The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo is coming up on December 1-3 a the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. In addition to many other speakers, ARA has announced that Jamie Notter, consultant and author, will be presenting a breakout session instilled “When Millennials Take Over.” The session will focus on integrating millennials, … Read More
New EPA Farm Worker Standards and Industry React
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Monday released updated farm worker standards to provide health protections under the law similar to those already afforded to workers in other industries. “We depend on farmworkers every day to help put the food we eat on America’s dinner tables—and they deserve fair, equitable working standards with strong health and safety protections,” said EPA Administrator … Read More
Register Now for ARA Conference & Expo
Registration is now open for the 2015 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference & Expo. The event will take place December 1-3 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. The Conference & Expo will feature presentations and discussions on sustainability, water issues, fertilizer trends, branding, finical movements, personal health and wellness, and many other topics. Discover how … Read More
Ag Retailers Oppose EPA Proposal on Insecticides & Bees
While they work to keep pollinators healthy, the folks who sell products to ag producers are concerned about a new government proposal that would restrict crop protection measures. The Agricultural Retailers Association says the EPA’s “Proposal to Mitigate Exposure to Bees from Acutely Toxic Pesticide Products” is not based in science and would absolutely prohibit the use of most of … Read More
Industry Disputes Another UN Pesticide Classification
The International Agency for Research on Cancer this week issued a report classifying the herbicide 2,4-D as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” the second time this year the United Nations World Health Organization agency has made such a classification of a widely used crop protection chemical. In March, IARC applied the same designation to glyphosate. “Farmers use these proven tools to … Read More
ARA Supports Food Labeling Act
Hundreds of organizations representing various sectors of the food and agriculture industry signed on to a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives asking them to support the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. The groups representing the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food urged members of Congress to consider co-sponsoring the bill introduced last month by Reps. Mike … Read More
ResponsibleAg Certifies First Facilities
The Hillsboro, Tennessee location of Crop Production Services (CPS) has the distinction of receiving the first ResponsibleAg facility certification. “This marks an exciting milestone for ResponsibleAg,” said Alicia Duke, Health and Safety Director with J.R. Simplot Company and Chair of the ResponsibleAg Technical Committee. “Safety is a top priority for retailers, and having an organization like Crop Production Services move … Read More
House GMO Labeling Bill Re-Introduced
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House Wednesday by Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) with bi-partisan co-sponsorship. The bill would provide for uniform federal food labeling standards and includes a new provision to allow those who wish to label their products as GMO-free to do so by through an accredited … Read More
Ag Retailers Precision Ag Panel
One of the key general session panels at the Agricultural Retailers Association Convention was titled, “Meeting the Needs of Precision Growers.” This panel was moderated by Dr. Dave Downey, Purdue University, and included Brad Murray, Meadow Brook Farms, Jeff Wilson, Lone Oak Hog Farms and Byron Seward, Seward & Son Planting/Seward & Harris Planting. The challenge for the group was … Read More
Changing of the Chairs at ARA
The Agricultural Retailers Association changed chairmanships of the organization during last week’s annual meeting in New Orleans. Outgoing chairman Gary Farrell (pictured left) of Ag Enterprise Supply passed the gavel on to the new Chairman, Dave DuFault of Simplot. Farrell says that during his term he is most proud of the formation of the ResponsibleAg program, as well as the … Read More