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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

Cover crop usage continued to increase in 2017, covering more than 25% of the seed corn production acres in Iowa after harvest (compared to 2% to 3% of Iowa’s total farmed acres having cover crops).

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 AAIatAGRIBIZdotORG
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 aaiatagribizdotorg  (aaiatagribizdotorg)   by July 25.

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.)

 

Setting up for Success with Cover Crops – Tw...

Setting up for Success with Cover

Crops Workshops

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative will be hosting two educational, air-conditioned meetings on August 21, 2017. “Setting up for Success with Cover Crops” will be an informative, peer-sharing event, with time set aside for an open discussion revolving around cover crops, soil health, & conservation. Both events are free and include a complimentary meal.

Steve Berger from Wellman, IA will share his experience with long-term cover crops, and Michael Vittetoe from Washington, IA will talk about some interseeding he’s been doing. Also sharing their expertise will be Rebecca Vittetoe & Virgil Schmitt, Regional Agronomists with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, Mitchell Hora with Continuum Ag, Trent Stout with Stout Seed, and other local businesses that provide cover crop & soil health services.

We Recommend you RSVP to these events, please contact ISA with number of participants:
Shannon Moeller: 641/861-2280, shannondotmoeller16atgmaildotcom  (shannondotmoeller16atgmaildotcom)  

Location #1 :

St. Mary’s Parish Hall

209 Mulberry St, Tipton, IA 52772

Time:

9:00 am-1:00 pm

Location #2 :

Briggs Civic Center
317 N Water St, Wapello, IA 52653

Time:

5:00-8:00 pm

CLICK TO VIEW MORE DETAILS BELOW!

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative-developed by the Iowa Seed Association and Agribusiness Association of Iowa- is funded by a 3-year Water Quality Initiative (WQI) grant through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). This project offers cost-share to seed corn growers and educational efforts specifically to increase the adoption of cover crops on seed corn production acres in Iowa. In the first year (2016), 175 seed corn growers in 24 counties participated, covering about 32,000 acres.

ISA Recognizes Honorary Member at Seed Forum

Tom Tusha (Left), Mycogen Seeds, 2017 ISA President, presents the 2017 ISA Honorary Member plaque to Rick Burseh (Right), Region Manager at Wyffels Hybrids, Inc.

During the annual Seed Forum hosted by the Iowa Seed Association (ISA), the ISA board of directors recognized Rick Buresh as the 2017 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. 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: GMO Answers by Ruth MacDonald, ISU; Iowa Legislative Update by Dave Tierney, Monsanto; ASTA Update by John Latham, Latham Hi-tech Seeds; Pollinator Health by Palle Pedersen, Syngenta; it also included topics presented on the WQI Cover Crop Grant and Noxious Weeds.

2017 Seed Forum & Annual Meeting

The Iowa Seed Association Annual Meeting and Seed Forum will be held at the Varied Industries Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA on Wednesday, February 15 from 9 am to Noon. 

Partnering with the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference will allow ISA to once again expand the education and networking opportunities available at our Seed Forum and Annual Meeting.

The Agribusiness Showcase & Conference is about giving agribusiness professionals the opportunity to explore the innovative tools they need to grow their business, now and into the future. More than 1,000 ag professionals attended the 2017 Conference and its the nation’s largest indoor field-day was held which filled the Varied Industries Building. Through ISA’s partnership with the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference, ISA members will have the opportunity to attend a wider variety of workshops and network with all facets of the ag industry.

The Seed Forum workshops are dedicated solely to information pertinent to the seed industry.  Please pre-register before Jan 17, 2017 for a discounted price $75.  After the 17th it will be $100. Registration includes educational materials, 2 Day Admission to the Showcase Floor, admission to the All Industry Reception on Tuesday, and lunch on Wednesday.