A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
The AAI Main Office will be closed Monday, September 2, 2024 for the Labor Day holiday. | |
Grain Indemnity Fund Assessment to Continue for Additional Year | |
The assessment on grain sold to or deposited at Iowa-licensed grain dealers and warehouses as part of the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund (Grain Indemnity Fund) will continue for an additional year. Barring any further claims made against the fund, the assessment is anticipated to cease on August 31, 2025, in accordance with Iowa law.
Due to claims made against the Fund following grain facility failures in 2021 and 2022, the balance of the Fund fell below the statutory threshold of $3 million. By law, this required the Grain Indemnity Fund Board to reinstate the participation fees for grain dealers and warehouses as well as a ¼ cent per bushel assessment. The assessment was reinstated on September 1, 2023. Under existing law, the assessment must remain in effect for at least one full year and must also remain active until the Board votes to suspend the collection of fees or the Fund reaches a balance of $8 million.
Prior to the start of the assessment, the balance of the Fund was $311,929.98. Assessment collection during the first three quarters, which occurred in December 2023, March of 2024 and June of 2024, has produced a balance now of $4,731,299.22. The final quarter of assessment for this current year will be collected in September of 2024. Based upon fourth quarter collection estimates, the fund balance is not expected to exceed $8 million at that time. Therefore, under law, the assessment must continue, and the Grain Indemnity Fund Board has authorized a second full year of assessment, which will now run through August 31, 2025.
Created by the Iowa Legislature in 1986 during the Farm Crisis to provide financial protection to farmers, the Grain Indemnity Fund covers farmers with grain on deposit in Iowa-licensed warehouses and grain sold on a cash basis to state-licensed grain dealers. In the case of a failure of a state-licensed grain warehouse or grain dealer, the Fund will pay farmers 90 percent of a loss on grain up to a maximum of $300,000 per claimant. Over the history of the Grain Indemnity Fund, more than $19 million in claims have been paid to more than 1,600 grain producers. The Fund has generated approximately $9 million in assessed fees, which were last collected in 1989. Since that time, the Fund was able to recover claim losses from defunct grain dealers and warehouses that when combined with interest earned on the Fund, provided enough additional revenue to prevent the reinstatement of the assessed fees.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Grain Warehouse Bureau regulates and examines the financial solvency of grain dealers and grain warehouse operators to protect Iowa farmers. The Grain Warehouse Bureau is responsible for administering the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund. Members of the Iowa Grain Depositors and Sellers Indemnity Fund are appointed by the Governor and are subject to confirmation by the Iowa Senate. More information can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.
IDALS Indemnity Fund Assessment Page
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AAI Board of Directors Election Results | |
The ballots for our Board of Directors election have been tallied and the election results are as follows:
Agronomy Director
Troy Koehler, New Century FS
Animal Industry Director
Scott Lovin, AgState
At-Large Director
Sarah Windhorst, Premier Crop Systems
District 1 Director
Rob Cogdill, Cogdill Farm Supply
District 3 Director
Scott Black, Five Star Cooperative
District 4 Director
Chris Behrens, Heartland Co-op
The terms for the newly elected members of the board will begin on October 1.
Congratulations to our newly elected directors!
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Iowa Nitrogen Initiative Field Days | |
The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative (INI) is hosting two field days in September. Attendees can learn about the initiative’s goals and research regarding economic optimum nitrogen rates.
September 4 - Atkins
The Bloomsbury Farm near Atkins will host a field day on September 4 at 10:30 AM.
September 13 - Story City
The Christian Farm near Story City will host a field day on September 13 at noon.
For more information and to register:
INI Field Day Sept. 4 and Sept. 13 RSVP
September 5 - Crawfordsville
The INI will also be featured at the Southeast Research Farm’s fall field day on September 5 at 1 PM near Crawfordsville. Other topics include corn rootworms, late fall stalk nitrate testing, nitrification inhibitors, research farm updates, and harvest weather outlook. For more information:
Fall Field Day at Southeast Research Farm Is Sept. 5 | News
The INI is looking for farmers, nitrogen applicators, and ag retailers to participate in nitrogen rate trials for the 2025 corn crop. Farmers and partners will discuss why they decided to participate in the project in 2024. Other topics include 2023 INI trial results, autonomous planting and spraying, and negative yield impacts of excessive nitrogen rates.
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Visit from CropLife America
The President and CEO of CropLife America Alex Dunn (third from left), along with additional CLA staff, made a visit to the AAI Main Office in Des Moines this week to discuss current issues and collaboration with AAI leadership and staff. Attending the meeting from AAI were Mark Reisinger, Interim CEO; Julie Kenney, Incoming CEO; Heath DeYoung, Membership Director; and Tyler Teske, Marketing Director.
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Modern Ag Alliance Media Panel
In attendance: Ben Gleason, INREC Executive Director
Endangered Species Act and Pesticides round table with EPA, USDA, and USFWS
In attendance: Ben Gleason, INREC Executive Director
Farm Bill Discussion with Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn and Penn. Rep. GT Thompson
In attendance: Ben Gleason, INREC Executive Director
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Register for the Final Golf Outing Of The Season | |
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Final Outing of the Season on September 11 -
Click Below to Sponsor & Register
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Help Build The Employee Pipeline For Agribusiness In Iowa
Support for the AAI Chairman's Foundation Golf Tournament on September 11 is a direct investment in the future employee pool for agribusiness.
The Agribusiness Career Day is an opportunity for first year students from ag programs at Iowa community colleges and FFA high school seniors to gain insight on future employment skills and opportunities from industry professionals, government officials, and ag experts.
All AAI member companies are invited to sponsor the AAI Chairman's Foundation Golf Tournament in support of the Agribusiness Career Day. This golf event takes place on September 11 in Moravia, Iowa, near Rathbun Lake.
Be recognized for your support!
All sponsors at the Chairman's Golf Tournament will receive:
- Special designation as a Chairman's Tournament Sponsor
- Special acknowledgement to the student attendees of company support at the Agribusiness Career Day in 2025
- PLUS all of the regular golf sponsor benefits and acknowledgements
Registration Open To All Golfers
Be a part of the AAI Foundation Golf Tournament for a strong close to the AAI golf season! We look forward to seeing you there.
The AAI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization promoting research projects, member education, stewardship, and scholarships that benefit AAI members and their families.
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Upcoming Golf Tournaments
September 11 - AAI Chairman's Foundation Tournament
The Preserve on Rathbun Lake - Moravia
| Chairman's Tournament Sponsors | Additional Golf Season Sponsors | |
Disaster Declarations and Resources | |
Visit the Governor's website for links to resources and information on additional declarations that may be applicable to you or your business:
https://www.iowa.gov/iowa-disaster-recovery
Links to state and federal programs and agencies can be found on the site.
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September 2
Labor Day Holiday
AAI Main Office Closed
September 4
Agronomy & Environment Committees Joint Meeting
LICA Farm, Melbourne
September 5
Legislative Committee Meeting
Landus Corporate Office, Des Moines
September 11
AAI Foundation Golf Outing - Moravia
AAI CHAIRMAN'S GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Preserve On Rathbun Lake
September 12
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
Honey Creek Resort, Moravia
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Spray Drone Field Day Will Feature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Demonstration | |
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Spray Drone Field Day
September 6 | 10:30 AM
Peterson Farm Solutions, 22077 430th St., Havelock
Register Online
Spray heights, pass overlaps and coverage will all be discussed Sept. 6
The event is being held in collaboration with Titan PRO SCI, Innovative Ag Solutions, and Terraplex Ag.The event will be held at Peterson Farm Solutions, 22077 430th St., Havelock.
Pre-registration by Sept. 3 is required and limited to 50 participants. Register online at https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HTdgmsADl4UeTY or call the ISU Extension and Outreach Pocahontas County office at 712-335-3103.
For more information, Contact Kapil Arora at 515-291-0174 or Gentry Sorenson at 641-430-6715.
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DMACC Agribusiness And Horticulture Career Fair | |
September 30 | 9:00 AM
FFA Enrichment Center | Ankeny Campus
Business Registration Link
Businesses can register at the link above. Registration deadline is September 13.
For questions or additional information, contact Andrea Rouse, adrouse@dmacc.edu or 515-964-6866.
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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Grain elevators and others with smaller shipping volumes likely won't get a more streamlined process to settle rate differences with railroads after a federal appeals court ruling.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled the Surface Transportation Board (STB) overstepped its authority by trying to streamline rate dispute settlements between railroads and shippers.
The ruling favors the nation's largest railroads, which sued over the new rate rules. The ruling will limit the ability of shippers to challenge railroad freight rates in situations involving smaller shipping volumes.
Major agricultural groups and other industries that rely on railroads to move commodities lost their arguments defending the STB rule. The National Grain and Feed Association, The Fertilizer Institute, the Corn Refiners Association, the American Chemistry Council and the National Industrial Transportation League all intervened in the case to support the STB's Final Offer Rate Review (FORR), which was finalized at the end of 2022.
Union Pacific Railroad filed the lawsuit, along with the American Association of Railroads, which lobbies for the major railroad companies.
[...] Read Full Story
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USDA announced this week an updated guideline it says will strengthen the documentation of animal-raising or environment-related claims on meat or poultry product labeling in an effort to further protect consumers from false and misleading labels. FSIS last updated its guideline on these claims in 2019.
“USDA continues to deliver on its commitment to fairness and choice for both farmers and consumers, and that means supporting transparency and high-quality standards,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These updates will help to level the playing field for businesses who are truthfully using these claims and ensure people can trust the labels when they purchase meat and poultry products.”
Currently, animal-raising claims, such as “raised without antibiotics,” “grass-fed” and “free-range,” and environment-related claims, such as “raised using regenerative agriculture practices” and “climate-friendly,” are voluntary marketing claims. The documentation submitted by companies to support these claims is reviewed by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the claims can only be included on the labels of meat and poultry products sold to consumers after they are approved by the agency.
In the updated guideline, FSIS now strongly encourages the use of third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising or environment-related claims as well as more robust documentation for environment-related and animal-raising claims.
“Third-party certification of animal-raising or environment-related claims helps ensure that such claims are truthful and not misleading by having an independent organization verify that their standards are being met on the farm for the raising of animals and for environmental stewardship,” USDA said.
[...] Read Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its latest agricultural trade forecast, predicting a sharp rise in the trade deficit for the upcoming fiscal year 2025. The forecast anticipates a record deficit of $42.5 billion, a significant increase from the $30.5 billion deficit projected for FY 2024, which ends on September 30th.
This widening gap is attributed to both a decline in agricultural exports and a rise in imports. Notably, soybean exports are expected to decrease by $1.5 billion to $22.9 billion, while corn exports are forecast to drop by $900 million to $12.2 billion.
On the import side, the USDA anticipates a significant rise, with agricultural imports projected to increase by $8 billion, reaching $212 billion. Higher imports of sugar, fruits, vegetables, and tropical products like coffee, tea, and cocoa fuel this increase. The USDA attributes part of the rise in fruit and vegetable imports to improved growing conditions in Mexico, the leading supplier of these products to the U.S.
The growing trade deficit has become a point of contention among farmers and lawmakers from agricultural states. Many in the farming community express frustration over the lack of aggressive trade negotiations by the current administration, which has avoided entering new tariff-cutting deals.
[...] Read Full Story
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Landus, an Iowa-based agriculture solutions and farm technology provider, has announced affordable, farmer-focused health coverage options are now available through its new Landus Health and Conduit Health program.
The initiative is powered by Momentum Ag, a Division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC, and will provide comprehensive health insurance coverage through a nationwide provider network, ensuring health care is affordable and accessible for thousands of farmers across the nation.
Momentum Ag may sound familiar to some readers. Back in January, FBN spun off its health insurance project to Patriot Growth Services, which rebranded the FBN health insurance program under the Momentum Ag moniker.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the process, Landus had previously come to a tentative agreement with a separate entity to underwrite its health insurance program, but Landus and the unnamed entity mutually decided to part ways due to lack of coverage for accidents involving motorized vehicles. Landus then pivoted to an alternative partner to launch the program, with Momentum Ag entering the equation.
According to a Landus press release, health insurance programs for farmers and their employees have been overwhelmingly expensive, and coverage has been limited across the ag industry, with farmers paying the majority of expenses out of pocket. Landus Health and Conduit Health makes health coverage available for farming operations of any size and is specifically designed with rural families’ needs in mind, the cooperative adds.
[...] Read Full Story
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