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Business Briefs - May 17, 2017
Environmental stewardship program open to new members
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana companies wishing to join the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) have until May 31 to complete and submit their applications. Companies may start the application process by visiting www.idem.IN.gov/prevention/2359.htm Any business that is regulated by IDEM is eligible, regardless of type of business, size or complexity.
 
ESP is a statewide program that provides incentives and recognition for industrial operations that go above and beyond environmental requirements for preventing air, land and water pollution. To become an ESP member, businesses must maintain an exemplary compliance record, certify the company has adopted and implemented an approved environmental management system, and commit to specific measures for continued improvement in their environmental performance.
 
ESP is managed by IDEM’s Office of Program Support. ESP members must report to IDEM on their environmental initiatives every year and reapply for ESP membership every three years. Information, including annual performance reports, is available on the IDEM website at www.idem.IN.gov/prevention/2359.htm
 
NCGA 2017 Yield Contest online entry is open
 
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — With planting under way in much of the country, the National Corn Growers Assoc. invites farmers to register early for NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest and save big on entry fees. Until June 30, fees will be reduced to $75. NCGA reminds growers that a small-time investment now saves money later this summer.
 
“While the early entry deadline may seem a ways out, we all know how quickly the time passes once planting season starts,” Stewardship Action Team Chair Brent Hostetler said. “Every year, we gain valuable data from the contest that helps develop the productionpractices of tomorrow. I urge those who haven’t entered before to become NCGA members and try their hand at high-yield techniques as contest entrants in 2017.”
 
To enter today using the online form, visit http://bit.ly/2pGf9Hx

Entry will remain open at the full rate of $110 through July 31. All harvest forms will be due by Nov. 17. Contest winners will be announced on Dec. 18.

Winners receive national recognition in publications, as well as cash trips or other awards from participating sponsoring seed, chemical and crop protection companies. The winners will be honored during Commodity Classic 2018 in Anaheim, Calif.

AgLaunch announces 2017 Accelerator Companies
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — More than 125 ag startups from across the globe expressed interest in the 2017 AgLaunch Accelerator, many of which were referred by leading venture capital groups and farmer organizations. Ultimately, three startups were chosen based on their stage of business, product development lifecycle and need to access the local agricultural ecosystem.

AgLaunch is pleased to announce these companies will participate in the Summer of Acceleration programming in Memphis:
 
•Microbiometer (Englewood, N.J.): 
Microbiometer is a rapid on-site soil testing tool that measures microbial mass. This means soil health can be assessed quickly and inexpensively, compared to traditional assay methods.
•Persistence Data Mining (SanDiego, Calif.): Using proprietary UAV technology, Persistence Data Mining rapidly develops soil nutrient maps over large tracts of farmland. These maps dramatically improve the efficiency ofautomated fertilizer applications by providing more detail than traditional soil sampling methods.
•Kilimo (Cordoba, Argentina): Kilimo provides a decision support tool for irrigation management in broadacre agriculture. Using satellite, climate, and on site data, Kilimo feeds their proprietary Big Data engine to make the best possible irrigation prescription for each crop.

AgLaunch Accelerator invests $50,000/team and three months of intensive business development support, access to farm trials and a robust mentor network to up to six startup companies every year. Funding is provided by Innova Memphis, a Memphis Bioworks-founded early stage venture capital firm focused on starting and funding high-growth companies in the bioscience, medical, agricultural and logistics fields.

AgLaunch Accelerator alumni have benefitted from this intensive program by receiving both entrepreneurial and agricultural resources that meet their unique needs as well as post-accelerator support.

For more information about the AgLaunch Accelerator or Farmer Network, visit aglaunch.com or email innovation@aglaunch.com
 
Renew Rural Iowa partners with Ag Startup Engine

AMES, Iowa — Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa (RRIA), a statewide economic development initiative created in partnership with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa, Iowa AgricultureFinance Corp. and CIPCO, has teamed up with the Ag Startup Engine (ASE) at the Iowa State University (ISU) Research Park to bring education, mentoring, and financing resources to young Iowa entrepreneurs.

The Ag Startup Engine effort was launched in 2016 to help address two fundamental gaps that prevent agricultural startups and entrepreneurs from being more successful in Iowa: early seed stage investment and organized mentorship from Iowans.

The Ag Startup Engine aims to provide agricultural entrepreneurs a structured means of moving from a startup concept to a seed-ready business. Working in partnership with ISU’s Startup Factory Accelerator, the program is implementing an infrastructure for mentoring, rapid prototyping, product development, financing, and customer acquisition.

Grants help support rural Ohio fire departments

COLUMBUS, Ohio — With a focus on making improvements that will better protect Ohioans and local first responders, the Ohio Department of  Natural Resources (ODNR) recently approved federal grant funding for 37 projects statewide for fire departments and fire associations serving small communities across Ohio.

Out of Ohio’s nearly 1,300 fire departments statewide, approximately 900 are classified as rural, with populations under 10,000, and these departments are primarily staffed by volunteers. The average annual budget for an Ohio rural fire department is $35,000 per year, with many fire departments operating on $10,000 or less annually.

These federal Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants are used to upgrade equipment at existing fire departments and to assist new departments with organizational, training and equipment costs.

The ODNR Division of Forestry has recommended 37 fire departments and support organizations in 20 Ohio counties to receive a total of $216,007. For the 2017 VFA grant cycle, these matching grant funds will be used for the purchase of wildland fire slip-in pumper units, wildland fire personal protective equipment, all terrain and utility vehicles, Multi-Agency Radio Communication System (MARCS) equipment and conversion of Federal Excess Personal Property into fire apparatus.

Administered by the ODNR Division of Forestry, VFA grants provide up to $10,000 to communities with populations of fewer than 10,000 residents. A local match is required.
 
AAW debuts “Ag Day is Every Day” campaign

COLCHESTER, Vt. — American Agri-Women (AAW) invites farmers, ranchers and consumers to join in and celebrate the fact that everyone is part of agriculture, every day. The “Ag Day is Every Day” campaign (#AgDay365) is also raising awareness about who produces our nation’s abundant food, fiber and energy supply.

“American agriculture is among the best in the world — why not celebrate this fact every day?” says Doris Mold, president of American Agri-Women. “We want to raise up and connect the voices of those in agriculture with consumers.” Mold owns and operates a dairy farm in Wisconsin with her family and is a farm management consultant and educator.

AAW members have already been promoting #AgDay365 on social media, in special events and in personal conversations. AAW hosted 100 students on National Ag Day for a “Raising Voices Together” social media event. Other events are being coordinated this year by AAW or by its state and commodity affiliates, such as harvest dinners in the field; state fair activities; social media challenges; connecting with consumers at farmers markets and restaurants; and working with urban agriculture efforts, food drives and pollinator projects.

The goal of the campaign is for the #AgDay365 campaign to continue on, joining forces with commodity groups, advocacy groups and others. 
 
ASA encourages safe use of seed treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) is reminding growers to take special care to keep treated seeds from entering the supply of U.S. grains and oilseeds. Treated seeds in commodity shipments are a multicommodity problem that warrant the attention of the entire supply chain and directly jeopardize U.S. markets, both foreign and domestic.

Maintaining the stellar U.S. reputation for appropriately managing all pesticides is one key element of providing customer satisfaction and official acceptance of exports. Few concerns can be as damaging to supplier reputation for quality and safety of agricultural products as the presence of seed treatment compounds in commodities intended for use in food and feed.

Growers with questions are encouraged to visit The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship, an industry-wide initiative to promote the safe handling and management of treated seed. Endorsed by ASA and other ag groups, the guide provides farmers and seed companies with critical information and up-to-date guidelines for managing treated seed effectively to further minimize the risk of exposure to non-target organisms. For more information, visit http://seedtreatment-guide.com/ 
5/17/2017