Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Speaks at
Commodity Classic
ASA
President Rob Joslin (far right) tells Ag Secretary Tom
Vilsack (far left) about ASA's top policy priorities.
National Sorghum Producers Chairman Gerald Simonson (center)
was there as well. (Photo by Steve Dolan)
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack delivered the
keynote address to a crowd of more than 4,200
farmers, family members and industry representatives during
the General Session at the 15th annual
Commodity Classic, March 5, in Anaheim, Calif.
"We would like to thank
Secretary Vilsack for joining us at this year’s Commodity
Classic," said American Soybean Association (ASA) President
Rob Joslin. "The General Session
audience gained someinsight into the Secretary’s
priorities for 2010."
Vilsack also
met with Joslin and other commodity association leaders at a
breakfast earlier that day.
(Left to right) Kemper, Hannonen and Fritz at their
meeting in Indianapolis. (Indiana Soybean Alliance photo
by Jared Coppess)
American Soybean Association (ASA) First Vice President Alan
Kemper and Board member Scott Fritz met with Marjut Irene
Hannonen, a member of the Cabinet of the European Union (EU)
Commissioner of Trade, to discuss biotechnology, climate
change, and trade issues between the EU and the United States.
Kemper told Hannonen about ASA’s
concerns and priorities for climate change legislation
and also relayed how the EU's tariff on U.S. biodiesel hurt
the
biodiesel
industry. Fritz spoke with Hannonen about upcoming
biotech events from the U.S., and how the EU’s zero-tolerance
policy and slow approval system are
impacting U.S.-EU trade.
Take a Look at the New Online ASA Farm
Family Photo Album
In celebration of the American Soybean
Association’s (ASA) 90th Anniversary this year, ASA
is pleased to debut the Farm Family Photo
Brad and Kelly Hovel of Cannon Falls, Minn. submitted their
family photo.
Album, an online photo album featuring ASA
members, their families and farms.
ASA members are encouraged to send in a family
photo to add to the album.
The ASA Farm Family Photo Album is open for
viewing at
www.soygrowers.com/90/photos.htm,
where you can also find out how to submit your
family photo. The ASA90th
Anniversary Celebration, including the Farm Family Photo
Album, is sponsored by BASF.
AH Host Jason Shoultz
(center) and Soybean Extension Agronomist Palle Pedersen
(right) talk about soybeans on camera. (AH photo)
Its
versatility is well-known in the ag community, and now the
story of the amazing soybean is being shared with a growing
non-farming audience. The American Soybean Association (ASA),
a Promotional Partner of the America’s Heartland
nationally-distributed public television program, invites all
ASA members and supporters to tune in next week when the
series will feature the soybean in a special half-hour
edition.
"America’s
Heartland: The Miracle Bean" (episode 521) will debut
nationally on
RFD-TV on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 8:00PM
EST, and on public
television stations across the country this season. Host Jason
Shoultz explores the many uses for soybeans in a fun and
informative journey from rural Iowa to the city streets of San
Francisco. Viewers will learn about efforts to grow the market
for soy-biodiesel and industrial products made from soy oil,
and hear from a leading soybean researcher at Iowa State
University. Shoultz also explores the popularity of soy-based
foods in San Francisco’s Japan Town, and even visits a
beauty-product store selling soy-based lotions and cleansers.
Featured in this episode are ASA member Ted
Liechty from Berne, Ind., Steve Anderegg, a producer from
Mason City, Iowa, and Palle Pedersen from Iowa State
University.
In addition to its weekly
broadcasts, the
America’s Heartland website provides videos, educational
materials and links to consumers who want to know more about
the program and about agriculture in America.
American Soybean Association (ASA) First Vice
President
Alan Kemper took time away from the Soybean Leadership
College on Jan. 6 to participate in the 2010 Kansas Soybean
Expo in Topeka at the invitation of the Kansas Soybean
Association (KSA) and Kansas Soybean Commission. Kemper spoke
about biodiesel, climate change and other ASA policy
initiatives. He also had an opportunity to express ASA’s
variouspolicy
priorities and concerns to Congresswomen Lynn Jenkins
(R-KS) and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS).