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May 6 , 2009
Advocacy Matters "Advocacy Matters" was the theme for the first ASTA seed industry fly-in to the nation's capital. The fly-in was produced in partnership with the state and regional seed trade associations, on April 28-29, in Washington, D.C. By all accounts, the event was a success. Representing 16 states, the 26 participants held 60 meetings with congressional leaders to help raise the profile of the seed industry and discuss priority seed issues. The access on Capitol Hill demonstrated that both ASTA and the seed industry are held in high regard. The valuable exchanges during the visits brought better understanding of the role of seed in individual states and congressional districts. During the individual visits, the attendees made a special point to invite congressional members and their staff to visit field locations and offices to observe the seed industry first-hand. The face-to-face meetings served as a foundation, from which point, going forward, the focus for ASTA and the fly-in participants will be to enhance the relationships established from the visits.
Seed industry representatives participated in a preparatory program for their Capital Hill visits which included presentations by ASTA staff on protocol for the appointments, a state-of-the-state policy update by Tyson Redpath, Lesher & Russell, Inc., and a visit by Michael Gruber from the office of Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) to outline the current considerations in congress. To wrap-up the two-day fly-in, all of the participants met to present their impressions of their congressional visits. "This event has heightened my awareness to continue building these relationships. Without ASTA acting as a catalyst, I doubt I would have ever taken on the task as an individual constituent. Many thanks and count me in next time!" - Lou Buice, Golden Acres Genetics, Waco, Texas. "Great day. We were thrilled with the outcome." -Tye Curtis, Curtis & Curtis, Clovis, N.M. "We had a positive story to tell and it was well received." - Bryan Gerard, JGL Inc., Greencastle, Ind. "We sit around sometimes and feel that we don't have any input into the efforts of our leaders in Washington, D.C. Today, we found out that is not true." - Scott Beck, Beck's Superior Hybrids, Atlanta, Ind. "Loved it - the congressmen and their staffers were very receptive and wanted to know more about our industry." - Carrie Bohrer, Atlantic Seed Trade Association, Gaithersburg, Md. "I had excellent visits with my senators and representative and found they were very interested in meeting with us." - Art Graves, Mycogen Seeds, Richfield Springs, N.Y. "I am very impressed with the reception we received - I found out that if you have something to say, they listen." - Greg Hamner, Clemmons & Hamner Seed, Inc., Killen, Ala. "The best thing that came out of this - we now expect a visit from our congressman when they visit their district." - Dennis Hays, Oregon Seed Trade Association & Pacific Seed Trade Association, Beaverton, Ore. "It was quite a pleasure to carry the voice of the seed industry to Washington, D.C." - Michael Hensgens, G&H Seed Company, Crowley, La. "This was a really great trip. I felt like we were able to communicate our seed issues - and they listened." - Larry Richardson, Richardson Seeds, Ltd., Vega, Texas. "It was exciting to see those at their first visits get enthused about the process." - Richard Taylor, Southern Seed Association & Mississippi Seed Association, Leland, Miss. ASTA extends a special thanks to all who participated and assisted with the event, including the sponsors: Atlantic Seed Association, Syngenta Seeds Inc., Monsanto Company, Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. ASTA Delivers Public Comments at the National Organic Standards Board Meeting The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) held their spring meeting in Washington, D.C., from May 4-6. ASTA recently became aware that NOSB was seeking public comment on amending regulations regarding the evaluation of List 4 Inerts in Pesticide Formulations. The National Organic Program (NOP) currently refers to this list previously classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that products approved for use meet health-based safety standards. The EPA notified NOP that the Inerts List 4 is no longer in effect. The NOP regulations must be amended to incorporate the modifications made by the EPA. The list of possible solutions to revising the regulation language was submitted for public comment, which included an option to eliminate blanket inerts lists and adopt a policy of requiring inerts in pesticides to be petitioned individually. A final NOSB recommendation could be decided upon at this meeting which would then be relayed to the EPA for consideration. Therefore, ASTA Organic Committee members prepared public comments on this issue, delivered by Andy LaVigne, ASTA's president and CEO on May 4. ASTA's recommendation to the NOSB was to adopt the proposed second solution option outlined in the NOSB November 2008 Discussion Document which is to "adopt the original 2004 List 4A Inerts as an itemized list, with ongoing re-assessment through the sunset process." This solution will allow the seed industry to respond and provide feedback that is vital as the organic seed industry evolves and matures. For additional information, please contact Lisa Nichols. Alfalfa Seed Implicated in the Latest Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Alfalfa Sprouts According to the FDA, the investigation indicates that the problem may be linked to contamination of seeds used to produce alfalfa sprouts. FDA and CDC have issued this general advisory because suspect lots of seeds may have been sold around the country and may account for a large proportion of the alfalfa seeds currently being used by sprout growers, and cases of illness are spread across multiple states. In their April 26, 2009, statement, FDA indicated that the scope of the outbreak suggests the possibility that growers may have failed to comply with the FDA 1999 Guidance Statement, which recommends that seeds be disinfected before the start of sprouting. Specifically, FDA recommends that seed be treated with 20,000 PPM calcium hypochlorite solution with agitation for 15 minutes, regularly testing the water of every batch for Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. The agency reminded sprout growers "to be vigilant in their food safety practices." For anyone who provides or sells seeds to sprouting operations, FDA has established guidelines for the production of sprouts. These guidelines provide specific guidance for seed producers, conditioners and distributors. The complete1999 FDA Sprout Guidance Document can be found here. The ASTA Statement on Field and Greenhouse Planted Seeds and Human Pathogens purposely does not include seeds for sprouting. The sprouting process does pose a risk for contamination with food safety pathogens if proper precautions are not followed. Spinach and Lettuce Growers in California Continue to Face Challenges with Fungal Disease Management Verticillium dahliae, a pathogen that can severely impact lettuce, but has little impact on spinach, is believed to have been introduced into lettuce fields by spinach seed planted as an alternate crop. Other possible sources of infection include strawberry plants, peppers, artichokes and numerous weedy species. The primary problem is in the Salinas Valley in which at least 73 blocks are now infested with this pathogen at levels where lettuce can no longer be grown. V. dahliae, once in the soil, can remain there for many years and still infect lettuce once planted. V. dahliae is a seed borne pathogen occasionally found associated with spinach seed, usually at low levels. Because of the intensive planting of spinach in rotation with lettuce, lettuce growers often require that spinach seed be tested for V. dahliae before it is planted. Because V. dahliae is persistent in the soil and is associated with plants other than lettuce, spinach seed companies question the value of seed testing as the primary approach to mitigating this disease on lettuce. Through the California Seed Association (CSA) and supported by ASTA's Vegetable Technology (Veg Tech) Committee, efforts are being made to work with the lettuce industry through the California Leafy Greens Research Board (CLGRB) to develop science-based solutions to this problem. Betsy Peterson, CSA's associate director of technical services and programs, is maintaining close liaison with CLGRB to ensure that the issues and concerns of the seed industry are appropriately considered. She and several Veg Tech Committee members meet several times a year with CLGRB to work toward improving communications and encouraging relevant research. Recently CSA and the ASTA Veg Tech Committee developed a fact sheet on V. dahliae to help communicate what is known and not known about V. dahliae. "We are working hard to find common ground with the lettuce growers in order to have a consensus approach on how to solve this difficult problem," notes Peterson. "I believe we are making progress through CLGRB toward that end." A research project on developing improved seed testing methodology and a better understanding of the biology of V. dahliae was just recently funded through ASTA's Vegetable and Flower Seed Division. "This clearly demonstrates the commitment of the seed industry to find a solution to this problem," stated Ric Dunkle, ASTA's senior director for seed health and trade. The V. dahlia fact sheet will soon be posted on ASTA's Web site and will be updated periodically as new information is developed.
ASTA Vice President to Serve as Vice Chairman of the AgBiotech Planning Committee. Bernice Slutsky, ASTA vice president for science and international affairs, will become vice chairman of the AgBiotech Planning Committee (ABPC). ABPC is a coalition representing farmers, food processors and manufacturers, merchandisers and biotechnology providers that support the continued availability and marketability of products derived from agricultural biotechnology. The ASTA Exhibitor Success Center is Here! Did you know...
On April 30, ASTA conducted a conference call with exhibitors participating in ASTA conventions featuring veteran trade show consultant Fred Fox, who shared some insights from his years of exhibitor training seminars to help exhibitors make the most of their marketing dollars. His custom tool, the Exhibitor Success Center, goes beyond the one-day, one-time concept of a Webinar to provide 24/7, year-round exhibitor training to help ensure that now, more than ever, exhibitors receive the best return on investment (ROI) for exhibitor dollars. This special service, provided complimentary to all 2009-2010 ASTA exhibitors by the ASTA Associates Division, is designed to help increase ROI for exhibitors at ASTA exhibit events and includes a live link for exhibit questions to Fred Fox. The Exhibitor Success Center aims to help exhibitors analyze their current exhibition strategy to better formulate a game plan to ensure that pre-planning steps are taken to promote their businesses, face time with trade show audiences is being maximized to its fullest potential and leads are properly followed up. To visit the new ASTA Exhibitor Success Center, click here.
FuSE Round Table Discussion Group Looks at Immigration. On April 28, ASTA's Future Seed Executives Committee (FuSE) held a Round Table Discussion Group call on contract labor management in regards to federal immigration legislation. The 12 participants from across the country were briefed by Jenifer Brown, partner in the law firm of Ice Miller in Indianapolis, Ind. Ms. Brown practices exclusively in the area of immigration law and is the chairman of the firm's immigration practice. Craig Regelbrugge with the American Nursery & Landscape Association is an active member of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform, a group ASTA also participates in. Participants on the call received the latest information on how immigration may proceed under the new administration and the many changes within the U.S. Congress as well as the complexities of employee verification and contracting. FuSE's Campus Connections Students Selected The Future Seed Executives Committee (FuSE) is sponsoring eight students to participate in the 2009 Campus Connections Program. The Campus Connections Program provides the unique opportunity for undergraduate students working towards a career in the seed industry to interact with seed industry professionals and senior executives at ASTA's 126th Annual Convention to be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., June 20-24, 2009. The 3rd Campus Connections Class includes the following students: Brittany Hazard-University of California-Davis; Derik LeFave-Washington State University; Grant Christensen-Iowa State University; Randi Jimenez-University of California-Davis; Sabrina Beske-Oregon State University; Dustin Schirm-Iowa State University; Daniel Ochs-Cornell University and Steve Myers-Iowa State University. Congratulations to all of the accepted participants to the 2009 Campus Connections Program! For more information on how you can interact with the students and/or serve as a Campus Connections mentor, please contact Lisa Nichols.
Meet Your ASTA Staff Jillian Barnett Jillian Barnett joined the ASTA team on Aug. 11, 2008, as manager of international and domestic programming. Her principal responsibility is to manage the international department's USDA cooperator funded programs. She also helps the government affairs and communication departments. Prior to joining ASTA, Jillian earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal and Veterinary Sciences and a Masters of Agriculture, with an emphasis on agriculture and resource economics, both from West Virginia University. Jillian previously worked as a research assistant in the Rumen Fermentation Profiling Laboratory at West Virginia University, with extensive work in continuous culture technology. She grew up on the family farm in Ashton, W.Va., where, alongside her father and grandfather, she helped raise beef cattle, horses, tobacco and hay. Jillian remarked, "As the newest member of the ASTA team, both the staff and members have made me feel welcome and at home in the seed industry." Jillian Barnett can be reached through the ASTA office or by email at jbarnett@amseed.org. ASTA Committees: Involvement = Greater Value Seed Treatment & Enviroment Committee Description: The Seed Treatment & Environment Committee (STEC) is open to all ASTA members and serves as a source of information to industry members on issues relating to the regulation and labeling of seed treated with fungicides, pesticides or insecticides as well as how treatments relate to the environment, health, safety and well-being of employees and consumers. A key focus of this committee is to promote product stewardship, uniformity in labeling, as well as, when appropriate, provide advice to the Association on any legislation regarding the safety of the seed industry's workers, the environmental implications of the trade or the application/interpretation of existing laws as they may relate to the seed industry. The STEC also has a sub-committee, the Seed Treatment Task Force, which meets separately from STEC and is dedicated to addressing concerns regarding the regulation of seed treatments related to the dust-off issue. Current Activities: Partnering with CropLife America's Seed Tag Working Group for outreach to the Environmental Protection Agency on seed treatment regulations. Next Scheduled Meeting: ASTA's 126th Annual Convention, Wednesday, June 24, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Key Contacts:
USDA Invites Applications for Cooperator Program Funding The USDA Cooperator Program is designed to create, expand and maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Through the use of USDA Cooperator funds from the Foreign Market Development, Market Access Program and Emerging Market Programs, ASTA has been able to implement international programs and activities to assist in the development of new markets for U.S. seed and to facilitate the movement of seed in ASTA priority countries. ASTA plans to submit the 2010 United Export Strategy (UES) application to USDA for funding in the next program year. It is with assistance from each of ASTA's Country Working Groups (Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Mexico), that ASTA's goals, performance measures and activities in each market are set to be submitted to USDA for approval. For more information on the UES and/or to participate on any of ASTA's Country Working groups, please contact Lisa Nichols. April 23 The Brazil Working Group met via conference call to discuss the dates, location and program content for the upcoming Brassica Risk Analysis Workshop. April 27 ASTA's Vice President of Communications Gretchen Flanley met with Stacia Cudd of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) to discuss seed related issues that may be of interest to their membership. NAFB is an established liaison between farm broadcast stations and networks and the Agri-Marketing community of companies and agencies. April 28 Bernice Slutsky, ASTA's vice president of science and international affairs, and Lisa Nichols, director of international programs, held a conference call with the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to obtain feedback and insight on ASTA's upcoming activities focused in India. April 28. Bernice Slutsky, ASTA's vice president of science and international affairs, and Lisa Nichols, director of international programs, met via conference call with Kitisri Sukhapinda from the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) to discuss ASTA's partnership with USPTO on developing an Intellectual Property Rights Short Course to take place in Alexandria, Va., focused on participants from China and India. April 29 Bernice Slutsky, ASTA's vice president of science and international affairs, and Lisa Nichols, director of international programs, participated in the CropLife International Plant Related Inventions conference call to discuss possible opportunities to partner on priority country activities. April 29-30 Bernice Slutsky, ASTA's vice president of science and international affairs, participated in a public meeting held by Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. The intent of the meeting was to solicit input on the BRS proposed regulation related to genetically engineered plants. April 30 Lisa Nichols, ASTA director of international programs, met with Thom Wright from Office of Capacity Building and Development with USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FAS) to discuss ASTA's cooperator activities in India. Wright will be posted in the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi in August 2009. Nichols also met with USDA/FAS Marketing Specialists Yvonne Dock, Ed Covey, Stacey Peckins and Jarrod Jones to discuss ASTA's current and upcoming USDA Cooperator Program strategy for utilizing Emerging Market Program funds. April 30 ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne met with Daren Coppock, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), to discuss wheat issues and challenges in the domestic and international market. They reviewed a recent announcement by NAWG and others regarding biotech trait introductions in wheat and collaboration on global warming/carbon credit issues. April 30 Andy LaVigne, ASTA president and CEO, met with Barbara Robinson and Richard Matthews of the National Organic Program (NOP) of USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service to discuss issues facing NOP. They followed up on several issues of interest to the ASTA Organic Seed Committee, including: materials review and confidential business information; accreditation training regarding seed and seed products; improving communications between organic seed producers, certifiers and growers about what organic seed is available and how to check before exceptions are given. May 1 ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne met with Roger Johnson, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), and Jake Secor of Dow AgroSciences to discuss the structure of NFU and how ASTA can assist them in their policy development on issues impacting the seed industry. May 5 Andy LaVigne, ASTA president and CEO, met with staff of Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) to discuss the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture and the possible ratification by the Senate. May 6 ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne, met with Joel Newman, president of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA). AFIA plays a key role in the movement of feed and feed products in the U.S. A. Forrest Troyer Awarded High Honor of University of Minnesota's Siehl Prize The Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture recognizes living individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the production of food and alleviation of hunger in three separate categories: production, agribusiness and knowledge. Troyer received the prize for his excellence in agribusiness. Born on a farm near La Fontaine, Ind., he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951, and fought in the Korean War. Following his military service, he received several academic degrees including a Bachelor of Science from Purdue University, a master's from University of Illinois and a doctorate from University of Minnesota. He joined Pioneer Hi-Bred Corn Company in 1958 as a corn research station manager, where he was promoted twice to become corn research coordinator for northern and eastern North America and France in 1971. Troyer became research director for Pfizer Genetics Inc. in 1977, and later vice president. After retiring in 1993, he became a consultant for Cargill Hybrid Seeds. Following a second retirement in 1998, he was appointed adjunct professor, Crop Sciences, for the University of Illinois. He continues corn breeding with the help of Dairyland Seed Co. Troyer's accomplished career includes the development corn inbred lines and hybrids, in particular the world's two most popular commercial corn hybrids. To date, he has personally developed or co-developed 40 commercial corn hybrids, as well as authored many papers and articles on topics ranging from adaptation of plant breeding to application of computer information. Troyer was president of the Agriculture Research Institute from 1991-1992 and received many awards throughout his career. Forrest Troyer has been a member of ASTA for many years, presented at ASTA events and served as a liaison to or member of many ASTA committees. Dr. Troyer stated, "I have attended the annual Corn-Sorghum Research meetings in Chicago every year since 1955 - 53 times, and I have enjoyed every one." Seed World Magazine Collecting Nominations for Future Giants of the Seed Industry Award Future Giants of the Industry annually recognizes an individual who is currently employed in the seed industry and is seen as a rising leader or who is in the graduation year of a postsecondary program and plans to enter the seed industry. The nominee should show potential to make a significant contribution to the industry. Nominations are due by May 15. To learn more and nominate a Future Giant of the Seed Industry, click here. Recently Launched Web Site to be Online Source for Business Weather Storm Exchange (StormX.com) has created a Web site for agriculture weather, commentary, news and analytics. StormX gives insight to help the agriculture industry identify, interpret and forecast how weather will impact grain yield and prices with county, state, national and international information. StormX is operated by a team of atmospheric scientists, agronomists and risk management specialists. Delivering detailed crop projections for soybean, corn and wheat yields and up-to-the-minute reports on critical weather issues influencing global agricultural production. The StormX Agriculture Portal is also home to a number of daily, weekly and monthly research reports and monthly analyst conference calls. Topics covered in these research tools include forecasts and commentary on USDA crop estimates, crop projections and regional weather trends. Access to the portal is free.
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Click here for a schedule of additional industry events 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.
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129th Annual Convention • 2011 Farm & Lawn Seed Conf. • CSS 2011 & Seed Expo • 51st Vegetable & Flower Seed Conf. |