A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Updates, Action Items Set Up Busy Summer For Board And Committees | |
Topics and discussion at the June Board of Directors meeting included regular updates from committees and staff and a focus on activities that need to take place before the mid-September meeting. As a result, committees will have important work to attend to over the summer.
Most of the committee reports revolved around progress on ongoing issues or a focus on upcoming events. One item that will receive attention is the Grain Indemnity Fund. A subcommittee of the Grain Committee will be reviewing the program. All committees will be dedicating some of their meeting efforts to identifying legislative priorities to be shared with the Legislative Committee. The Board of Directors will approve and set legislative priorities for 2025 at the September meeting.
Watch the Take Five and your email for notification of upcoming committee meetings.
Another item of business was the upcoming Board or Directors Election for the 2025 board. To better represent the various areas of the state, and reduce the size of those represented areas, the board approved a map with five districts. The board will be seeking candidates for six seats - three District representatives, an Agronomy representative, an Animal Industry representative, and one At Large representative. Watch your regular mail and email starting the first week of July for specific information and the nomination form.
Other items covered include an update on the search progress for a new AAI CEO, as well as discussion of the 2025 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference event logistics updates and planning progress. The Showcase is scheduled for February 11-12, 2025.
The next Board of Directors meeting will take place on September 12.
Get Involved!
The direction and impact of the association is a direct result of committee activities. Committees provide input and direction for the Board of Directors actions. You or someone within your company can serve on a committee by emailing aai@agribiz.org, calling the AAI office, or filling out a form online at:
https://www.agribiz.org/benefits-of-membership/join-a-committee/
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Feed Mill Tour & Industry Speakers Highlight Animal Industry Committee Meeting | This week, the Animal Industry Committee Meeting was held in Ames at the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex. Speakers covered topics on HACCP, grain quality verification, finding process and business choke points, and the primary product being produced at the feed mill - trained students ready for employment in the industry. The meeting concluded with a tour of the facility. | |
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NOTE: The Grain Elevator Operations Management Short Course will take place August 5-9 at the ISU Kent Feed Mill & Grain Science Complex. If you have employees who would benefit from this training, visit the following URL:
https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2024grainops/
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Gov. Reynolds issues proclamation for 27 counties impacted by recent widespread flooding | |
Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a proclamation for Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Fremont, Harrison, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, Mills, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Pottawattamie, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth and Wright Counties in response to the widespread flooding in Iowa.
The governor's proclamation allows for the additional targeted suspension of specific regulatory requirements in affected counties to effectively respond to and recover from the effects of this event:
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code prescribing a five-day waiting period for issuance of a replacement copy of an original certificate of title to the owner of a vehicle. Allows a written statement by the owner, in or appended to the owner's application for replacement copy of original certificate of title, confirming that the original certificate of title was lost or destroyed.
- Waives fees for issuance of a replacement copy of an original certificate of title, as applied to an owner or lienholder whose original certificate of title was lost or destroyed.
- Waives fees for issuance of a replacement registration card, plate or pair of plates, as applied to any registration card, plate or pair of plates lost or made illegible.
- Waives fees for issuance of a duplicate or substitute driver’s license or non-operator’s identification card.
- Waives fees for any additional car lot established by an affected new or used motor vehicle dealer and waives the requirement that the car lot be in the city or township in which the principal place of business is located.
- Waives fees for any additional travel trailer lot established in addition to the principal place of business by an affected travel trailer dealer and waives the requirement that the travel trailer lot be in the city or township in which the principal place of business is located.
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code prescribing a separate license be obtained by an affected recycler for each county in which an affected recycler conducts business and waive the requirement for a separate license to be obtained by an affected recycler who has established an extension lot to cope with said emergency and waive the requirement that such extension be in the same county as the principal place of business or an Iowa county adjacent thereto.
- Waives fees collected by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics or a county recorder’s office for a certified copy or short form certification of a certificate or record, a search of the files or records when no copy is made, or when no record is found on file.
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code that pertain to procurement of goods and services, hours of service for disaster repair crews, and various requirements for the transportation of loads related to disaster repairs.
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code related to the six-month review requirement for family investment program applicants.
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code which requires counties to submit applications for appropriated grants to counties funding.
- Temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code requiring child development homes be located in a single-family residence.
The governor's proclamation also allows for the additional targeted suspension of specific regulatory requirements in Clay County:
- Temporarily suspends the regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code prescribing expiration dates for vehicle registration, registration cards, and registration plates as applied to a person whose vehicle registration, registration card, or registration plate is expired. Suspension of this provision is limited to vehicle registration, registration cards, and registration plates which have expired within the 60 days prior to this proclamation or during the duration of this proclamation or any subsequent extension of this proclamation.
- Temporarily suspends the regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code prescribing a transferee of a new motor vehicle shall apply for a new registration and certificate of title within 30 days of the purchase.
- Temporarily suspends the regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code prescribing a vehicle may be operated upon the highways of this state without registration plates for a period of 45 days after the date of delivery of the vehicle to the purchaser from a dealer.
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Less Than Three Weeks Until The Nurse Tank Testing Workshops | JULY 16 & 17 | |
Location:
CNH Industrial Ag Information Center
23942 590th Ave
Nevada, Iowa 50201
Registration Fees:
AAI Member - $195 | Non-Member - $240
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The Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI) works with FMCSA to provide you with accurate information on becoming qualified to test your own tanks at your own facilities.
U.S. Department of Transportation will present the following:
- Introduction Overview of HAZMAT Textbook
- Registration/Inspector Qualifications/HM training External Visual Inspection
- Pressure Test, Leakage & Test Thickness Venting
- Record Keeping Nurse Tank Testing Demonstration
- NH3 Data Plates Inspectional Observations & Violations
Two sessions are being offered to allow the opportunity for companies to split participants between days if needed. Each participant only need attend one of the dates.
Full details available at the following link:
https://agribiz.swoogo.com/2024nursetank
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YOUR WORST ROUND OF GOLF IS THE ONE YOU DON'T PLAY - REGISTER NOW! | |
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Summer Is Here!
Take Advantage Of These Great Golf Opportunities
The first golf tournament of the season is closer than you think. Register now and get ready for a great time on the golf course.
July 25 - AAI Tournament
Emerald Hills Golf Course - Okoboji
August 15 - AAI Tournament
Amana Colonies Golf Course - Amana
August 22 - AAI Tournament
Coldwater Golf Links - Ames
September 11 - AAI Chairman's Foundation Tournament
The Preserve on Rathbun Lake - Moravia
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Grain Elevator Operation Management & Bulk Material Handling Short Course | AUGUST 5-9 | |
Location:
ISU Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex
1873 State Ave.
Ames, Iowa 50014
Registration Fees:
AAI Member - $1050 | Non-Member - $1200
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This week long course will teach the scientific principles and advanced practical skills to further increase the professional competence of grain industry employees.
Hosted by:
- International Grain & Feed Industry Academy at Iowa State University
- Agribusiness Association of Iowa Foundation
Full details available at the following link:
Advanced Grain Operations Short Course Outline
| ADDITIONAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES | |
IOWA CCA SUMMER WORKSHOP
August 13 | 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
ISU Extension Field Education Lab (FEEL)
1928 240th St, Boone, Iowa (West of Ames off HWY 30)
Click Here to Register!
GRAIN GRADING WORKSHOPS
August 20 & 21 | 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Cherokee, Iowa
Registration Opens Late June
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July 1
Showcase Committee Meeting
1:00 PM | AAI Main Office Board Room
July 16 & 17
Nurse Tank Testing Workshop
8:00 AM | CNH Industrial Ag Information Center, Nevada
July 25
AAI Golf Outing - Okoboji
Emerald Hills Golf Club
August 5-9
Advanced Grain Operations Short Course
Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill & Grain Science Complex, Ames
August 15
AAI Golf Outing - Amana
Amana Colonies Golf Club
August 20 & 21
AAI Grain Grading Workshops
Little Sioux Event Center, Cherokee
August 22
AAI Golf Outing - Ames
Coldwater Golf Links
September 11
AAI Foundation Golf Outing - Moravia
AAI CHAIRMAN'S GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Preserve On Rathbun Lake
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TechHub Live Discount Registration Ends June 28 | |
TechHub Live
July 29-31, 2024
Iowa Events Center
Des Moines, Iowa
Register by June 28 to save $300 over on-site pass.
Regular Attendee All-Access Pass: $695
AAI/ARA Retailer Member: $595 (use code AAI24 for discount)
Click Here To Register for TechHub Live
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Deadline for Next Certified Crop Adviser Testing Window - July 15 | |
The Iowa Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) board would like to provide reminders of the testing timeframes for taking the CCA exams. In recent years, the CCA testing has changed from in-person testing to online window testing to on-demand testing. In the last year, the national CCA board has determined on-demand testing was not the best method for the CCA exam. As a result, it has moved back to online window testing.
The exam is offered four times per year, and it can be taken at any scheduled time in a two-week window. There is a registration period before each window to schedule the test. The deadline for registration of the next testing period of 2024 is July 15. The exam can be scheduled to be taken any time between July 24 and August 5. The registration can be completed on the national CCA website:
https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/exams
The Iowa CCA exam and the exam's performance objectives recently have been updated. The board recommends reviewing the updated performance objectives, which can be downloaded at the following link:
Iowa Performance Objectives PDF Download
Updates to other study materials are being reviewed at this time. Links and recommendations for other methods to study for the exam will be coming through future reminders.
If you or one of your agronomy employees have any questions about studying for or registering for the CCA testing, feel free to contact the Exam Committee Chair, Cody Ostendorf at cody.ostendorf@plantpioneer.com.
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ISU Research to Rows Drone Workshop | |
July 30, 2024 | 9 AM - 3 PM
Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm (near Crawfordsville)
Cost: $75
Register: https://go.iastate.edu/9LTDJK
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab are partnering to offer a new workshop as part of their "Research to Rows" series focusing on Drone (UAV) Technology on July 30 at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville.
The workshop is intended to be an introductory and foundational course for farmers or agriculture retailers interested in getting started with drone imagery technology.
Topics to be covered include:
- Definitions, terms and overview.
- Drone usage in agriculture.
- Recreational vs. commercial pilot.
- Purchasing and registration.
- Best practices and flight options/apps.
- Data processing and visualization.
- Future drone workshops.
- Presenters for the workshop include Doug Houser, digital agriculture extension specialist, and Ryan Huffman, digital agronomy research manager with the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
Advance registration is required. The cost is $75 and includes lunch, refreshments and handouts. Registration for the workshop closes July 26, and the workshop is limited to 25. Additionally, the first five registrants who farm in Iowa are eligible to have up to an 80-acre corn or soybean field flown over with a drone to collect a field health image.
Registration and check-in opens at 8:30 a.m. with the program running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information or to register, visit https://go.iastate.edu/9LTDJK.
For more information, contact Doug Houser at dhouser@iastate.edu or Rebecca Vittetoe, extension field agronomist at rka8@iastate.edu or 319-653-4811. The Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm is located at 3115 Louisa-Washington Road, Crawfordsville, Iowa.
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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Much like other farms in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa right now, my family's farm in southwest Minnesota is dealing with saturated soil and standing water. We are thankful for our field tile but hope the rain becomes less frequent. The situation we are facing on our farm right now is far different from what we were dealing with in June 2023, when we were amid a flash drought.
Looking back at June 2023, parts of southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, and northern Iowa had precipitation accumulations approaching 2 to 5 inches below normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor throughout June 2023 showed pockets of moderate and severe drought expanding across southern Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In these same areas, the current U.S. Drought Monitor that was released June 20 shows no areas of drought for southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa. There are a few pockets of abnormally dry areas in southern Wisconsin and eastern Iowa, though.
Over the past few weeks, the active weather pattern has brought rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms to portions of the Western Corn Belt. This active pattern is a result of upper-level troughs from the Canadian Prairies or western United States drifting east, and we haven't been able to get a persistent upper-level ridge to build across the Central U.S. Upper-level ridges often provide dry and fair weather while upper-level troughs are associated with low-pressure systems that lead to precipitation.
[...] Read Full Story
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The lack of broadband access in rural areas significantly affects American farmers and the economy. Still, millions of people living in the United States, especially in rural and tribal areas, lack access to sufficient broadband service.
Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Basil Gooden, announced the launch of the Broadband Technical Assistance Program. This initiative will provide $25 million in funding to support local organizations, cooperatives, and tribes in expanding affordable, high-speed internet access in rural areas.
The USDA is currently accepting applications.
As recently as June 2023, more than 14 percent of households in rural areas and nearly 12 percent of those in tribal areas lacked access to broadband, compared with 3 percent of households in metropolitan areas, according to data from the Federal Communications Commission.
Data from the USDA’s Economic Research Service indicates that farming contributes to nearly $133 billion of our country’s gross domestic product. Based on USB’s rural broadband survey, the lack of connectivity negatively impacts farmers responsible for $80 billion of gross domestic product.
“USDA is committed to making sure that people, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet,” Gooden said. “Through the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is partnering with small towns, tribes, local utilities, rural cooperatives, and private companies to increase access to this critical service, which will boost opportunities and help build bright futures. That’s how you grow the economy — not just in rural communities, but across the nation.”
[...] Read Full Story
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Denmark will introduce a levy on farm emissions in what is set to be one of the world’s first carbon taxes on agriculture, helping the Nordic nation reach its 2030 climate target with backing from key industry and environmental groups.
Farmers will be taxed 300 kroner ($43) per ton of CO2 equivalent emitted from 2030, the government said on Monday. Five years later, the tax will rise to 750 kroner per ton, though farmers will benefit from higher tax deductions.
Denmark is set to become one of the world’s first nations to introduce such measures. New Zealand, whose proposed levy had inspired the Scandinavian country, said earlier this month it would delay its plans to introduce farm emissions pricing to 2030 at the latest.
Denmark’s plan is estimated to reduce emissions by 1.8 million ton of CO2 in 2030, enabling the country to meet its target for that year to cut emissions by 70%. Apart from the tax, the government will also introduce subsidies worth 40 billion kroner to support the transition.
Negotiations about the tax have been underway since February, involving bodies representing farmers and the food industry, the country’s nature conservation organization and the Danish government, who have been evaluating taxation models presented by a government-commissioned advisory group.
[...] Read Full Story
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University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have developed low-cost sensors that allow for real-time, continuous monitoring of nitrate in soil types that are common in Wisconsin. These printed electrochemical sensors could enable farmers to make better informed nutrient management decisions and reap economic benefits.
"Our sensors could give farmers a greater understanding of the nutrient profile of their soil and how much nitrate is available for the plants, helping them to make more precise decisions on how much fertilizer they really need," says Joseph Andrews, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison who led the research. "If they can buy less fertilizer, the cost savings could be quite significant at large-acreage farms."
While nitrate is an essential nutrient for growing crops, excess nitrate can leach out of soil and into groundwater. This type of pollution is dangerous for people who drink contaminated well water and is harmful for the environment. The researchers' new sensors could also be used as an agricultural research tool to monitor nitrate leaching and help guide best practices for mitigating its harmful effects.
Current methods for monitoring nitrate in the soil are laborious, expensive and don't provide real-time data. That's why Andrews, an expert in printed electronics, and his team set out to create a better and less costly solution.
[...] Read Full Story
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