The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association will convene its 116th annual meeting on Jan. 9 in Fergus Falls, Minn., at the Bigwood Event Center.

Along with MCIA’s annual business meeting, the agenda for the one-day event will include an industry trade show and an awards luncheon. An informative program is planned for seed producers, conditioners and representatives of agricultural industries.

MCIA also invites early arrivals to an evening reception Jan. 8. The reception will be held in meeting space adjacent to the trade show area. MCIA board members, field supervisors and administrative staff are invited to attend the reception.

Annual meeting topics and guest speakers include:

• Seed industry. Pat Miller, director of state government affairs with the American Seed Trade Association, will give an update on issues important to the U.S. and international seed industry.

• Agricultural trade. Bruce Abby, a consultant to the Midwest Shippers Association, will address current challenges and opportunities in agricultural trade.

• Organic agriculture. Mac Ehrhardt, co-owner of Albert Lea Seed, will highlight the importance of organic agriculture.

• Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Mark Abrahamson, director of plant protection, will provide an update on the activities of the MDA.

• University of Minnesota. Brian Buhr will present an update from the St. Paul campus and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.

The awards luncheon includes presentation of the Premier and Honorary Premier Seedsmen awards, and the Achievement in Crop Improvement Award.

To register for the annual meeting, call 800-510-6242.

For more information, contact Rose-Marie Odell at MCIA, [email protected], 612-625-7766; or visit the MCIA annual meeting webpage.

MCIA is a not-for-profit organization that serves as an independent third party to provide certification and quality assurance services to a wide array of agricultural and food product producers and handlers. Products certified include field crop and turf seed; sod; native plant seeds; forage and mulch free of noxious weed seeds; and identity-preserved grains for specialty markets as well as organic crops, livestock and food products. Customized quality assurance services include field inspections, seed and grain facility evaluations, and third-party assessments and audits.

Source: MCIA