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All members of AAI are encouraged to come to the Annual Meeting held at the Varied Industries Building, February 9 at 3:00 pm during the 2016 Showcase & Conference. AAI will discuss accomplishments in 2015 and new opportunities in 2016. This meeting will also include an update on the Agricultural Legal Defense Fund and the DMWW Lawsuit.
Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2016
Time: 3:00 PM - 4 PM
Location: Upper East Conference Room, Varied Industries Building, Iowa State Fair Grounds
Please visit the main registration desk in the Varied Industries building before arriving at the annual meeting!
Call to Order
Approval of Agenda
Secretary's Report
Financial Report
Chair's Remarks
AAI 2015 Activity Report
AAI 2016 Planned Activity Report
Other business
Adjournment
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2016 Legislative Reception
Member Invitation
AAI will be hosting our annual legislative breakfast reception for legislators, staff, and key government officials. This is an annual function of the AAI Legislative Committee and all AAI members are invited to attend!
Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Time: 7:30 AM
Location: Iowa Capitol Building - Ronald Reagan Room
Please joins us on Jan 26!
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Iowa Governor Branstad Holds Conference With AAI Board
On Thursday, January 7, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad invited the
Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI) board to meet with him and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds at the capitol to talk about his recent water quality funding proposal. AAI board members, including AAI CEO Joel Brinkmeyer, met with the Governor in person. Other board members joined via teleconference to hear the proposal first hand and to ask questions.
Governor Branstad asked for support on a proposal that would provide a long term funding stream for water quality efforts. The revenue would be generated from an existing sales tax provision by extending the end date on that revenue source for schools from 2029 to 2049, provide all existing funding to schools plus an additional increase of $10 million each year, and if there is any excess beyond those amounts, it would be used for funding water quality improvements both from point sources and non-point sources.
The AAI legislative committee will take up the proposal during the next scheduled meeting on January 15. The committee will then make a recommendation to the AAI board regarding support of the proposed framework.
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Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds present a proposal that would provide long term funding for water quality to the AAI board of directors. Top middle, AAI Chairman Tracy Gathman, AAI CEO Joel Brinkmeyer.
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CEO Attends Iowa Grain Quality January Meeting
Joel Brinkmeyer, AAI's CEO, attended the Iowa Grain Quality Advisory Committee on Friday, January 8th, at the Alumni Hall at Iowa State University. The Grain Quality Advisory Committee is a value added production program of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and is led by Dr. Charles Hurburgh. Brinkmeyer represents AAI as one of seven Iowa Associations on the Committee, which also includes several private grain company representatives, state government officials and additional Extension and Outreach representatives.
The agenda for the day included updates regarding FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act and related education programs, a presentation regarding proposed continuing education programs by Dr. Dirk Maier, Global Food Security Consortium, and updates regarding a proposed new feed mill / grain storage & training facility being considered by Iowa State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Several updates and input was provided by other additional extension representatives as well.
The Advisory committee meets two times per year, and provides significant support to Iowa grain businesses, feed manufacturers, food processors, and Iowa farmers.
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3 New Project Focused on Expanding Use and Innovative Delivery of Water Quality Practices Receive Funding
AAI is pleased to announce that it will be a project partner on the Iowa Corn Cover Crops Initiative lead by the Iowa Seed Association. The grant award is $1,113,285 and the total project cost is released at just over $1.9 million.
The project seeks to focus on increasing adoption of cover crops on seed corn production acres in Iowa. The focus on seed corn production is largely driven by the unique opportunity for adoption of cover crops due to an earlier harvest, which provides better timing opportunities for establishment in the fall. Read full release
here
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Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that three projects focused on expanding the use and innovative delivery of water quality practices have been selected to receive $1.92 million in funding through the Iowa water quality initiative over the next three years. In addition to the state funds, the three projects will provide over $2 million in matching funds to support water quality improvement efforts as well as other in-kind contributions.
The projects started on January 1. Twenty partners from agriculture organizations, institutions of higher education, private industry, the local, state and federal government, and others, are working together on these projects.
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AAI Attends LICA Board Meeting
AAI's Shawn Richmond met with the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) Board of Directors on Wednesday, January 13th to discuss opportunities for AAI and LICA to work together towards shared environmental stewardship goals.
Iowa LICA contractors work with soil and water, notably including much of the conservation work that occurs across Iowa such as drainage, wetland restoration, ponds, terraces, waterways, erosion control structures and essentially any other type of work that involves soil and water.
Ideas were discussed about how AAI's and LICA's memberships could explore new ways of working together to help enhance the environmental impact that they both have through their members.
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Biofuels Better Off Compared to Original RFS Cuts
An ag economist says the ag and biofuels sector has made enormous progress with the latest Renewable Fuel Standards even with cuts to ethanol mandates.
Scott Irwin with the University of Illinois tells Brownfield if the original RFS cuts from 2013 would remain in effect, there would have been a greater impact to ethanol production. "My projections would be that that would in total have involved 17 billion gallons of cuts in total between 2014 and 2022."
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Congress passed resolution against WOTUS is headed to veto
Both the Senate and House of Representatives have voted to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency's expansion of the Clean Water Act with its Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, but there is a solid expectation that President Obama will veto the resolution.
The House voted Wednesday to overturn the rule, and the Senate previously voted to stop EPA's enforcement rules last November. The resolution to keep the rule from going into enforcement has been pushed mainly by Republicans. It has been challenged under the Congressional Review Act, which gives lawmakers the option to block regulations in the first 60 legislative days after they are issued. But the President can still override the congressional vote.
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Renewable Fuels Summit; Only a Week Away
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will speak at the 10th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit January 19
th. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will take place in Altoona. Lucy Norton is managing director of Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.
Norton says it is a very exciting time for the renewable fuels industry.
"The summit also coincides with the anniversary of the landmark energy policy which is known as the Renewable Fuels Standard. There will be a great deal of focus on the Renewable Fuels Standard. Looking at the business impact of the Renewable Fuels Standard with the most recent volumes that were announced late last year and take a look at what's ahead."
This event is free and open to the public. Online registration is now closed, onsite
registration
is
available the day of the event.
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Attendee Registration Now Open!
Attendee registration for the 2016 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference is now open.
Available sessions:
More information:
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Upcoming Events
& Meeting
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AAI Executive Committee Meeting
January 20
10:00 AM
AAI Board Room
Membership Committee
Conference Call
January 21
10:00 AM
Call for Conference Number
AAI Legislative Reception
January 26
8:00 AM
Capitol Building
AAI Board Meeting
AAI Board Room
AAI Services Board Meeting
January 29
10:00 AM
AAI Board Room
Showcase Committee Meeting
January 29
10:00 AM
AAI Board Room
Grain / Feed & Livestock Committee Meeting
February 2
10:00 AM
AAI Board Room
AAI All Member Annual Meeting
February 9, 2016
3:00 PM
VI Building, Upper East Room
Iowa State Fairgrounds
Agribusiness Showcase & Conference
February 9-10, 2016
VI Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds
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2016 Membership Directory Advertising Benefits
Benefits of advertising in 2016:
- 5 Free listings in Buyer's Guide printed version
- A linked listing on digital Buyer's Guide (www.agribiz.org/aai-buyers-guide)
- Special listing in Advertiser's Index printed version showing page number of your ad
- Yearly Recognition by over 1,200 AAI members who use our directory daily
- Member discounted rates - see pages 2-3 of enclosed packet
- Yearly Recognition by over 1,200 AAI members
Please download our advertiser packet today!
Deadline to advertise is February 29, 2016.
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