A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
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Retirement Celebration for CFO Joan O'Brien at the All Industry Reception February 14
Many of you have had the privilege of working with Joan O’Brien at Agribusiness Association of Iowa over the years. Joan has recently begun a transition to “partial retirement” effective December 31, 2022 and we will be taking some time to honor Joan and celebrate her contributions to AAI and the ag industry at the All Industry Reception at 2023 Agribusiness Showcase and Conference.
Retirement Celebration for Joan O’Brien
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds
Beverages and appetizers will be served.
Register for the reception at the following link:
https://agribiz.swoogo.com/showcase2023/begin
- If you are already registered for Showcase there is no need for any additional registration. All regular registrations include the reception.
- If you are planning to only attend the reception for Joan and no other portion of the Showcase, select the no cost “Tuesday Evening Reception for Joan O’Brien” option when registering. Note this option excludes Tuesday education sessions and all Wednesday sessions and admission.
- If you are unable to attend but want to share your well wishes for Joan, send your notes to sally@agribiz.org and they will be collected for a memory book for Joan.
We look forward to seeing you at Showcase!
About Joan O'Brien
Joan O’Brien, CFO of Agribusiness Association of Iowa, began her transition to retirement effective December 31, 2022. She has been a long-time valued staff member of AAI and is highly esteemed by many other state associations in Iowa and around the country. She has been a tireless promoter and advocate for AAI and the ag industry, as well as the main point of contact for our affiliated associations: Certified Crop Advisors, Iowa Auctioneers Association, Iowa Aerial Applicators Association, Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association, Iowa Forage and Grassland Council, Iowa Seed Association, and Land Improvement Contractors of America. Joan is a graduate of Simpson College and has worked in association management for over 30 years. Joan’s plans in retirement include continuing to work with AAI on a part-time basis, spending time with family, and travel.
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ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS | |
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Des Moines Industrial - Transloading Facility Tours
- Tuesday, Feb. 14 | Bus leaves fairgrounds at 4:15 PM
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 | Bus leaves fairgrounds at 10:00 AM
Featured Speakers - Feb. 15:
- Grain Warehouse Bureau Chief Jim Kennedy
- Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler
- Iowa DNR Director Kayla Lyon
- Iowa Dept. of Revenue & Dept. of Mgmt. Director Kraig Paulsen
- Iowa Economic Development Director Debi Durham
- Governor Kim Reynolds
- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
Professional Development Sessions - Feb. 14
- Workforce Generational Differences | 2:00 PM
- Panel on Workforce Challenges | 2:30 PM
Agribusiness Career Fair
Bags (Corn Hole) Tournament | Tuesday, February 14
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Exhibitors: Be Seen At The Big Event | |
Be An Exhibitor. Be A Sponsor.
Attendees are looking for you on exhibitor and sponsor lists. Add your company to the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference so your clients (and future clients) know you'll be there!
Click For Exhibitor List
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Make an Impact - Donate an Item for the Iowa Agribusiness PAC Auction | |
Tuesday evening activities during the reception on February 14 at the 2023 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference will include the annual LIVE AUCTION which raises funds to support the Iowa Agribusiness Political Action Committee (AAI-PAC) and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Foundation (AAIF). There are also plans in place for the return of the silent auction this year!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be there! Help celebrate the retirement of Joan O'Brien from AAI.
Donate an auction item! Your donation of an experience, item, or package of items will help make this year’s auction the best yet! Please email Sally Thompson for more information or to confirm a donation - sally@agribiz.org.
A FEW NOTES ABOUT DONATIONS
All donations to the PAC must be from personal funds and are not tax deductible. No corporate funds allowed. This includes in-kind donations such as items for bid (e.g. round of golf).
Donations from corporate or business organizations will support the AAI Foundation.
If you have any questions, contact Sally Thompson - sally@agribiz.org or 515.868.0323.
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February 14-15
2023 AGRIBUSINESS
SHOWCASE & CONFERENCE
Iowa State Fairgrounds | Des Moines, Iowa
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Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Regional Meetings | |
Farmers, crop advisors, custom fertilizer applicators, and others involved in crop production are invited to attend the 2023 Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Winter Meetings. Hear about the 2022 trials and learn how to participate in 2023.
Meetings begin at noon with free lunch at the following dates and locations:
• Monday, February 20: Northeast Demonstration Farm, Nashua
• Wednesday, February 22: AgState Cooperative, Albert City
• Friday, February 24: Washington County Extension, Washington
A virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, February 23 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM.
For more information and to RSVP visit:
Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Winter Meeting RSVP (google.com)
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February 14 & 15
Agribusiness Showcase & Conference
Knapp Varied Industries Building
Iowa State Fairgrounds | Des Moines, Iowa
Click Here to Register Online
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | |
Iowa Forage & Grassland Council Conference | |
The Iowa Forage and Grassland Council annual conference will return to Ames with a full day of information. Set for Feb. 28, the event will be held at Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd., just to the southwest of Jack Trice Stadium.
Registration begins at 9:30 AM with a welcome and introductions at 10 AM. Two presentations are on tap for the morning session and lunch at noon is followed by the IFGC annual meeting. There are two afternoon sessions beginning at 1:15 PM and closing remarks at 3:15 PM. The program concludes at 3:30 PM.
To register, visit: https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2023ifgc
The conference is open to the public for $45. IFGC members pay $30 and those who have not yet paid dues can do so during the online registration process. All attendees will be able to explore the exhibits that are open at Reiman Gardens, including the popular Butterfly Wing, during the day. See the agenda, registration form and map to Reiman Gardens at the conference website link above.
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The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has stated its opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule to tighten national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
“At a time when the need to strengthen the domestic fertilizer industry has been made clear by multiple global crises and echoed by the Biden Administration, now is not the time to hamstring fertilizer production by making new production facilities or the expansion of existing production more difficult or, in some instances, impossible,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “The fertilizer industry prides itself on innovation and sustainability and environmental stewardship is a cornerstone of how our industry operates, from production to farmer use. TFI does not support lowering NAAQS levels and instead believes that the EPA should retain the current PM NAAQS.”
The current PM NAAQS was set in 2012 under the Obama Administration and has dramatically reduced air pollution across the county.
“PM2.5 emissions have declined nearly 40% over the past twenty years, and they continue to go down,” Rosenbusch explained. “Under the current standards we have both environmental protection and robust commerce. We are in the Goldilocks zone where those things are balanced. Why mess with that when EPA’s own data has shown uncertainties related to the health benefits of reducing levels below current standards?”
[...] Read Full Story
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Truck drivers would be eligible for up to $10,000 in tax credits, along with training incentives, as part of new bipartisan legislation aimed at retaining and recruiting drivers.
The Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act, introduced on Tuesday by U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., also incorporates truck parking funding and an hours-of-service exemption for livestock haulers — long-sought measures by drivers and carriers.
The lawmakers called the bill a “sweeping overhaul of the interstate trucking supply chain system.” Johnson sees it as an extension to last year’s Ocean Shipping Reform Act.
“Last year we addressed ocean shipping reform, and it’s clear that updates are needed for other parts of the supply chain. The SHIP IT Act will bridge gaps, keep costs down for consumers, and make it easier for shippers to move products across the U.S.,” Johnson commented in introducing the bill.
“We need to recruit, train, and retain truck drivers to keep our supply chain moving, while also updating best practices to improve trucking to fit our modern economy,” Costa said. “That is why we introduced this bipartisan legislation to strengthen the workforce and make it easier to move products across the country.”
Drivers holding a Class A CDL would have to make adjusted gross income of not more than $90,000 or $135,000 per year, depending on their filing status, to be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, according to the 28-page bill. A driver would be required to have had at least 1,900 hours of on-duty time, including driving time. New truck drivers who did not drive a truck during the preceding tax year would be eligible for $10,000 under the same rules.
[...] Read Full Story
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State leaders in California have joined together to unveil a new roadmap of ambitious goals and actions to accelerate California’s systemwide plan to eliminate a list of “high-risk” pesticides by 2050.
The goal? The group (including the state’s departments of Food and Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation, and the California Environmental Protection Agency), plans to remove “toxic” Priority Pesticides from the system and encourage what the group calls more sustainable pest management to better protect the health of communities and the environment while supporting agriculture, food systems, and community well-being.
The 97-page Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap for California — released by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture — charts a course for the state’s transition to sustainable pest management in agricultural and urban settings.
So, why all of the change? The Sustainable Pest Management Work Group was formed in response to both a recommendation from the state’s Chlorpyrifos Alternatives Work Group, and the governor’s, CalEPA’s and DPR’s interests to accelerate a holistic, systemwide approach to new pest management strategies.
[...] Read Full Story
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The World Food Prize Foundation announced Jan. 24 that former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad will join the organization as its president.
Established by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, the World Food Prize is considered the preeminent award for global agriculture and celebrates breakthrough achievements in combating hunger and enhancing food security around the world.
"We are excited to bring on a leader with both global vision and strong roots in agriculture," said Paul Schickler, chair of the World Food Prize Foundation. "Amb. Branstad, who was serving as Governor of Iowa when John Ruan, Sr., rescued the World Food Prize and moved it to Iowa, has been a champion of our mission from its earliest days. He was an especially strong supporter of the World Food Prize Foundation’s Iowa Youth Institute, which encourages high school students across the state to pursue STEM subjects. We greatly look forward to him coming on board."
Amb. Branstad also was an instrumental member of a bipartisan collaboration of Iowa governors, along with Governors Robert Ray, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver, that resulted in the creation of the Iowa Hunger Summit, which gathers leaders and hunger fighters to confront food insecurity issues across the state.
"On behalf of the Ruan family, I would like to express how extremely pleased we are that Amb. Branstad has accepted this leadership position with the World Food Prize," said Rachel Ruan McLean, vice chair of the World Food Prize Foundation. My grandfather, John Ruan, Sr., and my father, John Ruan III, both held him in the highest regard for his longstanding public service to Iowa and our country. Amb. Branstad has had an important connection to food and agriculture throughout his entire career, and he is the perfect choice to carry forward the Ruan and Borlaug legacies of building the World Food Prize Foundation."
[...] Read Full Story
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THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT
Follow host David Geiger on Twitter:
@geigerreports
Watch daily broadcast live:
KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids
WHO-TV Des Moines
KYOU-TV Ottumwa
Watch online any time:
https://agribiz.org/report
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