A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | | AAI Meets with Congressman Nunn | |
On Tuesday, Agribusiness Association of Iowa Board of Directors Members Renee Hansen, Sukup Manufacturing; Brent Schwennecker, Bayer Crop Science; and AAI CEO Julie Kenney met with Rep. Zach Nunn in Des Moines. During the meeting, they had conversations about topics important to AAI members, including trade and tariffs, the Farm Bill, tax policy, and pesticide regulation.
Thank you to Rep. Nunn for the discussion and interaction focused on Iowa agribusiness.
Pictured L to R: Schwennecker, Rep. Nunn, Hansen, Kenney
| | Only 8 Seats Remaining For May 6 Session | | |
AAI Grain Grading Workshops
May 6-7, 2025
Location:
Ziegler CAT
1500 Ziegler Drive NW
Altoona, Iowa 50009
Member Registration - $130
Non-Member Registration - $155
Grain Grading Workshop sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. Lunch is provided.
May 6 - 7 Seats Remaining | May 7 - 16 Seats Remaining
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The one-day hands-on workshops feature the latest information on grain quality. The Grain Grading workshops address and display many different grain samples focusing on corn and soybeans. Participants will learn about the grading and appeal process, the official U.S. grades, and how to obtain a representative sample. Attendees also will learn how to recognize major grain damage factors.
Workshop registrants are assigned on a first come, first-served basis and each workshop is limited to 30 seats per day. The same workshop is held on both days, so participants only need to attend one session.
The AAI Grain Grading Workshops are under the direction of Federal Grain Inspection Service inspectors from the National Grain Center.
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AAI Golf Outings Registration Open | |
There's nothing quite like a day on the golf course, especially with your agribusiness colleagues. Be a part of the industry's best summer events as you tee it up with your favorite foursome or entertain some special clients.
Golfer Benefits
- Four Hole-In-One opportunities on every course - win cash or prizes!
- Complimentary soft drinks and snacks on the course
- Delicious lunch
- Entry into prize raffle including a Blackstone Adventure Ready Griddle
- Prizes for the longest and closest shots
- Trophy and prizes for the winning team
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Be A Sponsor
Take advantage of an AAI Golf Sponsorship and be recognized for your support of agribusiness in Iowa! Options available on the Sponsor Opportunities Page.
| | Thank You For Your Membership! | |
As a member of AAI, you support the industry that is Creating Opportunities In Ag. Thank you for your membership and your commitment to the success of agribusiness in Iowa.
The following companies have recently joined or renewed their membership for the 2025 Membership Year.
- Bar Chart
- Feed Energy Company
- Innovative Ag Services
Not currently a member? Send us an email so we can follow up with your company and help you get connected to AAI.
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Norwalk Ag Career Day
Speaker: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO
Young Professionals In Agriculture Breakfast
Attended by: Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director
Member and Industry Visits
Visit by: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO
- Honey Producers Association
- ADM
Visit by: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO; Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director
- First Interstate Bank
- Grower's Edge
- Ostara
Visit by: Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director
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May 6
AAI Spring Grain Grading Workshop
8:30 a.m. - Zeigler CAT, Altoona, Iowa
7 SEATS REMAINING
May 7
AAI Spring Grain Grading Workshop
8:30 a.m. - Zeigler CAT, Altoona, Iowa
16 SEATS REMAINING
June 9
AAI Showcase Committee Meeting
1:00 p.m. - AAI Main Office Board Room
June 9
AAI Legislative Committee Meeting
1:00 p.m. - AAI Main Office Board Room
July 10
AAI Golf Outing
11:00 a.m. Lunch | Noon Shotgun Start
Emerald Hills Golf Club - Okoboji
August 5
AAI Golf Outing
10:00 a.m. Shotgun Start
Beaver Creek Golf Club - Grimes
September 10
AAI Golf Outing
9:00 a.m. Shotgun Start
Amana Colonies Golf Club - Amana
| | FAA Part 107 Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test Prep For Drone Pilots | |
June 4-5, 2025
ISU - Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab
Ames, Iowa
This intensive two-day training session is tailored to cover the essential components of the FAA Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge Test. The course will delve into critical subjects such as Regulations, the National Airspace System (NAS), Weather, Loading and Performance, and Operations.
Participants will be introduced to the ASA prep-test manual and will have the chance to work with aeronautical charts, learning to pinpoint locations, airspaces, restricted areas, military operation zones, and other special use airspaces. Each participant will gain a solid understanding of UAV operational regulations, including cloud distance requirements, aircraft registration processes, weight restrictions, and more. Upon completing this course, attendees will be thoroughly prepared with the knowledge and resources necessary to pass the Part 107 Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test.
Additionally, the course will explore real-world scenarios faced by commercial UAV pilots and strategies for overcoming various challenges. Topics will include the integration of drones in agricultural practices, public safety applications, interactions with property owners, collaboration with fellow UAV pilots, and communication with state and federal government representatives.
More information and registration:
FAA Part 107 Test Prep
| | No Cost Certification Training For Your Feed Production Staff | |
AAI members have an opportunity to increase the number of PCQI certified fee production staff at no cost to their business. The association has access grant money that will allow full reimbursement for the cost of Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training for your staff.
The funds for reimbursement will only be available for those who complete the May 22 session of the PCQI training. This grant ends after this session and will not be available for future training sessions.
Dates And Items to Note
There are two portions to the class:
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Part 1 of the class is online and must be completed by May 15. Participants must provide a Part 1 completion certificate by the May 16 registration deadline.
- Part 2 of the class is May 22, 2025 from 8 AM to 5 PM in Ames, Iowa at the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex
- Participants fee for online portion is $200. Participant fee for in person portion is $400 per participant. Breaks and lunch are on site and included in the fee. The full $600 (both fees) will be reimbursed for AAI member companies after completion of the class.
Additional Details
Reimbursement is limited to 33 participants. AAI members can click below and enter code "AAI25" when completing the registration:
ISU Animal Food PCQI Training Registration
Reimbursement is available only to member companies which have renewed dues for the 2025 membership year. Iowa State University will provide AAI with a list of qualifying participants once the course is complete.
Contact Ben Drescher at 515.509.0940 or bdresche@iastate.edu for class information and details. Contact Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director, for questions about reimbursement at 515.868.0311 or hdeyoung@agribiz.org.
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Earlier this month, Bayer officials said progress on controlling its Roundup liability litigation was a top priority, and in the next six months something had to develop to mark progress otherwise they’d stop being the only domestic manufacturer of glyphosate.
Today, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong became the first to sign into law a bill reasserting federally approved pesticide labels are the law, and companies can not be subject to litigation when those laws are followed.
“This new law is crucial for providing the tools North Dakota’s farmers rely on to produce America’s food supply,” says Brian Naber, president, crop science North America and Australia/ New Zealand region. “Without crop protection tools, America’s consumers could face higher costs to provide for their families and put food on the table. By signing HB 1318, Governor Armstrong is supporting North Dakota’s farmers, America’s consumers and the decades of innovation that underpin the state’s proud agricultural history and vibrant economy.”
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Iowa State University
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After 14 years working in Texas, Glen Ritchie is heading north to Iowa, where he’ll assume the professor and chair role for Iowa State University’s Department of Agronomy, effective July 15.
Ritchie will take over for Mary Wiedenhoeft, who has been interim department chair since May 2023. Wiedenhoeft will remain with the department as a Morrill Professor of Agronomy.
“We are delighted Dr. Ritchie has agreed to join our great Department of Agronomy. His excellent leadership experience, and background in the study of crops, soils and water, position him to ensure the department continues with excellence preparing students for future careers, making impactful research discoveries, and being highly engaged in production agriculture and its many facets across the college, Iowa and globally,” said Daniel J. Robison, endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We thank Dr. Wiedenhoeft for stepping up and providing extraordinary leadership these past two years as interim department chair.”
[...] Read Full Story
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Brazil and Argentina are emerging as early winners in the global trade war that’s upending agricultural markets.
Escalating tensions between the U.S. and China – the world’s biggest supplier and consumer of farm products, respectively – have created an opening for the South American nations to ramp up exports of everything from meat to grains in a bid to seize global market share.
The newest opportunity seems to be meat. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on eight of America’s top 10 beef buyers have already redrawn trade flows, raising exports of Brazilian beef to halal markets including Algeria and Turkey. Japan, America’s second largest beef client, is now in advanced talks to start buying cheaper meat from Brazil.
And any economic slowdown triggered by the trade war will move other international beef buyers to shift purchases to lower cost suppliers, especially Brazil, according to Datagro market analyst Guilherme Jank.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Successful Farming
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Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill reported that “House Republicans are eyeing May 8 for the Agriculture Committee to advance its portion of the mega bill to enact President Donald Trump’s vast domestic agenda, according to two people granted anonymity to share private scheduling details.”
“This target date, while weeks away, is still an ambitious timeline as Republicans are trying to resolve the massive gap between the House’s instruction for the committee to accomplish $230 billion in spending cuts as compared with the Senate Agriculture Committee’s $1 billion minimum goal to offset the massive package of tax cuts, beefed up border security, energy policy, and more,” Lee Hill reported.
“The meeting will also kick off a major public fight over the future of the country’s largest anti-hunger program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps,” Lee Hill reported. “The SNAP program helps to feed more than 40 million low-income Americans, and it’s one of the safety net programs some Republicans are wary of cutting too deeply to pay for their party-line bill.”
[...] Read Full Story
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