Indiana Seed Weblog

Indianapolis, IN — More than 230 Midwestern corn and soybean seed producers descended on downtown Indianapolis to attend the annual Corn Belt Seed Conference on November 6 and 7. The annual event is sponsored by the Indiana Seed Trade Association.

“Over the past four or five years, this event has gained a very good reputation as a lively and informative meeting,” says 2007 President Jim Schwartz. “I believe the speakers on this year’s agenda spoke to topics seedsmen wanted to hear.”

The meeting also included nearly 20 exhibitors. The number of both seedsmen and exhibitors was significantly above 2006 attendance. The opening panel included representatives from Syngenta, Monsanto, Pioneer and Dow AgroSciences who described their respective trait pipelines.

Later, Dr. Graham Head, Monsanto insect resistance management (IRM) specialist, emphasized the importance of maintaining IRM practices with Bt products.

“All of the traits to come build on the effectiveness of Bt products. If we allow insects to develop resistance, we will lose those traits and jeopardize everything else that is to come.”

Head said that the insect refuge method in place is the best practice that global science can offer. So far, there is no reported target insect resistance to seed bourn Bt insecticide.

Seed containing dual modes of insecticide action further reduce the likelihood of insects developing resistance. Head told the group that it is likely the EPA in the future will push to remove single mode insecticide seeds from the market as a means of strengthening the effectiveness of current IRM measures.

http://grainnet.com/photo_gallery/events/ISTA.html

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Ken Klemme is Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.  He joined the department in may of 2005 as Director of the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency.  When the department began the process of reorganizing and expanding the economic development team,  Klemme was given the responsibility of the task.  Ken is a native Hoosier, growing up in Earl Park, IN, where his family operated a Minneapolis Moline implement dealership.  He is a graduate of Purdue University with degrees in Aviation Maintenance Technology and Supervision.  He also has a Masters degree in Management from the University.  Following his graduation from Purdue, he served four years as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Stewart, GA.    After his military duty, Ken joined Demeter, Inc., a regional grain company based in Fowler, IN.  He began his career with Demeter as as assistant manager of an elevator and, at the time the company was sold to ADA, he was Vice President/General Manager.  

From 1996 to 1998, he managed Demeter elevators for ADM.  He returned to Indiana in 1998 and managed private equity investments until he joined the Department of Agriculture in 2005.

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Pat Miller was hired in January to create the position of Director of State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).  His role is to coordinate with the state and regional seed industry associations to provide input and assist with legislative, regulatory and grassroots activities.

As a result of his varied association management background, he has a keen understanding of the issues that confront state associations, as well as the legislative and regulatory processes that impact ASTA members and their grower customers.  He has been involved in associations for 25 years and owned an association management firm for 12 of those years.  Among his company’s clients were the Texas Ag Industries Association, representing the fertilizer and ag chemical industry, the Texas Certified Crop Advisers program, the Texas Plant Protection Conference, the Texas Independent Ag Consultants Association, the Texas Agricultural Aviation Association, and others.

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association

Kevin Turnblad, Head Business Development Projects, Syngenta

Kevin Turnblad has 25 years of agronomy, sales, marketing and management experience in the North American and global seed industry.  He joined Syngenta in 2004 as head of North American corn marketing. Currently, he is Head of Business Development Projects, responsible for strategic initiatives to further develop the company’s corn, soybeans and traits business in North America. He is also the Syngenta operational lead to GreenLeaf Genetics, a genetics and traits outlicensing joint venture of Syngenta and Pioneer Hi-Bred. 

Prior to joining Syngenta, Kevin spent nine years with Pioneer, holding several sales and marketing  positions in field sales, key account management, and field sales agronomy. His experience also included Dupont crop protection product sales, Six Sigma, and relationship management with major distributors and finance companies throughout the United States.  In 2002, Kevin earned Pioneer’s Sales Innovation award.

Kevin’s experience also includes crop consulting; General Manager of Centrol, Inc of Morris in Morris, Minnesota; seed coating and related technologies with his patented work for NK; seed corn and sunflower production with Stauffer Seeds and DeKalb;  and production research with both NK and DeKalb.

Kevin has an MBA from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota and a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from the University of Minnesota.  Kevin resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his wife and two children.  

Sam Turpin

Indiana Seed Trade Association