ASTA Leadership Summit focuses on how to build collaboration
For more information, see the Third Quarter issue of Seed Today.
By Chris Lusvardi
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Leadership Summit June 15-19 in Nashville, TN provided perspectives about various ways to collaborate within the seed industry.
Speakers shared their views about how companies can work together with other businesses, customers, and farmers.
“We want to provide real actionable takeaways that you can apply when you get back to your operation or office,” ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne says.
Keynote speaker Fred Kofman of Conscious Business Center says everyone should only have one mission in mind: helping their team win.
“You cannot have two goals,” Kofman says. “You have to help the organization accomplish its mission. Collaboration is to pursue the mission together. The most effective way to accomplish the mission is to go together and act as one.
“A leader inspires the followers’ internal commitment, guides them, and holds them accountable to accomplish the mission as one team,” Kofman adds.
ASTA Chair Dave Armstrong of Sakata Seed America says they have been working with Kofman as a consultant on how to build a culture of collaboration.
“It is so difficult to build a culture of collaboration,” Armstrong says. “We saw a way to solve this, but it is a long journey to get to a culture of collaboration. We need to engage with one another.”
Nurturing Leadership
Companies of various sizes provide different models about how to develop leadership within their organizations.
Bayer has a 150-year-old history with a culture that continues to evolve, says Gwyn Schramm, North America talent lead at Bayer Crop Science. She says leaders are continually evolving what that culture means and how they operate.
“Our organizational model is centered on all of us needing to be a leader,” Schramm says. “We need to consider how we are accountable to others while developing new solutions moving forward. Recently we brought two large companies together and have tried to not lose our culture with key components to build on.”
Beck’s, which has recently grown to over 1,000 employees, was a small family-run operation not long ago, says Maddie Wilson, culture and brand experience coordinator. She says with the growth, they have had to adapt to being a larger organization.
“Everybody was wearing all hats,” Wilson says. “As we continue to grow, it is not feasible for everybody to do all things. We’re still growing in a purposeful way.”
Keri Carstens says Jord BioScience has 15 employees who are each responsible for certain decisions. She says it is important for any organization, especially small ones, to have a clarity in their priorities.
“We have to adapt to change and know how to respond,” Carstens says. “Our collaboration is based in a team-oriented way.”
Ground Truthing
Farmers are a key part of the collaborations that seed companies need to establish.
“The kind of need for collaboration is unique to the seed industry,” says Mark Purdy, executive vice president of agrifood for Aimpoint Research. “Who we need to work with requires a great vision and being proactive. What we have to deliver has to be collaboration.”
George McDonald of Catesa Farms, Riddleton, TN, says they have worked to establish partnerships with the seed companies they work with.
“The relationship with our seed companies we continue to build on that,” McDonald says. “We are truly partners in what we do.”
Bill Peterson of Peterson Farms in Kentucky says as technology has developed, they have had to learn to make changes. He adds it’s been especially important to make sure everyone within the operation, including their partners, understands that consumers want to know where their food comes from.
“Everybody we deal with shares our core focus,” Peterson says. “We’re learning from other farmers about how to do things.”
McDonald says they have been willing to take risks along the way.
“Everything we’ve tried has not been a home run,” McDonald says. “We’ve had failures that have made us better farmers. We’re willing to take those risks.”
ASTA Leadership
During the conference, ASTA’s officers for the next year were elected. They officially started their terms July 1. They include:
- Chair: Dan Foor, DLF.
- First Vice Chair: Dave Treinen, Syngenta Seeds.
- Second Vice Chair: Bryan Gerard, JoMar Seeds, Inc.
Foor says he hopes those attending the conference will activate what they learned after they leave.
“We hope you will activate and become more involved in the association,” Foor says. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
Foor thanked those attending the conference for investing their time to be there and is looking forward to the year ahead.
He encouraged them to attend upcoming ASTA events, including:
- Forage, Turf, and Conservation Seed Conference, Oct. 29, Kansas City, MO.
- Field Crop Seed Convention, Dec. 10-13, Orlando, FL.
- Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference, Jan. 31-Feb. 4, Orlando, FL.
- Leadership Summit, June 7-11, Washington, DC.