The Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA) invites you to participate in the 91st Annual Winter Conference and Trade Show, to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 9-10, 2024, at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing.
The most recent MABA Trade Show was a big success with a new floor plan and layout! In 2024, we are continuing to adjust this special event in response to your feedback. Here are key changes for 2024:
This year’s floor plan remains similar to 2023, and can be viewed here.
Reserve my space for the 2024 MABA Trade Show
2024 Trade Show hours will be as follows:
2024 Trade Show booth prices will be as follows:
10’ x 10’ – $800 MABA member / $900 non-member
12’ x 10’ – $1000 MABA member / $1,200 non-member – Video or Multimedia Presentation Encouraged – Priority to Equipment Exhibition
**An additional $100 charge will apply to specific corner and hi-visibility booths as noted on the Floor Plan.
These prices include an identification sign, 110 electrical outlet/usage and two conference registrations per booth. The passes will allow access to all sessions and meal functions. Draping and carpeting is provided for all booths. Tables are included with 12’ x 10’ booths. Additional items are available to rent from Art Craft Display, Inc.
Please use the link below to let us know your intentions for the 2024 Trade Show and reserve your space before we open the floor up to new exhibitors. You will be contacted during the first week of November, 2023 by Rose Plummer, MABA Trade Show Coordinator. You can contact Rose by email at rose@miagbiz.org. If you have any questions before November, please contact me at kara@miagbiz.org. Thank you for your time!
If there has been one major headline this growing season, it’s been the massive swings in precipitation. Much of the key growing area of the Lower Peninsula started out very dry – headed into July, 50 percent of the state was in D1 or greater drought. Then over the ensuing weeks, the precipitation turned on – with major rainfall and storm events tracking across croplands statewide and turning the drought on its head. Many areas ended the season with localized standing water or, at least, very wet soil conditions.
All of this spotlights the value of drain systems and their key role in Michigan agriculture. This year, and in several recent years, periods of substantial drought are broken up by major rainfall events, delivering several inches of rain in a short period of time. This complicates management of water in fields, and can exacerbate dissolved P and N losses through tile drains.
Drainage water management systems allow for the adjustment of the water table elevation in fields, allowing for a naturally high-water table during non-cropping times of the year. This allows for greater water infiltration to groundwater while keeping unnecessary water out of drainage systems. During the growing season, the water table can be lowered to the typical functional level of the drain tile system, providing all the same benefits of tile drainage that growers expect.
DWM systems also allow for raising the water table during drought events, retaining moisture in the soil profile for crop use. Unlike some other nutrient loss reduction practices, DWM systems don’t take farmland out of production or require changing in-field agronomic management.
Cost-share assistance programs are available in many parts of the state. Growers are encouraged to contact their local conservation district offices to learn more about improving their tile drainage systems with drainage water management technology. As a conservation practice, DWM retains flexibility of in-field agronomic management and has assessable cost-share opportunities – a unique combination and something to be considered in planning for 2024 and beyond.
This newsletter is brought to you by the Michigan Agri-Business Association and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. For more information, visit miagbiz.org.
September 26, 2023 | Across Michigan, more than 300 Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) play a pivotal role in the success of our agriculture sector by providing expert insights, analysis and advice to growers. While CCAs are known as a business resource – helping farmers optimize their return on investment and economic success – they are also a huge asset for the health of the Great Lakes and our soils.
Every day, CCAs assist farmers in making informed decisions regarding crop management. They possess in-depth knowledge of various crops, soil types, climate conditions, and pest management strategies. This knowledge equips them to design and deliver tailored solutions to optimize crop yields while minimizing environmental impacts. In turn, farmers are better equipped to adopt practices that deliver both environmental and economic benefits.
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Michigan is home to more than 300 Certified Crop Advisers who are certified through the American Society of Agronomy, and during the coming months, MABA is spotlighting their contributions to Michigan agriculture!
Michigan’s Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program provides resources, continuing education and networking opportunities for professional agronomists spanning our state’s agricultural industry. More than 300 Michigan professional agronomists are CCAs, and they bring a wide range of experience and skills to our state’s agricultural industry! We recently visited with Andrew Greenhoe, an agronomist with Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Inc. (MAC) who earned his CCA certification early in his career and continues to put it to great use!
Andrew was raised on a farm in Sheridan, MI, in Montcalm County, where he still lives today. The family farm was a dairy until 2008, and since then has been a cash crop and beef farm. Andrew continues the farming legacy alongside his parents.
His experiences in agriculture led Andrew to Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Crop and Soil Science, focusing on agribusiness management. During college he joined MAC as an intern, where his duties entailed “all of the above” — from sweeping bins to loading trains, scouting fields, spreading fertilizer, and providing customer service. Andrew had an opportunity to learn the full scope of the business. The following summer, he interned again, and ultimately joined MAC full-time in 2015.
Today, as an agronomy sales and chemical purchasing staff member at MAC, Andrew helps manage seed and chemical purchases for customers, and delivers expert agronomic advice to farmers.
Andrew became a Certified Crop Advisor early in his career – in 2016 – to help bolster his professional advancement and ability to serve growers. “It’s really a continuation of my education outside of college, and has given me the opportunity to learn new skills to help growers. It’s an evolving industry and we always need to be learning in agriculture,” he says.
Andrew also says the program’s recurring credit requirements are a push to expand crop knowledge. “It pushes you out of your comfort zone of what you’re used to and provides continuing education opportunities.”
Through this type of continuing education, Andrew also earned the 4R Nutrient Management Specialty certification, which complements efforts to optimize nutrient applications, helping farmers improve ROI while protecting the health of the soil and water.
For Andrew, participation in the CCA program is one part of his efforts to stay ahead of the curve on topics like ag technology and nutrient stewardship. “I think technology in the ag industry is booming. It comes back to why I’m passionate about agriculture. It’s always evolving with new technological advancements and research – it’s exciting to see where we’ll be in the next decade.”
Andrew is a great example among many CCAs in Michigan who have leveraged this program to complement their skills and grow their professional abilities! You can learn more about the program by visiting www.certifiedcropadviser.org.
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