A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Have A Safe Memorial Day Weekend | |
The AAI Home Office will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. | |
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AAI MAIN OFFICE SUMMER HOURS
Starting Friday, May 27, and continuing through Labor Day, the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Main Office will close at noon on Fridays.
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Overweight Truck Permitting Signed Into Law | |
A bill was signed into law this week that authorizes the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to issue an annual all systems permit for overweight vehicles. The law takes effect on January 1, 2023.
Senate File 2376 allows year-round permitting for trucks to run at 12% over the max weight based on type and axles. It is equivalent to the modification of truck weights each fall under the harvest weight proclamation and will eliminate the need for an annual proclamation from the governor. The law sets the fee for the permit at $500 with $375 of that fee (seventy-five percent) earmarked to fund county secondary roads.
The law requires all counties to allow vehicles under these permits to operate on secondary roads and to indicate to IDOT secondary roads which are not included under these permits.
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa declared support for this legislation during the session. The bill was overwhelmingly passed by both the House and the Senate.
Full text of the law can be found here:
SF 2376
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Advisory Council Soliciting Additional Members | |
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa Advisory Council was created to provide an opportunity for past board members and agribusiness industry retirees to stay engaged in the association, and to leverage their knowledge and experience in the industry. The Advisory Council typically meets twice per year to socialize and stay up to date on the association and industry issues. Advisory Council members also can participate in association events and will receive the weekly Take Five newsletter.
The current Advisory Council chair Mark Morrissey invites other past board members and industry retirees to pay their Emeritus Membership dues and join the Council. If you are already an Advisory Council member, forward this information to someone you know who would be interested in becoming a member.
Pay Emeritus Membership Dues Online: AAI Online Dues System
Request a printable Emeritus Membership Dues Form: Click To Email Us
The next meeting of the AAI Advisory Council is set for July 19 at the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Main Office in Des Moines.
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It's Time for Tee
(but probably no crumpets)
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Join your colleagues and industry friends for two great days on the golf course as you enjoy conversations, fresh air, and competition.
AAI Golf Outings
July 21
Emerald Hills Golf Course - Okoboji, Iowa
September 7
Amana Colonies Golf Club - Amana, Iowa
Click below to register!
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Double Eagle Level Sponsors | |
Golf Sponsorship Opportunities | |
Make sure your agribusiness peers know you support the association as they gather for social time, entertain clients, and enjoy a great day at the golf course.
Available Sponsor Options:
Luncheon Sponsor | Golf Cart | Hole-In-One Sponsor | Snack Cart Sponsor
| Pin Prize Sponsor | Champions Sponsor | Hole Sponsor
Full details available here:
AAI Golf Sponsorships
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Regulatory Posters Available for Order | |
The posters are:
- Worker Protection Standard
- Agrichemical Shipments - D.O.T. Shipping Information
- Restricted-Use Pesticides
Click here to order: Order Asmark Posters
Questions or concerns, please call Reilly Vaughan 515-868-0311.
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Dicamba Cutoff Date in Iowa: June 20 | |
Label amendments from EPA restrict the use of over-the-top dicamba in Iowa and Minnesota. The revised labeling prohibits over-the-top dicamba application on dicamba-tolerant crops after June 20 in Iowa.
The EPA requires all growers nationwide (not just in Iowa and Minnesota) using dicamba products to check the applicable following links within seven (7) days of application in case their state has made any local label updates:
Growers using dicamba products must have all relevant labeling in their possession at the time of application.
View the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Press Release
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May 27
AAI Main Office Summer Hours Begin
Office Closes at Noon on Fridays Through Labor Day
May 30
AAI Main Office Closed for Memorial Day Holiday
June 21
Executive Committee Meeting
AAI Main Office
June 29
Agronomy & Environment Committees Joint Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Board Room
June 30
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
AAI Board Room
July 19
AAI Advisory Council Meeting
AAI Board Room
July 21
AAI Golf Outing - Emerald Hills
Okoboji, Iowa | Click Here to Register
September 7
AAI Golf Outing - Amana Colonies
Amana, Iowa | Click Here to Register
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | |
Ag Retailers Invited to Attend Ag Aviation Calibration Clinic June 1 & 2 | |
The Iowa Agricultural Aviation Association (IAAA) is inviting ag retailers to attend their annual Operation Safe fly in and calibration clinic on June 1-2.
Aviators in attendance will be making sure their equipment is properly calibrated for the growing season. Ag retailers are invited to watch the process and interact with the aviators.
The event is weather dependent, so it is advisable to call ahead if there are questions about the weather. June 1 is the primary date with June 2 as a backup if June 1 does not work.
IAAA Operation Safe Calibration Fly In
June 1-2, 2022
Webster City Municipal Airport
Webster City, Iowa
Contact Quinten Childs with questions:
Email: qchilds@insmgmtgrp.com
Phone: 515.229.1856
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AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting - June 12-13 | |
Location: Altoona, Iowa
A conference related to driving digital connectivity in global agriculture and related industries. Visit the website for additional information and registration:
2022 Mid-Year Meeting
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Cover Iowa: Agronomists in the Know Workshop - June 22 | |
Practical Farmers of Iowa is hosting an in-person workshop for people advising farmers on cover crops. Earn CEUs, network, and learn about how cover crops can save money at this free workshop and lunch.
Cover Iowa: Agronomists in the Know Workshop
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Iowa State University Alumni Center
Ames, Iowa
Topics and speakers include:
Cover crops and reduced tillage for resilient corn and soybean yields
- Wayne Fredericks, Mitchell County Farmer
- Jerry Hatfield, Retired USDA-ARS Midwest Climate Hub Director
Getting to ‘yes’: Tips on selling and telling others about cover crops
- Jen Simpson, Sales Expert and Owner of Simpson Sales and Solutions
Cut synthetic N costs with extended rotation and coupling manure and covers
- Wade Dooley, Marshall County Farmer
- Brian Dougherty, Agricultural Engineer, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Strengths and challenges of a co-op’s conservation agronomy program
- Thomas Fawcett, Director of Environmental Resources at Heartland Cooperative
Download the Event Flyer: Cover Iowa Event
Register Online: http://bit.ly/PFICoverIowa
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StoneX Commercial Grain Accounting Seminar - June 14-15 | |
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
An event for grain professionals, accountants, and CPAs focused on the basics of grain origination and merchandising, and the intricacies of grain industry accounting practices. Visit the website for additional information and registration:
Commercial Grain Accounting Seminar
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In comments submitted this week to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) supported STB’s proposal to amend its emergency service regulations.
The NGFA praised STB for its timely proposal, noting that the new measures would empower the board to act more efficiently and effectively during rail service emergencies.
“The NGFA urges the board to issue final rules in this proceeding as quickly as possible, given that the current rail service crisis in the United States and the substantial harm it is causing to NGFA members, other rail shippers, and the country’s economy as a whole, is showing no signs of abating anytime soon,” NGFA stated.
The STB issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on April 23 in which it proposes to: (1) amend procedures for parties seeking a board order directing an incumbent carrier to take action to remedy a service emergency; (2) indicate that the board may act on its own initiative to direct emergency service; (3) modify the informational requirements for parties in emergency service proceedings; (4) shorten the filing deadlines in emergency service proceedings and establish a timeframe for board decisions; and (5) establish an accelerated process for certain acute service emergencies.
In comments submitted on May 23, NGFA said it is “very supportive” of STB’s proposed accelerated process to handle acute service emergencies. “The consequences of railroads failing to deliver (grain and feed) supplies can be damaging, and potentially catastrophic, to the health of livestock populations,” NGFA noted. “For this reason, the NGFA asks the board to clarify that the accelerated process it has proposed may be utilized when there is a clear and present threat to the health of livestock in addition to ‘food security.’”
[...] Read Full Story
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Agricultural producers have until June 30 to sign up to be able to take part in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. Taken only once every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census provides a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them.
The Census of Agriculture covers land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and more. Census data includes all operations of all sizes – big and small, rural and urban – raising or selling $1,000 or more of agricultural products.
While many farmers and ranchers are not eager to fill out the census nor reveal details about their business, the census does play a major role in how government money is allocated to producers and their rural communities. It is also vital information when it comes to creating farm policy. As the USDA states, “For America’s farmers and ranchers, the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity.”
Here is the link to sign up:
https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/static/get-counted.html
The 2022 census will be mailed out in November to those who have signed up, and responses are due February 2023.
The data is expected to be released in the spring or summer of 2024.
[...] Read Full Story
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Source: Iowa State University News Service
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An Iowa State University research team that helped develop a demonstration-scale pyrolyzer capable of sequestering thousands of tons of carbon dioxide a year has received a prestigious milestone award from XPRIZE Carbon Removal, it was announced on Friday.
The milestone prize provides $1 million to the carbon removal team at the Bioeconomy Institute to help advance its vision of using pyrolysis to remove carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere, thus slowing climate change. The carbon removal team is also in the running for an even larger award from XPRIZE of up to $50 million that will be determined in 2025. XPRIZE announced 15 milestone awards on Friday to coincide with Earth Day, selecting the winners from a field of 1,133 teams seeking to combat climate change by finding innovative means of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Robert Brown, Iowa State Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, the Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering and co-director of Iowa State’s Bioeconomy Institute, said the milestone prize validates the research team’s approach to carbon sequestration, which centers on a process known as pyrolysis. During pyrolysis, biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen, yielding a carbon-rich material known as biochar, which is a form of charcoal. Brown and his team have shown that biochar is an effective means of storing carbon in the soil, a practice known as sequestration, which keeps the carbon out of the atmosphere.
[...] Read Full Story
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Iowa is home to thousands of refugee families, many of who come to the U.S. with very little. A local organization based in the metro is working to change that by helping some become entrepreneurs.
Lutheran Services in Iowa runs a grant-funded program called Global Greens. The program allows refugees who were once farmers in their home country the ability to apply for the program, which connects them with a plot of land.
"As people go through our training program and they graduate, we work with them to move onto their own land where they rent or purchase farms in the Des Moines area," said Daniel Bowser, a supervisor with LSI's Immigrant and Refugee Community Services.
The team with Global Greens also helps refugee families with their English during that time.
"We have to start with a 50x50 plot. Then, gradually we go up," said Tika Bhandari, one of the farmers with the program. "Now I am in a quarter-acre plot."
Tika Bhandari's family moved to the U.S. in 2008 from Bhutan, a country in South Asia.
"My dad and mom were farmers," Bhandari said. "Coming here, my dad saw this big land and he wanted that land."
[...] Read Full Story
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THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT
Follow host David Geiger on Twitter:
@geigerreports
Watch daily broadcast live:
KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids
WHO-TV Des Moines
KYOU-TV Ottumwa
Watch online any time:
https://agribiz.org/report
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