member

During the annual Seed Forum hosted by the Iowa Seed Association (ISA), the ISA board of directors recognized Palle Pedersen as the 2018 ISA Honorary Member. The association annually partners with the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference (ASC) in Des Moines to provide attending members a wider range of learning and networking opportunities.

Palle is responsible for the management of the overall Seedcare product marketing team in the United States. Prior to joining Syngenta in 2010, Palle was an associate professor at Iowa State University where he coordinated and provided state leadership in soybean production and management. Palle has his Ph.D in agronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an International Executive MBA from Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Dana Stubbendeck, 2017 ISA President (left) presents Palle Pedersen (right) with a 2018 ISA Honorary Member Plaque.

The ASC is a two-day conference and trade show that encompasses many facets of the ag industry, including seed. The ISA board encourages the membership to attend the forum each year as it gives a unique learning opportunity that is focused on the seed industry. The 2017 panel of speakers included: Ag Economics – Dr. Alejandro Plastina, ISU; Cover Crops – Bert Strayer, La Crosse Seed; Dicamba Rules & Regulations – Chuck Spencer, Growmark; Iowa Legislative Update – Mike Naig, IDALS; and ASTA Updates – Bill Belzer, DowDuPont.

ISA Scholarship Recipients Recognized

This year, six Iowa Seed Association (ISA) Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded. One of these students, Skyler Brazel, was also selected as our “Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholar,” and he received $500 in addition to the $1,000 ISA scholarship. For the third year, the ISA will also award the $1,000 “Bill Latham” Memorial Scholarship in his honor. Bill was a former president of the Iowa Seed Association, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA), and was a former President of his family company, Latham Seed.  Bill passed away on July 31, 2015.

For the second time, the “Lisa Shepherd Jenkins” Memorial Scholarship has been awarded by the ISU Seed Science Center to an undergraduate student engaged in seed science and seed technology. The $1,000 scholarship honors Shepherd Jenkins who served as Seed Health Testing Coordinator for the Seed Science Center and as Director of the Administrative Unit of the National Seed Health System. Lisa headed one of the most active phytosanitary seed testing programs in the country and served as a chair on committees for both the American Seed Trade Association and the American Phytopathological Society.  Lisa passed away on July 1, 2015.

Pictured above (from left to right): Seed Science Center Director Manjit Misra, Shannon Latham, Agronomy Professor Susana Goggi, Taylor Davis, AnnaMarie Condon, Skyler Brazel, Governor Kim Reynolds, Savannah Jones, Daniel Korhonen, Jack Pieper, and Michael Tupper. (Jennifer Meyer was not present.)