A five-minute summary of AAI, regulation, and industry activities for members of the largest state agribusiness association in the nation. | |
Newly Confirmed Speakers and Events - Agribusiness Showcase & Conference | |
Several events recently have been finalized for the 2023 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference. Below is a short rundown of the latest confirmed speakers and events.
Iowa Department Directors Panel – February 15, 2:00 PM
Hear directly from State of Iowa Department Directors on the afternoon of February 15. The following directors have been confirmed:
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Scott Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation
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Kayla Lyons, Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
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Kraig Paulsen, Director, Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Department of Management
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Debi Durham, Director, Iowa Economic Development Authority
Grain Indemnity Fund Overview and Update – February 15, 9:00 AM
Grain Warehouse Bureau Chief Jim Kennedy will provide background and updated information on the impending Grain Indemnity Fund assessment, share insight on what is happening with the fund during the legislative session, and answer questions.
Applicator of the Year | Sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions Wholesale – February 15, Noon
The first annual Iowa Applicator of the Year award will be given during the Wednesday All Industry Luncheon. The award was created to acknowledge the important contributions of an underappreciated group of ag professionals who provide a critical service to the industry. Watch your email next week for how to submit a nomination.
PAC Auction – February 14, 6:00 PM
Join us at the All Industry Reception on the first evening of Showcase to bid on some amazing items and raise money for the Iowa Agribusiness PAC. This annual event has become a tradition providing some great entertainment while raising funds for an important industry tool.
Want to contribute an item for the auction? Scroll down to the article later in this newsletter.
STOP! DON’T MISS THIS NOTE
Joan O’Brien Retirement Celebration – February 14, 4:00 PM
Agribusiness Association of Iowa CFO Joan O'Brien has long been a fixture of the industry, joining the staff of a predecessor association in the early 1990s. Since that time, Joan has served the members in a number of roles during the entire history of AAI. This past December, Joan retired from full time employment with the association.
Come celebrate Joan’s legacy and impact on the industry and our affiliated associations as we focus on her contributions during the All Industry Reception.
Register for the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference:
Online Registration
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Restricted CDL Length Options Expand | |
From the Iowa Department of Transportation:
Our team would like to update you of a change to Iowa’s Restricted Commercial Driver License (RCDL). Under current federal and state law, Iowa MVD may issue a RCDL to individuals in farm-related service industries who do not have a CDL but need to transport certain agricultural inputs on commercial motor vehicles that require a Class B or Class C CDL.
Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the increase in the maximum validity of a RCDL from 180 days to 210 days. Previously an Iowa RCDL was valid for no more than 180 days in a calendar year and available in increments of 60-, 90- or 180 days.
Effective January 1, 2023, the increments of a RCDL increased to 70-, 105- and 210-day periods, no more than 210 days in a calendar year.
For questions, please visit:
Restricted commercial driver's license (CDL) (iowadot.gov)
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2022 WOTUS Final Rule From EPA
Article Courtesy of The Fertilizer Institute
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the prepublication availability of the final “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” rule, which will be effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. The rule will replace the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule with the pre-2015 regulation, including a few additional clarifications.
EPA’s final rule fact sheet can be found here:
2022 WOTUS Rule
More information and background materials can be found on EPA’s final rule webpage:
Final Revised Definition of "Waters of the United States"
In the lead-up to this rule, it had been the intention of the EPA to have a 2 phase rulemaking on the definition of WOTUS. However, in an interview with The New York Times, EPA Assistant Administrator, Office of Water Radhika Fox said the administration is not currently planning a major second phase. The Supreme Court still has a pending decision in Sackett v. EPA that will be released in the new year and determine if the new rule is as durable as the EPA claims.
More details should be available in the coming weeks.
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AAI Legislative Breakfast at the Capitol | |
Join your fellow AAI members at the Iowa State Capitol for a breakfast reception meet and greet with Iowa legislators. This event is a prime opportunity to make connections with legislators and talk about items that are important to your business.
AAI Legislative Breakfast
Thursday, January 26, 2023
7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines
Room 15 - Legislative Dining Room
Those attending will meet at the AAI main office prior to the event and walk over to the Iowa State Capitol Building. Attendees may also go directly to the event as their schedule allows.
If you have any questions, contact Sally Thompson - sally@agribiz.org or 515.262.8323.
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Make an Impact - Donate an Item for the Iowa Agribusiness PAC Auction | |
Tuesday evening activities during the reception on February 14 at the 2023 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference will include the annual LIVE AUCTION which raises funds to support the Iowa Agribusiness Political Action Committee (AAI-PAC) and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Foundation (AAIF). There are also plans in place for the return of the silent auction this year!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be there! The reception and live auction are open for all to attend. Plenty of complimentary delicious food and assorted beverages provided. And as an extra bonus at this year’s reception, we will be celebrating long-time AAI staff member Joan O’Brien as she transitions to retirement.
Donate an auction item! Your donation of an experience, item, or package of items will help make this year’s auction the best yet! Examples of past donations: event tickets (including ISU and Iowa athletic events), a stay at a resort or lodge, golf outings, collectibles, wine and beef or other food packages, Valentines Day packages, gift cards, coolers, and a Milwaukee drill just to name a few. A minimum value of $100 for an item or group of items is suggested.
Have a donation to offer or have questions? Please email Sally Thompson - sally@agribiz.org.
A FEW NOTES ABOUT DONATIONS
AAI-PAC is an important opportunity for the association to build relationships with legislators and create a dialogue about the importance and impact of agribusiness in Iowa. All donations to the PAC must be from personal funds and are not tax deductible. No corporate funds allowed. This includes in-kind donations such as items for bid (e.g. round of golf). PAC funds are neither charitable nor a business expense. Donations to the auction are reported at FMV as a contribution to the PAC.
AAI Foundation promotes research projects, member education, stewardship and scholarships that benefit AAI members and their families. Donations from corporate or business organizations will support the AAI Foundation. This is a great opportunity to promote a new or existing product!
If you have any questions, contact Sally Thompson - sally@agribiz.org or 515.868.0323.
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Government Ag Leaders Hold Reception at AAI | |
Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Mike Sexton, and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Sen. Dawn Driscoll held a pre-session reception at the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Main Office on Wednesday. The event was attended by AAI CEO Bill Northey, AAI members, and others in the ag community. | |
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The following list of members have recently completed their membership investment for 2023.
Thank you for your membership!
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- Stueve Construction
- AMVAC
- Eldon C Stutsman, Inc.
- Agri Drain Corporation
- United Farmers Cooperative
- AgSource Laboratories
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- Meyer Agri-Air
- The Nature Conservancy
- Wilbur Ellis
- Gold Eagle Cooperative
- New Cooperative
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REGISTRATION DISCOUNT ENDS JANUARY 27 | |
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Attending the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference is a great way to jumpstart your year. Make connections with exhibitors, government officials, regulators, and other ag professionals, plus you'll get the most up to date information directly from industry experts.
Reward yourself and register now!
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Exhibitors: Spaces Still Available | |
Is your company on the list?
See who's coming PLUS get access to private meeting rooms for client interactions at the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference.
Click For Exhibitor List
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January 6
AAI Legislative Committee Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
January 18
Showcase Committee Meeting
11:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
January 26
AAI Legislative Breakfast
8:00 AM | Iowa State Capitol Building
AAI Board of Directors Meeting
10:00 AM | AAI Main Office Board Room
February 14 & 15
Agribusiness Showcase & Conference
Knapp Varied Industries Building
Iowa State Fairgrounds | Des Moines, Iowa
Click Here to Register Online
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WATCH THE AGRIBUSINESS REPORT | |
Professor of Nitrogen Science Education and Management- Iowa State University | |
Iowa State University is hiring an Assistant Professor in Nitrogen Science Education and Management. The position will apply fundamental science to study and communicate the opportunities and challenges of sustainable nitrogen management in Iowa cropping systems.
Job opening can be found at the following link:
Assistant Professor in Nitrogen Science Education and Management
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Source: USDA Economic Research Service
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U.S. agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of U.S. domestic workers can fill seasonal farm jobs with temporary foreign workers through the H-2A visa program. The Department of Labor certified around 317,000 temporary jobs in fiscal year (FY) 2021 under the H-2A visa program, more than six times the number certified in 2005. Only about 80 percent of the certified jobs in 2021 resulted in the issuance of a visa.
The program has grown partly in response to current U.S. domestic workers finding jobs outside of U.S. agriculture and a drop in newly arrived immigrants who seek U.S. farm jobs. The H-2A program continued to expand in FY 2020 despite the jump in U.S. unemployment caused by lockdowns associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Six States accounted for about half of the H-2A jobs filled in 2021 certified: Florida, Georgia, Washington, California, North Carolina, and Louisiana. Nationally, the average H-2A contract in FY 2020 offered 24 weeks of employment and 39.3 hours per week at an average hourly wage of $13. This chart updates information in the ERS bulletin The H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program in 2020, published in August 2022.
[...] Read Full Story
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Most farmers are big supporters of the safe, efficient, and judicious use of crop-protection tools. They don’t spray pesticides because they want to twirl their evil-guy mustaches and roll around in their vaults of money (fine, they would like to roll around in vaults of money, but overusing pesticides isn’t going to get you a vault). Agrochemicals help them grow our abundant, nutritious, and safe food supply. Measured use of pesticides allows us to protect the environment and pass our farms to the next generation.
So when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes moves to effectively end the use of an important herbicide, agriculture speaks out. That’s precisely what happened with the agency’s proposed change to the use of atrazine.
A quick recap
The EPA regulates pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The agency performs regular and on-going comprehensive reviews of chemicals used commercially in agriculture. It then adopts recommendations for the safe and efficient use of these pesticides, which are printed on the product’s label and must be followed by a licensed applicator. For about 75 years, this regulatory scheme has served us really well.
At issue is the EPA’s assessment under the Atrazine Ecological Exposure Monitoring Program. The program’s goal is to monitor herbicide levels in watersheds exposed to runoff. If herbicide levels are too high, it can interfere with the aquatic-plant community structure, function, and productivity. So the EPA monitors these levels within 33 watersheds in nine states.
[...] Read Full Story
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Federal regulators have ordered Union Pacific railroad to make sure a livestock producer gets the grain it needs in California to prevent millions of chickens and hundreds of thousands of cattle from starving.
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board told the railroad it must improve service to Foster Farms to keep it from running out of feed for livestock it raises. It's is the second time in the past year regulators issued an emergency order related to delivery problems at Foster Farms, which is based in Livingston, California, as the railroad struggled with a shortage of crews.
This time, however, Union Pacific blamed the weather for its problems. Spokesman Mike Jaixen said last month's extreme cold and blizzard conditions slowed deliveries in 20 of the 23 western states the railroad operated in, and additional problems are possible because of the forecast for more severe winter weather.
“Union Pacific remains committed to serving all of our customers as efficiently as possible, including Foster Farms, weather permitting,” Jaixen said.
Foster Farms called on the STB to get Union Pacific to give priority to grain trains heading from the Midwest to the livestock producer's facilities in Traver, Turlock, and Delhi, California.
Union Pacific said the problems at Foster Farms should improve once five trains hauling corn that are already en route arrive, but Jaixen declined to provide an update on those trains Tuesday. The railroad is submitting updates to the STB, but it wants to keep that customer-specific information confidential.
[...] Read Full Story
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The number of record farmland sales was a major story in 2022. Just when farmers thought a $20,000 per acre farmland sale was rare, a $30,000 farmland sale happened late in 2022, further concreting the idea that 2022 would be a historic year for the land market.
Farmers National Company released its 2023 land values report this week, showing landowners selling property experienced values never-before-seen for their farmland. Land sold at auctions set records in several states with values across Corn Belt states seeing a year-to-year increase between 20% and 34%.
What’s driving the dynamic land auction market? Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company says strong commodity prices, along with not enough supply to meet the demand, are the main drivers today.
“I've been in this business over 25 years, and I've never seen anything like it,” says Schadegg. “I've been through the ebbs and flows of some of these ag cycles and saw land markets come up in the 90s, in the early 2000s, that we thought we'd never see those values again. But we've never had everything come together with such strong commodity markets and such strong demand.”
Farmers National Company says it saw record sales volume of $766 million in 2022, which exceeds the previous record set in 2021. The majority of those sales were through auction. Farmers National Company says the auction market brought increases in both total transactions, as well as acres sold, but the hunger from buyers was still more than the land market could produce.
[...] 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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