A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
AAI Adds Its Voice To Industry Advocacy Letter For Sound Science In Federal Regulation | |
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa joined more than 300 organizations in sending at a letter to health, agriculture and environmental leaders in D.C. calling for sound science and data to be used by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission in upcoming evaluations for products essential to food and agriculture. The letter specifically focuses on the importance of pesticides, biotechnology, and food and feed ingredients for farmers and consumers, and it also highlights the ways in which these products are already robustly regulated to ensure their safe use.
Pesticides are called out in the letter as being essential to protect crops and ensure U.S. consumers can continue to access a safe, abundant and affordable food supply. Biotechnology is important for improving crop yields and sustainability while also improving nutritional outcomes for consumers. Food and feed products are subject to a robust regulatory framework to certify any ingredients permitted for food use are safe for consumers. If access to any of these products is undermined, it could result in higher food costs for consumers or a greater reliance on foreign imports that may be less safe.
MAHA Sound Science Letter
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ISU Digital Innovation Lab, N-FACT Tool Highlight AAI Joint Committees Meeting | |
The AAI Agronomy and Environment Committees met Thursday and toured the Iowa State University Digital Ag Innovation Lab, a cutting-edge facility dedicated to advancing digital and precision agriculture. The facility opened earlier this year at the ISU Research Park and serves as a collaborative hub for developing innovative technologies that enhance agricultural productivity, efficiency, and profitability.
Led by Professor Matt Darr, the Digital Ag Innovation Lab partners with companies and organizations to create and implement new solutions for the industry. The lab also plays a key role in engaging students from all backgrounds, increasing awareness of career opportunities in agriculture. Through outreach initiatives like the Planter University series, the lab provides hands-on training to improve crop outcomes and share best practices.
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During the visit, the committees also received an overview of the N-FACT nitrogen management tool. Developed using data from over 1,000 on-farm nitrogen rate trials across Iowa, this tool helps users optimize fertilizer applications by selecting their county or soil region, adjusting weather assumptions, incorporating soil test data, and modifying fertilizer prices, among other variables. The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative collaborated with agricultural organizations—including the Agribusiness Association of Iowa—and farmers across the state to bring this valuable resource to life.
In addition to exploring innovative ag technologies, the committees discussed state and federal legislative priorities that impact AAI members.
Get Involved!
AAI’s committees play a vital role in shaping the direction of the association. By participating, members can provide input and guidance on key industry initiatives. If you or someone from your company is interested in serving on a committee, contact AAI at aai@agribiz.org, call the office, or fill out a form online.
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Avoid Delays - Renew Commercial Pesticide Certification And Licenses Online | |
As spring planting nears, applications and renewals spike for pesticide applicator certifications. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) is encouraging commercial applicators to renew early and online.
Using the Pesticide Bureau Self-Service Portal reduces the amount of paperwork required and allows the bureau to more quickly process submissions.
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Full Reimbursement Available to AAI Member Companies For May 22 ISU PCQI Training Class | |
Important Dates and Information:
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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.
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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. Both fees are eligible for reimbursement.
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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NGFA Annual Convention
Attended by: Julie Kenney, AAI CEO
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April 2
AAI Showcase Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m. - AAI Main Office Board Room
April 10
AAI Board Of Directors Meeting
10:00 a.m. - AAI Board Room
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Nominate a Conservation Leader for the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award | |
Iowans are encouraged to nominate individuals or families who are conservation leaders in their community for the 2025 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award.
The award recognizes farmers and farm families who go above and beyond to take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources, including our soil and water, while serving as leaders within their communities. Since the creation of the award in 2012, 821 farm families have been recognized.
The recipients of the award will be honored during a ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, at the Iowa State Fair. Gov. Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Cournoyer, Secretary Naig and Director Lyon will present each awardee with an Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award sign and certificate.
To be considered for recognition in 2025, nominations will be accepted through May 5, 2025.
Conservation Leader Nomination Form
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Register for the Next Certified Crop Adviser Testing Window | |
The Iowa Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) board would like to provide reminders of the testing timeframes for taking the CCA exams.
Next CCA Exam Testing Period - April 2-15, 2025
Deadline for registration - March 24, 2025
The exam can be scheduled to be taken any time between April 2 and April 15. 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 have been recently updated. The board recommends reviewing the updated performance objectives at Iowa Performance Objectives PDF.
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.
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Source: Progressive Farmer
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For the fourth time in the past decade, the Environmental Protection Agency will write a new rule for regulating waters of the United States, one that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said will closely align with a Supreme Court decision and alleviate regulatory risks for farmers.
Zeldin on Wednesday announced the latest attempt to write a new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule "and make sure we are fixing WOTUS once and for all." Zeldin said the new rule will more closely align with the Supreme Court ruling on Sackett v EPA that significantly narrowed the definition of WOTUS.
The Sackett decision limited EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to regulating only wetlands and waterways with a continuous surface connection to a larger body of water.
EPA and the Corps on Wednesday announced a joint memorandum to field staff about implementation of a "continuous surface connection" in accordance with Sackett.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Iowa State University
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The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is the recipient of the 2025 Team Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. Team members from the agronomy department are Mike Castellano, Sotirios Archontoulis, Melissa Miller, Mitchell Baum, Raheel Osman, Isaiah Huber and Amy Cooper.
The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is a private-public partnership with a vision to provide Iowans with the best nitrogen science in the world for the benefit of productivity, profitability and environmental performance. Nitrogen fertilizer is among the most critical inputs to crop production – and one of the costliest. When applied at the optimum rate, nitrogen boosts productivity and profitability and avoids the environmental costs of excess application. However, finding the optimum application rate can be a challenge: it can vary by more than 100% from field-to-field and year-to-year.
[...] Read Full Story
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Do you own a drone? If yes, the odds that it was made by DJI are high — the Chinese-based company is the dominant presence in the drone sector, accounting for about 80 percent of all drones in the U.S. and 70 percent globally. The company supplies drones for a wide array of applications, from hobbyist photography, business logistics to deliver packages, and in the agricultural sector through spray drones.
With such a domineering presence across the board and the United States’ increasing tensions with China, DJI has long faced scrutiny over how it protects its data privacy and prevents its drones from being mishandled for military or surveillance purposes in America.
As a reflection of more Americans feeling that China’s influence is growing stronger in the world, the U.S. government has considered efforts to limit the scope of Chinese-owned organizations in the nation. Fear that DJI drones could be used in America to spy on citizens or collect sensitive information are real concerns, leading to policy efforts to address these concerns.
Last fall, Congress passed the Countering CCP Drones Act, calling for a blanket ban specifically on DJI-made drones. This was the latest in a series of political steps against DJI and other Chinese-based drone companies, which started back in 2019 in the name of national security.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Brownfield Ag News
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The USDA is expected to roll out the first round of Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) funds starting next week.
Brooke Appleton, USDA’s deputy under secretary for farm production and conservation, says the funding was allocated in the Continuing Resolution passed by Congress last December.
“The funding is there to help agriculture producers mitigate the impact of increased input costs and falling commodity prices,” she says. “We’re committed to deploying this much needed assistance through a streamlined and transparent process that reduces the burden on the producer.”
She says the assistance will be based on planted and prevented plant acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 cropping year.
“If you’ve already submitted your 2024 acre report to FSA, they will be working with you on a pre-filled application that they will send to you that you can use as a starting point,” she says.
[...] Read Full Story
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