Seed E-News

April 26 , 2010

Welcome to the electronic newsletter of the American Seed Trade Association(ASTA) for members, allies and stakeholders. Please feel free to forward the Seed E-News to others you believe might wish to receive news about the seed industry. Questions, comments and your industry news are welcome — contact Julie Douglas at ASTA. Past issues can be viewed here .

In This Issue • Editor's Notes • ASTA News • FuSE • Other News

ASTA News

ASTA welcomes Cindy Hinton as the new membership director

The American Seed Trade Association is pleased to announce the hiring of Cindy Hinton, director of membership services.

Hinton will focus on developing and implementing the Association's membership recruitment and retention plan.

"Cindy brings more than 15 years of experience to the American Seed Trade Association with extensive knowledge in sales, marketing and customer service," said Andy LaVigne, ASTA president and CEO. "She is recognized as an effective team player with a proven track record in delivering bottom-line results, improving customer satisfaction and developing strong customer relationships. We are excited to have her on board and know that our members will directly benefit from her experience."

Hinton began her responsibilities with ASTA April 5. Prior to joining ASTA, Hinton served as the associate director of membership for the Security Industry Association where she was responsible for every aspect of member services from new member recruitment and orientation to yearly renewals and the member information on the Web site.

"It's important for ASTA members to have a solid understanding of member benefits, programs, products and services," Hinton said. "In the first couple months, I will focus on reaching out to members, looking at new member prospects from a variety of sources, membership renewals and developing a recruitment and retention plan."

Hinton grew up in New York and graduated from the State University of New York with a degree in business management. She and her husband Wayne reside in Old Town, Alexandria, Va., with their two dogs, Mocha and Latte.

For questions and additional information about membership services, please contact Hinton at 703-837-8140 or chinton@amseed.org.

ASTA representatives explore the potential for seed learning centers in India

The American Seed Trade Association sent three representatives to India April 4-10 to help develop partnerships and learn about potential opportunities for grower outreach and education regarding the use of quality seed and methods to maximize yields.

Andy LaVigne, president and CEO; Bernice Slutsky, vice president of international affairs; and Lisa Nichols, director of international affairs,  held meetings with individuals to generate support for the learning centers in several different areas of India including Mumbai, Mahyco, Pune, Delhi and New Delhi.

"We are early in the planning stages of developing a Seed Learning Center," LaVigne and Slutsky explained. The goal this year is to identify partners, specific stakeholder groups and the appropriate regions and their respective crops. Also in development are educational materials, an operating plan and the physical elements of the centers.

These centers will be a physical location where stakeholders and farmers can learn about different seed practices, new varieties available, good agronomic practices and many other related topics. The centers will feature demonstration plots, which will showcase the benefits of using quality seed and a variety of agronomic practices.

"We are looking for partners who can provide expertise and knowledge of the Indian seed industry, growers' needs, regional requirements and effective methods to reach and communicate with growers in the area," LaVigne said.

The ASTA team feels the trip was a success and they obtained the support of parties they met with regarding the Seed Learning Centers. They noted there was specific interest in Plant Variety Protection 101 workshops and seed quality management training. The team will continue their work with plans to have the first learning center operational by 2012.

Dunkle happy with IPPC's acknowledgement for seed specific trade standards

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) recently determined that the need to adopt a standard, specific to seed, for international trade is important and officially adopted it to their work program with a priority ranking of "high."

"This is huge in terms of improving the requirements for global seed movements," said Ric Dunkle, American Seed Trade Association senior director of seed health and trade. "There is a lot of work to be done on the issue and getting several countries to agree upon a set of terms is a very challenging task to undertake, but one that will prove worthwhile for the seed industry."

Dunkle, who made a presentation to IPPC delegates on behalf of the International Seed Federation Delegation during a special side event at the meeting, is excited for what this means to the industry.

"This is the first step towards having standards that address phytosanitary issues specifically for seeds," Dunkle said. "This will provide consistency and predictability for seed companies on a global level. Ideally we hope the standard will have a section that provides general guidance on how to interpret and apply existing IPPC standards to seeds, along with harmonized phytosanitary import requirements, seed testing methods and other important information."

Dunkle explained that currently each country sets its own import requirements for seed and each can do anything it wants, as long as it's science based.

"Seed companies today spend a great deal of time and energy just trying to keep up and comply with different import requirements," Dunkle said.

Seed, as a business practice, is re-exported all the time, he explained. It is not uncommon for seed to go through five or six different countries before it reaches its final destination. Every time seed is shipped to a different country, it must meet the phytosanitary import requirements of that country.

For example, Dunkle said recently a seed company that was trying to send artichoke seed to Ecuador learned that Ecuador is now requiring seed be certified free from seven additional diseases, none of which is associated with artichoke seed. Although seed tests and phytosanitary field inspection protocols for these pathogens exist for their true hosts, they have not been adapted or applied to artichoke.

These new requirements seem to come out of the woodwork without any rational technical justification, Dunkle noted.

ASTA and ISF worked together last fall to campaign for the creation of an IPPC standard that addresses the major needs of the seed industry. Now that the IPPC has officially adopted the development of such a standard into its work program, the seed industry has hope for improved efficiencies with the movement of seed and a more predictable and safe trading environment.

International work proceeds very slowly, Dunkle said. Even if everything stays on schedule, it will take at least three years to complete, he explained.

Moving forward, the IPPC's Standards Committee will develop the specifications for the standard and appoint an expert working group, to begin this year.

For questions and more information about the work being done with the IPPC and the importance of this issue, contact Dunkle at 703-837-8140, rdunkle@amseed.org.

ASTA business meeting to be held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Seed industry representatives with an interest in environmental and conservation seed or lawn seed are encouraged to attend a field trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center June 29 in San Antonio, Texas.

The field trip is held in conjunction with the American Seed Trade Association's Annual Convention, June 26-July 1.

The center, founded in 1982 and formerly known as the Wildflower Research Center, is designed to:

• Introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants
• Preserve and restore the beauty and biological richness of North America
• Apply knowledge of ecological processes to restore damaged landscapes
• Teach visitors about their natural surrounding and how to grow native plants in their own back yards

In 2006, the center became an organized research unit of the University of Texas at Austin.

Participants will have lunch, take a self-guided tour of the main garden and listen to presentations on roadside vegetation and native turf grass research. They also will tour a turf grass research plot and hold a business meeting before departing the center.

There is no fee to participate in the fieldtrip.

Attendees will receive an update from the annual ASTA/U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Seed Workshop, review activities and efforts regarding the National Plant Materials Centers and ASTA's efforts to bridge programs and promote collaboration and communication between various agencies and departments at the federal and state levels.

For questions, more information and to register, contact Leslie Cahill, ASTA vice president of government affairs, at 703-837-8140 or lcahill@amseed.org. Registration is limited and will be available on a first-come first-serve basis.

For more information about the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, visit http://www.wildflower.org/.

Miller provides state highlights from legislative sessions

Most state legislatures are beginning to wrap up business for this term, and almost all have met their deadlines for new bill filings.

Pat Miller, American Seed Trade Association director of state affairs, closely monitored activities that could potentially impact the seed industry.

"Budget issues were the predominant focus, but not necessarily all-encompassing," Miller said. "Sales tax structure reviews were common, but seed for agricultural use has remained exempt."

Indiana passed a bill increasing seed fees, along with a substantive re-write of the seed law; that bill was supported by the state seed association.

The Idaho legislature, with the endorsement of the state seed association, passed a bill that establishes bonding requirements for seed processors.

The common thread throughout many legislatures this session were bills requiring either bans on labeling of genetically modified seeds and organisms.

ASTA provided testimony and supporting documentation against these efforts in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Missouri and West Virginia. Similar bills were filed in other states but failed to gain momentum.

New Mexico filed a "Farmer Protection Act," which would have placed very onerous restrictions on production of GMO products in the state. The bill, pushed by Governor Richardson, took a lot of ASTA membership involvement, along with industry friends before it eventually died in the Conservation Committee.

One thing that all of these efforts have in common, Miller explained, is that each one took a grassroots effort for their ultimate destination. "Member support and participation is instrumental to our successes," Miller said. "We could not do it alone."

Annual ASTA Management Academy rich with learning and networking

More than 50 seed industry professionals from 15 states, Mexico, and Austria challenged themselves to think strategically and expand their knowledge base at the 23rd annual ASTA Management Academy, held March 2-5 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Calling the program a "great conference" and a "very good use of his time," one participant said, "I learned a tremendous amount and look forward to using the information in my daily activities."

Participants explored key topics, such as marketing, business strategy, profitability management, and organizational leadership. Purdue agribusiness faculty and industry experts, including Jerry Monk, president of Warner Seeds in Hereford, Texas, and American Seed Trade Association board chairman, used real-world knowledge to:

• Discuss the changing agribusiness environment and implications for seed companies in the future.
• Explore fundamental marketing strategies, as well as methods of segmenting and targeting markets.
• Examine the ways an organization makes decisions and takes action to ensure long-term success.
• Evaluate strategies for creating and leveraging an organization's competitive advantage.
• Identify and apply financial management tools that examine the profitability of a company and increase understanding of how to make a positive impact.
• Understand conflict management and the characteristics of leadership that work for relationships up, down and across the organization.

For more information on the academy or to register for the March 2011 offering, visit www.agecon.purdue.edu/cab or contact Aissa Good at aissa@purdue.edu.

ASTA International Executive Committee met to better position its efforts

The American Seed Trade Association's International Executive Committee convened April 12-13 to discuss and better position ASTA's Unified Export Strategy.

The Unified Export Strategy is ASTA's written document that is submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for cooperator funding from the international Foreign Market Development Market (FMD), Market Access Program (MAP), Emerging Market Program (EMP) and Technical Assistance for Specialty Crop (TASC) programs.

During the meeting, the team outlined two goals for ASTA to improve and expand the UES. They are to create a verifiable and prioritized system to track programs and to bring ASTA staff closer to the needs and impact of international businesses.

Topics discussed include:

• A globalized focus for program activities
• Increased methods of reporting in-kind industry contributions of international seed business
• Better means of communication with USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service and members and other global markets
• Clear definition of program goals with measurable results
• Identifying key needs of the U.S. seed trade industry
• Creating goals to meet the key needs of the industry
• Identifying priority focus countries affected by industry needs

During the meeting, Lisa Nichols, ASTA director of international programs, also reported on countries ASTA is currently doing work in including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, China and India.

Future Seed Executive (FuSE)

Meet FuSE vice chairman:  Peter Bratney

Peter Bratney, of Des Moines, Iowa's based Bratney Companies, serves as the vice chairman for the American Seed Trade Association's Future Seed Executive (FuSE) program.

While growing up watching his family's involvement in the seed industry, Bratney always knew he wanted to be a part of it, but he also wanted to bring a different skill set to the table.

After completing a business management degree at Boston College in 2003, he went on to law school at the University of Iowa College of Law. Now he is the third generation at Bratney Companies, a technology and engineering leader for material handling needs of the seed, grain and food industries. Founded in 1964, the family owned business provides planning, design, construction and equipment solutions to seed, feed, grain, milling, food and bulk handling facilities around the globe.

"Seed is something people are always going to need," Bratney explained. "It's an industry that has been very good to my family and our company and we are proud to be a part of it."

For Bratney, every day on the job is a little different. "One day I might be on a construction site and the next day I may be meeting with a vendor, or helping prepare a contract or quote for a customer," he said.

As the director of contracts, Bratney sees himself as a company liaison for customers, vendors and employees. "My job is to learn as much as possible about our customers and what we do for them, and identify how we can make our company and its services even better," he said.

When looking to the future, Bratney believes the seed industry will continue to gain prominence in the coming years. "The seed industry plays a critical role in addressing the needs of a growing world population," Bratney said. "There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the seed industry.

"As a leader in the FuSE group, I hope to bring in more young talent, and help facilitate relationship-building and camaraderie in the next generation of seed industry leaders."

FuSE provides an opportunity for those new to the industry to get to know people, others new to the industry and veterans, too. "There is tremendous opportunity for young energetic people to make their mark in the world of seed," Bratney said.

In addition to his work responsibilities, Bratney is a new father. He and his wife Stephanie recently welcomed the addition of Anna Lucy to their home nine weeks ago. Between work and taking care of his new daughter, Bratney likes to watch foreign and independent movies, read, travel and hunt. He recently tried turkey hunting for the first time.

For questions and more information about how to get involved with the FuSE program, contact Anna Burks at 703-837-8140, aburks@amseed.org or visit the Web site at http://www.amseed.com/mtg_fuse_welcome.asp.

Other News

Mark the calendar for national food, agriculture and biofuels conference

Faegre & Benson will host a one-day conference, "Agricultural Production to Food Consumption: Meeting the Challenges for Sustainable Success," July 28 in Minneapolis, Minn.

In-house counsel, industry leaders and corporate executives will share industry insights on managing business risks and building business for the future. The conference will offer a variety of sessions covering key legal and business issues affecting the food, agriculture and biofuels industries.

Participants can choose to attend sessions pertaining to food production and safety, production agriculture and the environment, brand sustainability and intellectual property, and doing business in the world market.

A few of the sessions include:

•  "Food Safety in 2010:  Is this the Decade of Change?" "
• From Animal Waste to Pesticide Movement:  A New Wave of 'Contamination,' Litigation and Environmental Regulation"
•  "Protecting Your Turf:  IP Strategies for the Green Economy"
•  "Counterparty Risk Management:  Best Practices in Today's Marketplace"

Conference sponsors include Agricultural Retailers Association, CropLife America, International Foodservices Manufacturers Association, National Pork Checkoff, Center for Integrative Leadership at the University of Minnesota, Feedstuffs, the Consulate General of Mexico, Consulate General of Canada and International Dairy Foods Association.

More information about the conference is available at http://www.faegre.com/showevent.aspx?Show=11143. For questions and additional information, contact Elizabeth Bolt, business development and marketing specialist at Faegre & Benson, at 612-766-7850 or ebolt@faegre.com.

Congratulations to Tim Johnson

Article provided by ICIA Seed News

Tim Johnson, Illinois Foundation Seeds was honored with Indiana Crop Improvement Association's Crops and Soils Merit Award.

Johnson exemplifies the core essence of the award with his involvement and leadership in the seed industry at the state, national and international levels. He was born and raised in Geneseo, Ill., a major factor leading him into the seed business where his career spans more than 30 years.

One of his first jobs was in research at AgriPro Seeds (formerly Ferry Morse) hand harvesting yield trials. When he was replaced by the combine, he moved to the distribution side of the business as a warehouse manager for four years, then took a position on the production side of the business at AgriPro and managed the Geneseo facility for six years.

Johnson's next move with AgriPro was to Kansas City, Mo., to become product and business manager for corn and soybeans. He remained in Kansas City until he accepted a position with Seed Genetics as vice president of marketing, moving to Indiana in 1993. Johnson moved up through SGI as executive vice president, then president, and currently is president of Illinois Foundation Seeds-SGI Field Crops Division. His experience serves him well in this position as he is responsible for five research sites and all production and sales of dent corn.

Johnson has devoted much time and energy to industry organizations. He is currently 2^nd vice president, chairman of the Breeder Committee, and member of the Executive Board for the International Seed Federation. He is a past central regional vice president and past chairman of the Corn & Sorghum Division, and active on various committees and Ad Hoc committees for the American Seed Trade Association. He has served on the Board of Directors for the American Seed Research Foundation, on the business development committee for the Independent Professional Seedsmen Association, and he is active on the Legislation and Convention committees for the Iowa Seed Association. He also is a past board of director/delegate for the U.S. Grains Council.

Johnson has been active with ICIA, having served on, and chaired, various committees through the years including the Nominating Committee, Awards Committee, Annual Conference Planning Committee and Intellectual Property Rights Committee. He served on the ICIA Board, on the Executive Committee, and was President of the Association in 1998. Johnson was on the ICIA Board and Executive Committee when the new offices and lab facilities were built in 1998-99. He was instrumental in helping the project move forward. He helped ICIA develop many significant policies while he was involved as a director and officer, as well as helped with strategic and long range planning to help keep ICIA on the cutting edge with services and programs.

When Johnson is not traveling for IFSI or for seed associations, he is a devoted husband, father and church and community member. He has been married for 26 years to Betty who has supported him in many functions in the seed industry. The Johnsons have two children, Kate who is junior at Ball State University and Blake who is a junior at West Lafayette High School.

Johnson is a leader in the U.S. and international seed industries and it is fitting he received ICIA's highest recognition.

ASTA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact ASTA at (703) 837-8140.