Latest News From Retail Training

Join us at 8 a.m. Central Nov. 3 for the Early Riser session, “Input Insights on Supply and Prices — and What That Means for Your 2021 Crop.”

At the 2021 ARA Management Academy, ag retail managers, agronomists and sales professionals will come together to analyze current issues facing their organizations and find success in this ever-evolving industry.

Richard Gupton and two industry experts will be on a panel at the ARA Conference. The virtual event takes place Dec. 1 and 2, and this session will be a deep dive on what the industry needs to focus on moving forward.

In line with the recent survey sent to 1,168 NAICC members and annual meeting attendees, the NAICC Executive Board voted to forgo any type of annual meeting or trade show in 2021.

“These courses particularly appeal to ag retailers,” said Bruce Erickson, director for the Purdue Agronomy e-learning program.

New research aimed to learn the steps farmers expect from input suppliers and other sales and service representatives before they allow them back onto their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

AGCO is starting crop tours for growers and commercial applicators to educate on key variables in the application process.

Instead of an in-person event, this year’s conference will be completely virtual. Because of the new format, its organizers have expanded the agenda to three days and to be of a national scope.

“This is about guiding the grower in the right direction,” says Worker Safety Lead, Lilly Reyes with GAR Bennett, LLC. “We want to reassure the grower and the employees that we will get through this together.”

The SeedFieldCheck registry allows pesticide applicators to identify in near real-time where seed field workers are active or plan to be active in the next 24 hours.

In a world where more and more young people are glued to electronic devices and missing out on community, FFA offers connection, hands-on learning and adult mentors to invest in their lives. 

Here are the top five top agronomic tips from Bauer,

ARA launched ENGAGE for Ag Leaders, sponsored by Corteva, to guide its membership through sometimes difficult conversations surrounding consumer demand and production agriculture.

In 2018 IDA issued 233 warning letters and 14 notices of fines. In 2019, there have been 62 warning letters and 98 notices of fines. Fines are pretty evenly split between commercial and private applicators.

“It’s important to remember 2019 had excess rainfall and high humidity. So, it was a prime environment for a lot of diseases, and with the increase in disease, we have a lot of inoculum in the soil” says Randy Kool

Guilette describes farmers as the “ultimate problem solvers and solution finders.”

“The 2018 Farm Bill changed the status of hemp for everyone,” FieldWatch CEO Stephanie Regagnon says.

Seats are limited –  register today to save your spot!

Already, dealers are receiving seed shipments, and before the crunch time when planters are heading to the field, USC is encouraging seed treatment operators to ensure their machinery and systems are set up for success.

To give seed dealers and farmers a new way to look at and talk about seed treatments, the Acceleron brand has released the Virtual Root Dig app.

ARA encourages members to watch the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) video explaining OSHA inspection processes and the reasons for an inspection.

ARA encourages users to register early to ensure enough time to complete the registration because all users must gain access to the clearinghouse once it is implemented on Jan. 6, 2020.

This effort encourages motor carriers to hire younger drivers as part of the FMCSA's Under 21 Military Driver Pilot Program.

Mike Manning with Precision Crop Systems shares the biggest opportunities to increase profitability.

This committee provides independent policy advice, information and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on various environmental policies that are important to agriculture and rural communities.

This is your opportunity to join the more than 13,500 Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs.)

This November, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) will examine the impact of new technologies on rural land management and valuation at its 2019 Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Teams of two can focus on achieving objectives such as innovating better ways to see more customers or uncovering improvement areas in a specific part of the company. 

Fourteen participants attended the first-ever ENGAGE training in October. The event included one-on-one and small group sessions to use values-based messages to respond to even the toughest questions.

The Agricultural Retailers Association, American Society of Agronomy, Environmental Defense Fund and Field to Market have teamed up to equip trusted farmer advisers tools and resources.

The goal is to improve the long-term success of the agency’s Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ) requirements. The Agricultural Retailers Association supports these targeted revisions.

Field to Market’s Kelly Murray Young shares how the SPARC initiative is going so far and all of the ways retailers can get the conversation started with their farmer customers about sustainability.

Yes, folks, you can trust this ol’ Tennessee woodsman’s wisdom. Simple little things like this can make a difference in just 15 minutes a week.

At the 2020 ARA Management Academy, managers, agronomists and sales professionals will come together for a powerful program that provides opportunities to examine and discuss current issues alongside industry peers.

Corteva Agriscience is donating $600,000 to help expand facilities for student learning and engagement with precision ag tools.

Defining sustainable agronomy includes three facets: economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable.

Online, you can get started and find guides and online learning modules to develop and improve your company's program with the SPARC Initiative to start learning on your own time.

The West Geneva County Cooperative in Geneva, Ala., was the 3,000th agricultural facility audit for ResponsibleAg.

The company is launching two new safety programs.

In defining agronomic practices: “There's classic rock, soft rock, and then there's hard rock. People like to associate with different parts. But overall, it's still rock music,” says Lee Briese.

IFCA is hopeful they can effectively find ways to bring down the number of complaints to enable use of this herbicide technology in the future.

Join us for Farm Journal Hemp College Sept.17 in Altoona, Iowa.

Having a well-maintained machine is the best way to be ready for crunch time and prevent downtime.

The program's three-step process will help participants understand how to package their knowledge in a way that connects with the consuming population and important food system stakeholders outside of the industry.

Registration is open for this event geared to help ag retailers with the best practices that lead to effective decision making, value creation and sharpened leadership skills.

So far, 2,408 businesses have signed up to raise awareness about workers’ health and safety as part of OSHA’s Safe + Sound week in 2019.

The course, designed for professional applicators helps trainees hone their skills and understand professionalism and the importance of their role.

JW Lemons says sustainability isn't defined by just one practice or concept.

Corn earworm, known better to cotton farmers as cotton bollworm, can quickly decimate a cotton field. The pests’ repeat exposure to common Bt proteins leads to faster resistance and more problems.

“CCAs are out working with producers year round to get sustainable agronomy practices implemented."