August 21, 2025

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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AAI IN ACTION

AAI MEMBERS ONLY WEBINAR: Planning Ahead for the 2026 Growing Season

Join us for a webinar featuring Jim Knuth, senior vice president for lending at Farm Credit Service of America, as he provides insight and perspective on the economic factors that may influence farmer decisions for the 2026 growing season.

Jim will share his outlook on the collective financial health of Iowa farmers and highlight key considerations for ag businesses as they plan for 2026 and beyond. Topics will include:

Land value trends
Interest rates
Grain production economics

WEBINAR DETAILS

Wednesday, Sept. 17

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Online Event (link provided upon registration)

This webinar is only available to AAI member companies and their employees.

Join this webinar to better understand the financial landscape your farmer customers are navigating. Reserve your spot today and gain the insights you need to plan confidently for the year ahead.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION

AAI Members Ready for Fall With AAI Grain Grading Workshops

More than 50 people took part in the AAI Grain Grading workshops this week in Sheffield and Creston. The workshops are offered twice per year to help AAI member employees learn to recognize major grain damage factors for corn and soybeans as well as factors that do not affect the grade of grains.

Thank you to Sukup Manufacturing Co. in Sheffield for hosting the Aug. 19 session and to J.R. Schaal Agency for providing additional training support.

Thank you to the Bunge facility in Creston for hosting and providing lunch at the Aug. 20 session and to Sioux City Inspection and Weighing Service Company for additional training support.

AAI Mourns Passing Of Max Smith

Former AAI Board of Directors Chair and long time association and industry supporter Max Smith, Smith Fertilizer & Grain, died on Aug. 16, 2025. Smith became a board director in 2009 and was board chair in 2015.

Funeral service details and obituary can be found on the Pierschbacher Funeral Home webpage.

Harvest Safety Week Aug. 18-22

National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) has been providing resources this week for Harvest Safety Week. Video presentations related to this year's Harvest Safety Week topics include:

Safety Around Ground Storage Piles
Safety Around Moving Vehicles
Hazardous Weather Conditions - Extreme Heat & Cold
Preventing Worker Fatigue During Harvest

All of these videos are available on the NGFA Safety Resources page: ngfa.org/safety/

Funding from the National Grain and Feed Foundation makes these resources available to members as well as the whole industry across the country during Harvest Safety Week each year.

Join Us In Amana

Sept. 10

Amana Colonies Golf Club

Amana, Iowa

The AAI Golf Outings will wrap up on Sept. 10 in eastern Iowa. Get your clubs ready one more time and register now as the AAI Golf Outings conclude with the final stop on the statewide tour.

Join us in eastern Iowa at Amana Colonies Golf Club in Amana.

2025 AAI GOLF SPONSORS

Out And About

Member and Industry Visits

Cargill
Gold Eagle Cooperative

Meeting with: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO

Meeting with Senator Joni Ernst staff

Attended by: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO

Grain Grading Workshop - Sheffield

Attended by: Heath DeYoung, AAI Membership Director; Julie Kenney, AAI CEO

Grain Grading Workshop - Creston

Attended by: Tyler Teske, AAI Marketing Director

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

New Training Event Offers In-Depth Look at Drone Spraying in Agriculture

Drone Spraying Essentials: From Basics to Application

Sept. 4, 2025 | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Digital Ag Innovation Lab

3800 University Blvd.

Ames, Iowa

The Iowa State University Digital Ag Innovation Lab and Terraplex are co-hosting a new educational event, offering research-backed insights on drone spraying use in agriculture. This event is designed for a range of attendees, from curious farmers and licensed applicators to agricultural professionals and ag-tech startups.

Attendees will learn:

How drone spraying is transforming farm practices
Certification and licensing requirements for drone applicators
Safe and effective drone operation strategies
Legal and regulatory considerations
Expert advice from industry, policy and technology leaders

The cost to attend this event is $225, which includes a complimentary lunch and educational materials. Online pre-registration is required by Aug. 15 at 11:59 p.m., and space is limited to 100 attendees.

ASSOCIATION CALENDAR

August 26

AAI Agronomy & Environment Committees Meeting

10 a.m. - AAI Main Office Board Room

September 4

AAI Legislative Committee Meeting

2 p.m. - AAI Main Office Board Room

September 10

AAI Golf Outing

9 a.m. Shotgun Start

Amana Colonies Golf Club - Amana

September 11

AAI Board of Directors Meeting

10 a.m. - Hotel Kirkwood, Cedar Rapids

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NEWS

Model reroutes livestock trucks to reduce risk of infection

Source: Feedstuffs

Rerouting feed and livestock trucks based on new scoring system reduced contacts between infected and uninfected farms up to 42%, even without effective truck cleaning and disinfection.

[...] Read Full Story

Family-owned farms account for 95% of U.S. farms, USDA data shows

Source: AgDaily

The data shows that large-scale family farms (GCFI of $1 million or more) make up less than 4 percent of all U.S. farms but produce 51 percent of the value of all agricultural products.

[...] Read Full Story

Brazil's 'soy moratorium' site offline after antitrust ruling setback

Source: Reuters

The soy moratorium, long hailed as one of the most successful initiatives to protect the Amazon rainforest, bars soybean traders from buying from farmers who cleared land there after July 2008. But the General Superintendent regulator CADE ruled that it represents a potential breach of Brazilian competition law.

[...] Read Full Story

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