Washington, DC
May 26, 2009
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B.
Gentsch, A. Ostercamp, L. Buice |
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"Advocacy Matters" was the theme
for the first American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) seed
industry fly-in to the nation's capital. Representing Texas and
Southern interests were 2009 Texas Seed Trade Association (TSTA)
President Lou Buice, TSTA Vice President Bryan Gentsch, and
RiceTec Vice President of Foundation Seed Alan Ostercamp. The
fly-in was produced in partnership with TSTA, as well as other
state and regional seed trade associations, on April 28-29, in
Washington, D.C. By all accounts, the event was a success.
Representing 16 states, Buice and 26 other participants held 60
meetings with congressional leaders to help raise the profile of
the seed industry and discuss priority seed issues.
The access on Capitol Hill demonstrated that both ASTA and the
seed industry are held in high regard. The valuable exchanges
during the visits brought better understanding of the role of
seed in individual states and congressional districts. For
Buice, that meant focusing on the challenges and needs specific
to the Southern marketplace. These challenges are particularly
well-known to Buice as president of Golden Acres Genetics, an
independent and family-owned corn and grain sorghum seed company
based in Waco, TX.
"This event has heightened my awareness to continue building
these relationships. Without ASTA acting as a catalyst, I doubt
I would have ever taken on the task as an individual
constituent," said Buice, who took office as the 69th president
of TSTA in January and has spent virtually his entire lifetime
in agriculture. “TSTA plays a very important role in developing
and maintaining a strong seed industry in the South,” Buice
commented, “and I am honored to represent an organization with
such a long and rich history to our nation’s decision-makers.”
Seed industry representatives participated in a preparatory
program for their Capital Hill visits which included
presentations by ASTA staff on protocol for the appointments, a
state-of-the-state policy update by Tyson Redpath, Lesher &
Russell, Inc., and a visit by Michael Gruber from the office of
Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) to outline the current considerations in
congress.
During the individual visits, Buice and other attendees made a
special point to invite congressional members and their staff to
visit field locations and offices to observe the seed industry
first-hand. The face-to-face meetings will serve as a foundation
from which Buice, ASTA and other fly-in participants will be
able to enhance the relationships cultivated during their time
on Capitol Hill.
Golden Acres Genetics is an independent and family-owned
company which markets corn and grain sorghum seed and related
technologies to farmers across the southern half of the United
States. Built on the principal of “Honoring God in all we do,”
the company operates under a philosophy symbolized by three
simple words – “Faith. Family. Farming.” For more information,
visit www.GAseed.com. |
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