OABA Holds 2011 Seed Technology Seminar

More than 80 Participants Attended

OABA’s held its 2011 Seed Technology Seminar on Thursday in Waldo, Ohio. More than 80 participants learned about the latest seed technology, including information about seed hybrid performance, pest research and more. Participants also had the opportunity to earn up to five CCA credits at the event’s training sessions, which included topics such as bugs in Ohio, nematodes, and crop performance around the state.

One training session titled “The Positive Side of Agriculture” was particularly well received. Conducted by Melanie Wilt of Wilt PR, the training session addressed a topic not traditionally associated with OABA’s seed technology seminars: the importance of educating consumers about agriculture. As part of the training, participants were encouraged to shift their perspective and look at agriculture from the point of view of consumers, who in most cases are not familiar with where their food comes from, and consider how that gap in knowledge could potentially impact the industry in the future.

“This training session was a great fit for this event because ultimately, agriculture’s end customer is the consumer,” said Nathan Louiso, AgriGold vice president and chairman of the OABA Seed Committee, which organized the event. “It’s a mistake to assume they know about where their food comes from. If we—as people in agriculture—aren’t promoting the ag industry, who is? It is critical for all of us to promote our industry as a whole. Whether we’re farmers or in agribusiness, we’re all in it together. This training did a great job of driving that point home, and I think participants really enjoyed it.”

If you have any questions regarding the 2011 OABA Seed Technology Seminar, please contact the OABA office at (614) 326-7520 or info@oaba.net.