nav-left cat-right
cat-right

2024 Iowa Seed Association Annual Golf Tournament ...

Thursday, June 20, 2024

$90 per golfer | $20 for education & lunch only

Click the link below to register online:


10:00 AM | Education Session

    • Ag Economy & Crop Demand
      Chad Hart – Iowa State University Professor of Economics

    • Batch & Build Program & Central Iowa Cover Crop Partnership
      Will Hoffman – Heartland Co-op Conservation Agronomist

11:00 AM | Lunch & Check In for Golf

Noon | Golf Shotgun Start


LOCATION

Veenker Memorial Golf Course | Ames, Iowa

All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Thursday, June 13, 2024.
NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Thursay, June 13, 2024.

To pay with credit card please use the following link:

https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2024seedgolf

Corn Cover Crop Initiative 2023 Results and Collab...

Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative Releases 2023 Results, Provides Update On Collaboration with Heartland Co-op’s Conservation Drainage Program

Contact:  Erica Lydolph, Project Coordinator, 641-799-8638, covercropsatagribizdotorg  (covercropsatagribizdotorg)  

DES MOINES – In 2023, nearly $464,000 in financial assistance was provided to farmers through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative for cost share associated with cover crop conservation practices through the Water Quality Initiative (WQI). The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn. “Cover crop utilization in a seed corn production system offers a unique opportunity for earlier establishment to further increase soil conservation efforts and protect water quality,” said Iowa Seed Association’s Board of Directors President Jeff Steinback. In 2023, 137 growers received finance assistance, covering over 32,000 acres, saving almost 97,000 tons of soil, and spending an estimated $1.15 million of their own money to implement cover crops.

Partnerships with eight seed companies, representing the majority of seed corn production in Iowa, provide cost share, technical assistance, outreach, and education dedicated to seed corn growers. Funding incentives available to seed corn growers are $15 per acre for winter-hardy and $10 per acre for winterkill cover crops. An additional $5 per acre incentive is available for first-time cover crop users. Financial assistance provided by the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is stackable with private funds, such as the Practical Farmers of Iowa.

In 2023, the Iowa Seed Association collaborated with Heartland Co-op for dedicated outreach and technical assistance for edge-of-field water quality practices that were not invasive to field operations. The Iowa Seed Association’s $10,000 contribution, along with additional contributions from Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance, BASF, Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council, and Syngenta, supported forty saturated buffers and sixteen bioreactors to be released for bidding this spring in the Big Creek and Lower Cedar River watersheds. According to William Hoffman, a Conservation Agronomist for Heartland Co-op, these structures will drain a total of 3,486 acres and remove an average of 41,831 pounds of nitrogen annually. Identification of potential sites was completed by Hoffman and other Conservation Agronomists from Heartland Co-op, who reached out to landowners and surveyed sites for engineering. By connecting growers with technical and cost share information on these practices, increased knowledge and awareness of these practices can further understanding of conservation practices and facilitate accelerated implementation.

The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative helps 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 early fall after harvest. Cost share applications for planting cover crops on seed corn acres this coming fall are currently being accepted. Visit www.sustainableseedcorn.org for more information.

###

A printable version of this press release can be found here:
Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative Results and Collaboration

2024 Iowa Seed Association Annual Meeting & S...

February 13, 2024 | The Meadows Event and Conference Center, Altoona, Iowa

The Iowa Seed Annual Meeting and Seed Forum are held in conjunction with the 2024 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference hosted by the Agribusiness Association of Iowa. As a registered attendee at the Showcase, you receive access to everything during the two days of the event, including the Seed Forum.

Registration and information site for the Showcase & Conference – Click Here

2023 Iowa Seed Association Annual Golf Tournament ...

Wednesday, June 22, 2023

$90 per golfer | $15 for education & lunch only

Click the link below to register online:


10:00 AM | Education Session

    • Chad Hart – Professor of Economics, Iowa State University
    • Erica Lydolph – Project Coordinator, Seed Corn Cover Crops Initiative

11:00 AM | Lunch & Check In for Golf

Noon | Golf Shotgun Start


LOCATION

Veenker Memorial Golf Course | Ames, Iowa

All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Wednesday, June 15, 2023 .
NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Wednesday, June 15, 2023.

To pay with credit card please use the following link:

https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2023seedgolf

Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative 2022 Results ...

Contact:  Erica Lydolph, Project Coordinator, 641-799-8638, covercropsatagribizdotorg  (covercropsatagribizdotorg)  

DES MOINES – In 2022, over $589,000 in financial assistance was provided to farmers and landowners through the Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative for cost share associated with cover crop conservation practices through the Water Quality Initiative (WQI).  The Iowa Seed Corn Cover Crop Initiative is a project developed by the Iowa Seed Association in partnership with the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, and Iowa Corn.  Seed corn growers continue to show increased interest in the adoption of cover crops on acres used for seed corn production.  Nearly 200 seed corn growers signed up for funding in 2022, covering over 41,000 acres, saving almost 125,000 tons of soil, and spending an estimated $1.6 million of their own money to implement cover crops. 

Partnerships with eight seed companies, representing the vast majority of seed corn production in Iowa, provide cost share, technical assistance, outreach, and education dedicated to seed corn growers.  Funding incentives available to seed corn growers are $15 per acre for winter-hardy and $10 per acre for winter-kill cover crops.  An additional $5 per acre incentive is available for first-time cover crop users.  In 2022, sixteen new users established cover crops through the Initiative. Applications are being accepted at www.sustainableseedcorn.org for planting cover crops this fall.

For 2023, the Iowa Seed Association approved a new collaboration with Heartland Cooperative for dedicated outreach and technical assistance for edge-of-field water quality practices that are permanent and not invasive to field operations.  By connecting seed corn growers with technical and cost share information on these practices, increased knowledge of these practices can facilitate accelerated implementation.    

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. Cost share applications for planting cover crops on seed corn acres this coming fall are being accepted. Visit www.sustainableseedcorn.org for more information.

2023 Iowa Seed Association Annual Meeting & S...

February 15, 2023 | Varied Industries Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds

2023 Forum Agenda

9:00
Iowa Seed Association Annual Meeting

  • Adam Anderson, Outgoing ISA President
  • Recognition of ISA 2023 Honorary Member Award
  • Brooke Achenbach, Incoming ISA President

9:20
Drought Conditions and the Iowa Drought Plan

  • Tim Hall, Hydrology Resources Coordinator, Iowa DNR

10:00
American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Update

  • Kendall Palmer, ASTA Board of Director

10:20     Break

10:30
ISA Partnership – Conservation Opportunities for Ag Retailers

  • Ruth McCabe, Senior Conservation Agronomist, Heartland Co-op

10:50
Supply Chain Challenges

  • Scott Grawe, Iowa State University

11:30
Lunch | Iowa Seed Association Scholarship Presentation

The Iowa Seed Annual Meeting and Seed Forum are held in conjunction with the 2023 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference hosted by the Agribusiness Association of Iowa. To view the main event’s webpage and to register for the Seed Forum – Click Here

2022 Iowa Seed Association Annual Golf Tournament ...

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

$90 per golfer | $15 for education & lunch only

Click the link below to register online:


Thank you to our Beverage Cart Sponsor!


10:00 AM | Seed Science Update

 

11:00 AM | Lunch & Check In for Golf

 

Noon | Golf Shotgun Start


LOCATION

Veenker Memorial Golf Course | Ames, Iowa

All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Wednesday, June 15, 2022 .
NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

To pay with credit card please use the following link:

https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2022seedgolf

2021 Iowa Seed Association Annual Golf Tournament ...

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

$90 per golfer | $15 for education & lunch only

Click the link below to register online:


Thank you to our Beverage Cart Sponsor!


10:00 AM | Seed Science Update

 

11:00 AM | Lunch & Check In for Golf

 

Noon | Golf Shotgun Start


LOCATION

Veenker Memorial Golf Course | Ames, Iowa

All registrations must be confirmed and paid by Tuesday, July 27 , 2021 .
NO cancellations will be accepted and NO refunds will be given after Tuesday, July 27 , 2021 .

To pay with credit card please use the following link:

https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2021seedgolf

Looking for a paper form?

Click here for a PDF

Iowa Workforce Development and Iowa Department of ...

The state of Iowa has provided guidance for keeping field workers safe during the 2020 growing season in response to challenges posed by COVID-19.

Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Public Health have released theirCOVID-19 Guidance for Agriculture Employers, Farm Labor Contractors, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, and Migrant Labor Camp Operators to help keep workers, and all Iowans, safe. Included in the document is guidance for transportation of workers, housing and sleeping units, eating areas, restrooms/bathrooms, and tools used in the field. Information also is provided for handling situations where workers are showing COVID-19 symptoms and when a worker is diagnosed with the virus.

Many of the guidelines involve additional physical separation through spacing or barriers as well as additional cleaning protocols. The full document can be found here. The Iowa Seed Association encourages members to use the information provided to help maintain a healthy and productive growing season.

If you have additional questions or concerns, contact Joan O’Brien who can assist with connecting you to the proper resource to answer your question – joanoatagribizdotorg or 515-975-7461 (cell).


COVID-19 Guidance for Agriculture Employers, Farm Labor Contractors, Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, and Migrant Labor Camp Operators

Farming is an essential business operation and activity, often supported by the use of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. COVID-19 can spread rapidly in settings with many people living in close proximity, including living facilities for migrant farmworkers. Agriculture employers and farm labor contractors who provide housing for migrant workers should implement plans to prevent exposure to the virus that causes COVID- 19, care for individuals with COVID-19 and prevent community transmission of the disease. Commitment to strong sanitary protocols will decrease operational impacts.

Individuals above the age of 65 and people with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, and chronic heart disease, or a compromised immune system (e.g., cancer, cancer treatment, or other immunosuppressant treatments) have a greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This could include agricultural workers with lung problems associated with exposure to common hazards and irritants such as smoke, pesticides, and fungi found in crops. The following recommendations from Iowa Workforce Development and the Iowa Department of Public Health are intended to prevent exposure to COVID-19, where possible, and protect the public health of the state.

The key components of a prevention plan for migrant farmworkers include:

  1. Minimizing the risk for exposure to the virus,
  2. Early detection of individuals with symptoms of COVID-19, and
  3. Caring for individuals with COVID-19 while ensuring that they do not give the infection to anyone else.

PLAN AND BE PREPARED

Download the full document to read more.


FARMWORKER COVID-19 SAFE WORK PRACTICES AND INFECTION PREVENTION

Additionally, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has provided some additional resources to communicate with field workers.

Below is an informational document that can be shared with field workers written in both English and Spanish.

https://www.betterseed.org/wp-content/uploads/AgSafe-Agricultural-Worker-Safe-Work-Practices_English-and-Spanish.pdf

As you prepare your own field operations, ASTA has a checklist for keeping workers safe which can be used in conjunction with the state of Iowa guidance:

https://www.betterseed.org/wp-content/uploads/AgSafe-COVID-19-Checklist-for-Agricultural-Operations_ENG.pdf

Pesticide Applicator Self-Service Site Now Availab...

Pesticide applicators and licensed businesses have a new way to apply for their certification, pay fees, and check on their status. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) has launched a self-service portal for pesticide applicators meant to streamline the certification process.

First-time users will need to register to use the online site. Once registered, users can check on their status, pay fees, and retrieve certification numbers. The site also works for licensed businesses and private applicators.

Additionally, for new applicators who will be working for a licensed business under the supervision of a certified applicator and need to take the private applicator test as the workaround during the COVID-19 pandemic, registration, and payment of fees can be done directly from the portal. A successfully completed test immediately provides a certified applicator number.

  • First-time users can register here – click here
  • Instructions on First Time User registration instructions – click here
  • Pesticide Applicator Self-Service site (login page for those already registered) – click here

The self-service portal uses each pesticide applicator’s unique certification number to match their application and payment to their training and testing history.

To apply for a new or renew an existing pesticide applicator license, individuals will use their certification number to log-in to the self-service portal. The licensee can submit their application, test results, and payment online.

Once in-person testing resumes, proctored test locations will use each applicator’s unique certification number when uploading the test results to the self-service portal. The portal will link the user’s training and testing information to the application and payment records stored in the online system.

Once the application, payment, training, and testing information are received, the licenses and certifications will be processed and sent directly to the applicant.

By moving the process online, individual pesticide applicators can access their records anytime by logging into the self-service portal. The system also has a public search function that empowers customers and employers to verify that their pesticide applicators are licensed to work in the state of Iowa.

Questions about the self-service site can be directed to the Pesticide Bureau via email pesticidesatiowaagriculturedotgov  (pesticidesatiowaagriculturedotgov)  .