For more information, see the Second Quarter issue of Seed Today.
So much about the seed industry has changed as seed and agricultural practices have advanced through the years.
When we think of certified seed, the founding system of seed production, it too has evolved over the past 100 years.
I like to think of AOSCA as based on a rich heritage, with a modern vision.
Inspection Services
AOSCA member agencies continue to provide inspection services for over 45 different kinds of crops across the United States and Canada.
What is so unique about our association is the commitment to our membership to invest, educate, and grow our members so we can continue to offer the highest quality of inspection services for superior varieties.
AOSCA Academy. Examples of such are programs that are part of the AOSCA Academy: Training the Future of Seed Certification, a one-year cohort leadership program offered to AOSCA members for the very first time this year.
As a mechanism to combat the high rate of succession and institutional knowledge leaving the association, the idea for the Academy was born.
This year, 23 AOSCA members were elected to participate in the program. The six-session program aims to help shape the leadership of AOSCA agencies for the future; with sessions geared toward topics such as leadership, the internal workings of AOSCA, tag printing, reporting, OECD, and regulatory as examples.
At the completion of the program, participants will be honored at the 2025 AOSCA annual meeting.
Turfgrass Inspectors Training. Another example of our investment in our members is field training opportunities like the Turfgrass Inspectors Training that was held in late April.
With over 60 participants from across the United States, the training brought together agency leaders, inspectors, and turfgrass licensing companies.
The conversations centered around how all involved can work together to facilitate the highest quality turfgrasses in the marketplace.
The training started with presentations covering patents and licensing, then inspection procedures and protocols followed by a day of practicing all that was learned in a field setting.
The first of its kind, these kinds of trainings are exactly how AOSCA will continue to grow and offer the highest inspection quality to the seed industry.
Sarah Wilbanks, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
swilbanks@aosca.org / aosca.org
