Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
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
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
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
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
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
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
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
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
Larry Nees has served as state seed regulatory official for Indiana in his role as Seed Administrator of the Office of Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner at Purdue University. Larry has served in that capacity for the past 27 years and has over 32 years of experience working for the office. His primary duties are to administer and enforce the Indiana Seed Law and supervise the state seed testing laboratory. Nees also has responsibilities for administration of the Indiana Seed Arbitration law, the Indiana Seed Contracts law and the Indiana Legume Inoculants and Plant Growth Substances law. He has held offices in national organizations related to seed control and testing and continues to serve on the Boards of organizations for seed research and the Indiana Certified Crop Advisor program.
Larry is a native hoosier with roots in Clay County Indiana. Born and raised in an agribusiness family he values the importance of maintaining a healthy business climate for agribusiness in Indiana. He holds a BS degree in Agronomy from Purdue University. He and his wife Vicki currently reside in West Lafayette and remain active in university activities. They have two daughters, both Purdue graduates now living in the Indianapolis area.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
Graham Head is the Global Insect Resistance Management lead for Monsanto Company. In that capacity, he is responsible for the design and implementation of suitable insect resistance management strategies for Monsanto’s biotech insect-protected products throughout the world. Graham has been with Monsanto for 10 years, initially working on the corn product pipeline and later on the ecological impacts of biotech crops. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Monash University in Australia, and a Ph.D. degree in ecology from Princeton University. He llives with his wife and son and four dogs in St Louis.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
Bart Baudler is a 20-year veteran in the agricultural industry. He currently is the Marketing Directory, for Pioneer H-Bred, a DuPont business, responsible for out-licensing traits and germplasm. Bart’s been with DuPont since 2000, beginning his career with the company has the Global Business Manager for corn and soybean herbicides. In 2002, Bart shifted his work from crop protection products to seed, and joined Pioneer to lead the soybean marketing efforts in a director role. He also served as the Optimum GAT trait champion before assuming his current duties.
Before coming to DuPont, Bart held several marketing roles with Monsanto and also has sales and marketing experience with American Cyanamid and Sandoz Crop Protection. Bart holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
Al Carlson is the Northern Seed Business Manager for UAP Distribution, Inc. He has been with UAP for 17 years serving in various roles including sales, marketing and operations. In his current role, Al is responsible for strategic direction for all crops across the Northern U.S. with emphasis on market development of the Dyna-Gro Brand. His key focus areas are product management, production, marketing and distribution.
Al grew up on a grain farm in southwest Minnesota. His personal interests include golf, hunting and traveling. He currently resides in Westfield, IN with his wife, Carrie. They have been married for 21 years and have two children, Jordan 19; and Samantha 15.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
David Anderson is Vice President of Production for AgReliant Genetics in Westfield, Indiana. In this capacity, he is responsible for Corn Production, Foundation Corn Production, Logistics and Quality Assurance for the company’s products. Before joining AgReliant Genetics in 2000, David enjoyed a productive career in agricultural economics following his graduation from Purdue University in 1986. From June, 1986 until late 1990, he was District Sales Manager in eastern Indiana for Akin Seed Company/Agri Gold. From November of 1990 through October of 1996, he was Location Manager of the company’s seed corn production facility in Aroma Park, Illinois. In 1996 he became Vice President, Production for Akin-Callahan Seed Company in Westfield, a position he held until 2000 when he assumed his current position.
David grew up on a livestock and grain farm in west central Indiana. He currently resides in Carmel, IN with his wife and three children.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
Filed under: 2007 Corn Belt Seed Conference
American Seed Trade Association * Advanced Milling Systems, Inc. * Ag Printers
BayerCropScience * Becker Underwood * BioDiagnostics, Inc.* Blackhawk Automation
Bozell Industrial *Bratney Companies * Fumigation Service & Supply
GreenLeaf Genetics * Greif Paper Packaging & Services * H&S Forest Products
Indiana Crop Improvement * KeyBank Food & Agribusiness Team * Krauter Solutions
LMC Mfg * Mid-West Seed Services * Monsanto – Corn States Hybrid Service LLC * O’Mara Ag Services, Inc.
OXBO International * Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH * Syngenta * Zeltex, Inc.
Sam Turpin
Indiana Seed Trade Association
