2018 September Newsletter

September 2018   Volume 12  Number 8


  • Register now for AgGateway’s Annual Conference, Nov. 12-14, Austin, Texas. See the many prime sponsorship opportunities here.
  • Find out more about AGIIS in a one-hour webinar, Sept. 19 or Sept. 27. See the article in this issue.
  • Nominate an AgGateway leader for the Ron Storms Leadership Award!
  • Sign up for AgGateway’s Member Portal to get access to your member contact information, and contact information for other members. 


Annual Conference

Register Now to “Get Plugged In” at the Annual Conference in Austin

By the AgGateway Conference Committee

It’s time to register for AgGateway’s Annual Conference, “Get Plugged In”, coming November 12-14 to the Sheraton Austin Hotel at The Capitol, Austin, Texas. The conference draws hundreds of business and IT professionals to discuss ongoing initiatives to help companies better manage and use agricultural information. Early registrants receive a significant registration discount.

Our keynote speaker is Stephanie Liska, CEO of Beck Ag, who will explore ways to use data to drive customer insights. Other speakers include Norbert Schlingmann, General Manager of the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF); a representative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture speaking on the agency’s data-related work; and Vince Restucci, Director of Procurement & Business Technology at R.D. Offutt Company, who will discuss data opportunities for grower/producer operations. The conference will feature additional educational sessions focused on business and technical topics, as well as updates from the AgGateway Global Network. The conference also features a welcome luncheon for first-time attendees, the annual awards program, and multiple networking breaks and receptions. Read more...

Leadership Profile

Anthony James, Customer eConnectivity Specialist at Syngenta, and Seed Council Chair

By J. Nolfo, BASF, and Communications Committee Chair

For our latest edition of the AgGateway Leadership Profile, we interview Anthony James, this year’s Seed Council Chair. Anthony is highly recognizable around the AgGateway meetings. He’s also one of the members that seems to always be having just a little bit of fun, which is evident in his interview.

How long have you been involved with AgGateway, and what are your current activities with AgGateway?

Since the 2013 Mid-Year Meeting, so a little over 5 years. Currently I am Supreme and Judicious Chair of the Seed Council but also participate in the Ag Retail Council, AIDC (Auto Information Data Capture) Committee, and the Communications Committee.

Give us a quick synopsis of your career path – where did you start, and where are you now?

I started in the agriculture industry at Syngenta in 2011 as a business operations contractor before being hired on full time as the Seeds eConnectivity Specialist in 2013. Before that I worked for a retail IT solutions company as a project manager, and before that I was chasing Bigfoot for the History Channel. Read more...

Leadership Award

Nominations Due September 25 for the Ron Storms Leadership Award!

By the AgGateway Communications Committee

Is there a veteran AgGateway leader whose work you've really admired at AgGateway? It may be someone on the Strategic or Operations Board, or within your council, committee or project team that you think goes above and beyond the call of duty, and really keeps things moving. Finally, is this someone who has been involved with AgGateway for at least two years as a member volunteer (not staff), and has he or she demonstrated their leadership in more than one place, on more than one activity?

If so, help us recognize that exemplary leadership and nominate them now for the AgGateway Ron Storms Leadership Award. Nominations are due soon — by September 25, so submit your nomination now. Details are available here. It's not hard to make a nomination and requires just a few minutes of your time. Read more...

AGIIS Update

How AGIIS Helps You with Traceability, Visibility and Product Movement

By Josh Wall, AGIIS Product Manager

First, some information to share. Then some thoughts on why that information is more valuable than ever.

Consider joining us for a one-hour product training webinar this month on AgGateway’s Ag Industry Identification System (AGIIS). This training — which I’ll be leading — provides an overview on product identification and why it is essential in your eConnectivity efforts. You’ll learn about the many benefits for your company and your trading partners from having products in the AGIIS directory. I’ll also review the basics on how to create a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and how to load products into AGIIS. The webinar will focus on the business value and business process of uploading products, and will not be very technical in nature. Read more...


Thought Leadership

Decoding 5 Key Digital Technologies Reshaping the Agriculture Industry

By Archit Bhise, Tavant Technologies

Editor’s Note: Here’s a recent blog of interest contributed by AgGateway member Tavant Technologies. If your company has recently published information on digital agriculture that you think would be of interest to AgGateway members, email Eileen Licitra and Susan Ruland, care of AgGateway Member Services, Member.Services@AgGateway.org.

According to a 2015 report from the McKinsey Global Institute, agriculture is the least digitized industry; far behind healthcare, hospitality, and construction. Conquering agricultural challenges need to break through the weakest link of the food chain by using technology, with digitization as a keystone.

In recent years, technology in agriculture, which is also termed as AgTech has drastically changed the agriculture industry. The digital agribusiness is undeniably real, and it’s here to stay. Digital will play a vital role in the agricultural value chain by providing targeted information, data-driven decisions, and recommendations, access to sustainable practices and finance opportunities. Read more...


In the News

AgGateway in the News

AgGateway has launched a new series with Farm Journal Media called, “AgGateway Digital Ag In Action”. Every two weeks AgPro is running an AgGateway case study, which is posted to AgProfessional.com, featured in an interview on AgriTalk, featured on social media, and included in a weekly AgPro e-newsletter. See the first two features below. Thanks for helping spread the word, AgPro!

AgGateway Digital Ag In Action: Seed Distribution Improved

August 30, 2018, AgPro – Ceres Solutions has seen a marked improvement to its business. “Seed department profitability is now contributing significantly to our company’s bottom line,” says Randy Fry, Ceres Data Process and Information Systems Manager. “We have made great strides in better managing our seed business using the combined software and barcode system. Our customer service has improved because we can be more responsive and accurate. We can invoice customers more quickly and accurately.”

AgGateway Digital Ag In Action: Zero Shrink & Improved Productivity

August 17, 2018, AgPro – According to Natasha Lilly of Effingham Equity, “This was a win for all our locations because of the considerable time savings. A transaction that previously had taken 30 minutes could easily be accomplished in 45 seconds. The first connections put into place equated to a savings of around 150 hours per administrative assistant each season. These savings are applicable at each of our retail locations – and the savings did not stop there.” Today inventory is received precisely with accurate lot information, which saves endless hours on inventory processes.