Take 5 Newsletter

January 25 , 2018

A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation.

In This Issue

AAI Week In Review

AAI Holds Legislative Breakfast At Capitol to Greet Iowa Legislators

Thank You! | Advanced Grain Elevator Operations Management Short Course

Water Quality and Nutrient Reduction Strategy Legislation Passed

Take Advantage of Sensitive-crop Directory

AAI IN ACTION

AAI Week In Review

Soil Health Summit

The Soil Health Partnership invited Shawn Richmond, AAI Director of Environmental Technology, to speak last week at their 2018 Soil Health Summit in Chicago.

Richmond gave a presentation on nutrient use when managing cover crop, strip till, and no till systems. The conference focused on soil and nutrient conservation practices. The invitation only event drew a mostly farmer audience.

AGP Annual Meeting

Last week also saw the annual meeting for AGP in Omaha. The annual conference draws a large number of AAI members. Reilly Vaughan, Membership Director, attended on behalf of AAI. Vaughan was able to talk to many AAI members and hear first hand some of the hot topics being discussed at the ag retail level.

AAI would like to thank AGP for the invitation to attend and for holding a great event where we are able to interact with many AAI members in one place.

AAI Holds Legislative Breakfast At Capitol to Greet Iowa Legislators

pictured above: AAI board of directors, Bill Northey, Mike Naig, and Iowa legislators at the capitol building Jan 23.

The Annual AAI Legislative Breakfast was held Tuesday, January 23 at 7:30 AM at the Iowa capitol building. This event gives the AAI membership and the board of directors the opportunity to speak with Iowa Legislators, introduce themselves and AAI to newly instated legislators, and give AAI members a voice at capitol hill.

pictured above: CEO Joel Brinkmeyer (top left) and AAI Past Chairman Dave Tierney (front) speaks to Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig during the AAI Legislative Breakfast.

AAI Board Meeting Wrap up

Earlier this week, the AAI Board of Directors held their first board meeting of 2018.

The meeting included discussion of Water Quality Funding, legislative priorities, and tax code changes. Board members received updates from the AAI committees, Iowa State University, the community colleges, and the Iowa CCAs. Board members also learned about some of the research the Iowa Nutrient Research and Education Council has been funding, how AAI is helping to facilitate information about dicamba training in Iowa, and an update on the progress of the Iowa Agribusiness Environmental Partnership.

The next AAI Board of Directors meeting is slated for April.

Thank You! | Advanced Grain Elevator Operations Management Short Course

The first Advanced Grain Elevator Operations Management Short Course was held on Jan 8 - 12 at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames, IA. This inaugural course was h osted by the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative ( iowagrain.org ) Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa. We would like to thank Dirk Maier, professor of grain and feed operations and processing at Iowa State and a member of the IGQI management team, that lead the course, Bob Marlow, owner of Operations Professional Services, for teaching the course, and Charles Hurburgh, grain quality and handling specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach for all his help and support.

Course subjects included personnel management, operations costs, grain quality characteristics and measurement, air properties for drying and cooling, handling and conveying to minimize grain breakage, principles of grain drying and conditioning, grain monitoring and aeration control, and managing shrink loss to maximize profit. The emphasis of all topics was on operating economics.

IN THE NEWS

Water Quality and Nutrient Reduction Strategy Legislation Passed

by: Oskaloosa Hearld

Senate File 512 was passed in the Iowa House of Representatives and the Iowa Senate on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The water quality and nutrient reduction strategy legislation passed in a 59-41 vote. The bill was amended and passed by the Senate on April 20, 2017.

Senate File 512, according to the legislation text, is "an act relating to water quality by amending the wastewater treatment financial assistance program, creating a water quality infrastructure fund, establishing a water quality financing program, providing for cost-share programs for infrastructure on agricultural and urban land under the water quality initiative, creating a waste water service excise tax and a related sales tax exemption, making transfers and appropriations and other changes properly related to water quality and including effective date provisions."

In a press release, Gov. Kim Reynolds was quoted as saying "I am proud that the first piece of legislation I will sign as governor will be a water quality bill. This will go a long way towards our goal of providing a long-term, dedicated and growing revenue source to help fund and scale best practices through the already successful Nutrient Reduction Strategy." Read More

Related Articles

Iowa legislators pass Water Quality Bill

Take Advantage of Sensitive-crop Directory

by: Wallaces Farmer

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship highlights the success of the revamped Iowa Sensitive Crops Registry and is encouraging eligible farmers and apiarists to register or re-save their data for the 2018 growing season.

"We are encouraged to see such a strong response to the updated directory and the positive feedback to the improved mapping features, streamlined data entry and increased accuracy. We hope both farmers and applicators will continue to take advantage of the directory to promote better communication around sensitive sites," says Mike Naig, Iowa deputy secretary of agriculture. Read More