The American Soybean Association congratulates Tom Vilsack as he returns as head of the United States Department of Agriculture. Secretary Vilsack gained choice experience in the same role as part of President Obama’s administration and was known as a staunch supporter for renewable fuel initiatives, biotechnology advances, fair trade agreements and preserving the farm safety net.
“We appreciate that Secretary Vilsack always supported farmers and understood that they are a driving force for the rural economy,” says Kevin Scott, ASA president and soybean grower from Valley Springs, South Dakota. “We are confident that he will continue to support producers and appreciate his ongoing commitment to seeking farmer input. ASA looks forward to working with him on these priorities and other issues important to soy and agriculture.”
For more information, go to www.soygrowers.com.
The California Agricultural Irrigation Association hosted a Feb. 16 webinar titled, “Pandemic Positives: An Overview of Industry Solutions and Survival.” This discussion between a grower (Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming), an irrigation manufacturer (Mike Hemman of Netafim), an irrigation dealer (Jon Topham, CAIS, CID, of Irrigation Design and Construction) and an industry trade organization (Mike Wade of California Farm Water Coalition) and moderated by Paul McFadden (RDO Water) provided broad insight into how the coronavirus has affected the agricultural industry and what is being done to move forward. Across the board, keeping employees safe and healthy has been the primary concern. As we have dealt with this pandemic, we have learned to use modern technology to better communicate with employees, customers and other stakeholders, and this has changed the way we will conduct business in the future.
This webinar replaced the CAIA membership meeting typically held during the World Ag Expo. CAIA is striving to provide its members useful information needed during this difficult time and looks forward to the next time the membership can once again have these discussions in person. For more information, visit www.calirrigation.com.
The Family Farm Alliance conducted its first virtual Zoom annual conference Feb. 18-19. Featured speakers included U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), former Commissioner of Reclamation Brenda Burman, and Tanya Trujillo, President Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of water and science at the Department of the Interior with responsibility for overseeing the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey. The event also included panel presentations, the Bureau of Reclamation Roundtable and the Capitol Hill Update.
Recordings of the event, including links to each day’s events, the agenda and associated time stamps, are available at www.familyfarmalliance.org.
The Irrigation Association’s first-ever Education Week+ wrapped up with the final agriculture Industry Insights webinar on March 25. The Industry Insights series began in October 2020 and provided weekly webinars on a wide variety of topics presented by experts in the industry. All of the Industry Insights webinars are available for purchase to watch online at www.irrigation.org/webinars.
Thank you to Netafim and Valley Irrigation for sponsoring the ag Industry Insights series. Offering these webinars has been a great way to broaden the organization’s scope, while allowing people to avoid costly or unsafe travel. Watch www.irrigation.org for more virtual education and programming to come in 2021.
The IA’s annual Faculty Academy is back! Faculty Academy is an event for veteran and new irrigation instructors wanting to expand their irrigation knowledge and learn new techniques that can be used in the classroom. All high school and two- and four-year instructors are encouraged to attend this free virtual conference.
The virtual agriculture Faculty Academy event will be held June 9-11 via Zoom. Register at www.irrigation.org/facultyacademy.
The IA was pleased to play a part in the international irrigation stage through two specific events in late 2020. The European Irrigation Association hosted a virtual European Irrigation Forum in November. IA CEO Deborah Hamlin, CAE, FASAE, gave a presentation on the IA’s multiple activities and the impact of 2020’s events on the U.S. irrigation industry.
Hamlin also participated in the Irrigation Association of China’s 2020 annual meeting held in December. Through a prerecorded and translated presentation, Hamlin discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. irrigation industry and how the association has handled it.
We look forward to the day when we can all gather together safely face to face. In fact, the IA is currently making plans for the 2021 Irrigation Show and Education Week in San Diego, Dec. 6-10. Special arrangements are being made to allow for social distancing and other adjustments to ensure the safety of attendees. Moving ahead, we hope to continue to provide a hybrid of options to reach as far into our industry as possible. By offering unique opportunities online, as well as in person, we can further our mission to promote the efficient use of irrigation.
The National Cotton Council’s planting intentions survey, released in mid-February, suggests that U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 11.5 million cotton acres in 2021, down 5.2% from 2020. Using an average U.S. yield per harvested acre of 855 pounds generates a cotton crop of 16.7 million bales.
NCC economists say that although global cotton stocks remain high, there is a growing bullish sentiment for cotton prices due to a variety of factors. However, additional restrictions related to the pandemic and other factors could put downward pressure on prices in 2021. More details and information on the NCC’s leadership for 2021 are at www.cotton.org/news/meetings/2021annual/index.cfm.
The National Ground Water Association submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in response to the EPA’s “Interim Guidance on the Destruction and Disposal of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Materials Containing PFAS.”
NGWA states within its comments that the EPA’s interim guidance document, while a step forward in the regulation of PFAS, should be updated to be more useful, practical and informative.
EPA’s interim guidance outlines the factors and data gaps that should be considered when determining whether PFAS-
impacted materials require destruction and disposal. But NGWA notes the EPA does not provide a list of accepted disposal options for PFAS or methods for evaluating their effectiveness. NGWA is also concerned the current guidance document does not establish what concentrations of PFAS in wastes, spent products or other materials would necessitate destruction or disposal.
The EPA is required to publish revisions to the guidance once every three years. NGWA argues, though, due to rapid developments in PFAS treatment and disposal technology and lack of definitive guidance, revisions should be made annually. For more information, go to www.ngwa.org.
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