Workshops and Meetings
 

Federal Seed Schools Gastonia, SC
2008 Iowa State University Workshops Ames, IA
 Idaho Seed Analysts Spring 2008 Workshop- Registration now available! BioDiagnostics West, Twin Falls, ID
SGS-MWSS Seed Technologist Workshop - Brookings, SD
 SGS-MWSS Seed Sample Workshops- Salem, OR & Brookings, SD
 North East Seed Analysts Workshop Harrisburg, PA
2008 Annual Meeting- St. Paul, MN
 Locations of Annual Meetings 1908 to present

Federal Seed Schools
 April 28-May 2
 August 4-8, 2008

The Seed Regulatory and Testing Branch will be hosting two five workshops this year at our facility in Gastonia, NC:  April 28-May 2 and August 4-8, 2008.  This year seed schools will comprise of two sections  the first three days will be purity and identification of similar crop and weed species, including Bromus, Brassica, Setaria, Poa, quackgrass and wheatgrasses.  Other topics such as the uniform blowing procedure will be covered.  Germination topics may be included, depending on interest of the attendees and the availability of samples for demonstration purposes. Presentation of topics will be on a level appropriate for experienced seed analysts. The last two days of the week will be on Quality Management Accreditation training. The purpose of the QA training is to assist a company develop a quality management system for ISO, ASL, or ISTA accreditation. 

These seed schools are open to seed analysts from private and government seed testing laboratories as well as seed companies.  Enrollment at each of the seed schools will be limited to 20 participants due to the hands-on nature of the topics and one-on-one attention from the instructors.  Participants from non-government laboratories will be charged a fee of $32/day.  Notice of acceptance will include payment instructions, travel and hotel information. 

Download the pre-registration form for the April session.  In order to have broad representation at the seed school, participants will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis, with no more than 2 participants from any given lab. 
pre-registration form (Word document)    pre-registration form (PDF file)

For more information about these seed schools, please contact Botanist Pattsy Jackson at pattsy.jackson@usda.gov or Laboratory Supervisor Susan Maxon at susan.maxon@usda.gov .

Susan R. Maxon
Laboratory Supervisor/Asst. Chief
USDA AMS LS Seed Regulatory & Testing Branch
801 Summit Crossing Place, Suite C
Gastonia, NC 28054
704-810-8870; fax 704-852-4189

ISU Workshops for 2008
Location: Seed Science Center, Ames Iowa
 http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/seedscience/register.html  

Commercial Popcorn Conditioning: March 18-20
Color Sorting-Sortex: June 2-3
Color Sorting-Satake: June 4-5
Commercial Seed Corn Conditioning: June 16-19
Seed Treatment: June 25-26
Soybean & Small Grain Conditioning: July 7-9
Soybean & Small Grain Conditioning: July 28-30
Gravity Separation: August 5
Gravity Separation: August 7
Research Corn Seed Conditioning: August 11-14
Purity Testing Short Course: April 21-24  http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/aosashortcourses/home.html
Germination Testing Short Course: April 28-May 1
Corn & Soybean Quality Workshop: August 20-21

For more information on any of the workshops, conferences, or short courses listed below, please contact Connie Sandve by phone at 515.294.6821 or via email at csandve@iastate.edu. Registration for many of our courses may also be handled on-line

SGS Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. Seed Technologist Training Workshop
May 12-16, 2008 Brookings, SD

The 10th Annual Seed Technologist training sessions will be held May 12-16, 2008 in Brookings, S.D. The five-day training is comprised of three different sessions, Purity & Seed Identification, Tetrazolium, Genetic and Seed Germination Testing.  Participants may attend any or all sessions.

Training will benefit seed analysts, seed technologists, genetic technologists, quality assurance personnel and others interested in seed testing analysis. They are helpful for those planning to take future seed technologist examinations or those working in seed companies and/or laboratories.  Topics are taught through lectures on theory, demonstration of methods, along with considerable time spent doing hands-on analysis.

For more information or to register for this workshop, please visit our website at /www.mwseed.com/WorkshopsTraining/SeedTechnologistWorkshop/tabid/119/Default.aspx

 

SGS Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. Seed Sampler Training Workshops
March 4-5, Salem, OR
May 21-22, Brookings, SD

Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. (SGS MWSS) announces two upcoming seed sampling workshops to be held in Salem, OR on March 4-5 and Brookings, SD, on May 21-22, 2008.

ISTA, AOSA and CFIA sampling rules will be reviewed, as well as sampling methods, sealing seed lots, subdividing samples and a review of ISTA certificates. The Seed Sampler Workshop provides seed company personnel or workshop participant with the pre-certification training necessary to draw samples for the issuance of ISTA Orange Certificates.

This workshop is an excellent education experience for anyone sampling seed, regardless if it will be exported or not. Milt Haugen, Croplan Genetics, participated in a seed sampling workshop and suggests “To do justice to your customer and your company’s product, everyone should attend a sampler workshop.”

The sessions will begin at 8:00 a.m. on the first day and conclude by noon on the second day.  The workshops will be held at the Phoenix Grand Hotel in Salem, OR and Mid-West Seed Services, Inc. in Brookings, SD. 

ISTA accredited laboratories issuing International Orange Certificates are responsible for the training and auditing of authorized seed sampling personnel.

Please see our website, www.mwseed.com, or contact us at 877-692-7611 for more details.

The Idaho Seed Analyst Association
Workshop
May 19, 20, 21, 2008
Registration

Topic: Canadian M & P and ISTA Rules for Testing Seed

  • Participants Testing Concerns as outlined in registration questions.
  • Reporting issues, pre-examples to be sent to each participant for hands on completion.
  • Recent changes to Canadian Regulations.
  • Grade tables will be covered in regards to species tested by workshop participants.
  • Idaho Noxious Weeds law
  • Wed afternoon will be spent reviewing AOSA 2008 Rule proposals.

Speakers:

  • Joanne Hinke, Laboratory Supervisor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency 
  • Sharon Davidson, RST, Agri Seed Testing
  • Idaho Department of Agriculture

When: May 19, 20, 21, 2008

Where: College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls, ID

Who:  Workshop Hosted by BioDiagnostics West

Cost: $150.00 per person which includes:

  • Lunch Mon; Tue; & Wed
  • Dinner & boat ride Monday night

Travel Considerations:

  • Fly directly into Twin Falls (TWF) only serviced by Sky West a Delta Partner.
  • Local transportation will be provided in Twin Falls, you will not need to rent a car.
  • Fly to Boise, ID (BOI) and rent a car to drive to Twin Falls, 120 miles East on I-84.

Hotel Suggestions:

Hotel

Price Range/ Location

Amenities

Book By

The Hampton Inn –       208.734.2233
1658 Fillmore
Twin Falls, ID 83301

$119 to $129
Near College of Southern Idaho
Close to Shopping & Restaurants

Full breakfast from 6-10 am.
Free WFI
Indoor Pool & Hot Tub; small exercise room.
Business Center

March 30

Holiday Inn Express –   208.732.6001
1910 Fillmore
Twin Falls, ID 83301

$109 to $119
Near College of Southern Idaho
Close to Shopping & Restaurants

Continental breakfast
Free WFI
Indoor Pool & Hot Tub; Fitness Center; Business Center

At Least 1 month in advance

Comfort Inn –                208.734.7494
1893 Canyon Springs Rd.
Twin Falls, ID 83301

$99 to $109
Near College of Southern Idaho
Close to Shopping & Restaurants

Deluxe Continental breakfast
Free WFI
Pool, Spa, and Laundry facilities

March 30th is best

Pat Brownfield
BioDiagnostics West, LLC
1775 Eldridge Ave.
Twin Falls, Idaho USA 83303
Phone: 208-732-0013
Email: pat.brownfield@BDWTesting.net

2008 North East Seed Analysts Workshop
download workshop announcement

The North East Seed Analyst Workshop will be held in Harrisburg Pa on Wednesday October 8 and Thursday October 9, 2008.  The Thursday session will be a half day session.

Please share this announcement with other analysts in your area.  If you know of other analysts not in your lab but you think may have an interest, please share this with them.

First I want to remind every analyst who is certified that they must now obtain on going education credits to maintain their certification.  A total of 5 points must be earned over a 3 year period.  Attending this workshop will earn the analyst 3 points towards this total.  The points earned are 1 point for each half day session (3 hours).

Secondly we will be offering a referee on pepper seed germination. This referee will try to determine the various effects different media soaking methods has on pepper varieties high in Scoville units.  This referee has been approved by AOSA and we have submitted it to SCST for approval, towards earning 1 point towards the on going education points.  Those of you who are interested in participating in the referee contact Chuck Boettinger at cboettinge@state.pa.us.  The results of this referee will be part of our agenda items in October.

Some other tentative agenda items include a hands on separation of meadow fescue, tall fescue and ryegrass.  We are also planning another virtual germination practical examination.

We are now seeking other items that you would like to see on the agenda.  We need people willing to make presentations.  This workshop is only as good as those people willing to make a contribution.  You can contact me with suggestions and ideas at jgarvey@state.pa.us.

More information will follow as we get nearer the meeting dates.

Remember to contact Chuck Boettinger to participate in the pepper referee no later then June 1, 2008.

Joe Garvey
Seed Program Supervisor

2008 Annual Meeting- St. Paul, MN
June 6-11, 2008
Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel
Visit the meeting website!

LOCATIONS OF AOSA ANNUAL MEETINGS FROM 1908 TO PRESENT
 

1908 -

Washington, D.C.

 

1909 -

Boston, MA

1910 -

Washington, D.C.

  

1911 -

Columbus, OH

1912 -

Washington, D.C.

  

1913 -

Washington, D.C.

1914 -

Washington, D.C.

  

1915 -

Columbus, OH

1916 -

Minneapolis, MN

 

1917 -

Detroit, MI

1918 -

?

  

1919 -

St. Louis, MO

1920 -

Chicago, IL

 

1921 -

Toronto, Ontario

1922 -

Chicago, IL

 

1923 -

Cincinnati, OH

1924 -

Washington, D.C.

 

1925 -

Kansas City, MO

1926 -

Ithaca, NY

 

1927 -

Detroit, MI

1928 -

New York, NY

 

1929 -

Des Moines, IA

1930 -

Cleveland, OH

 

1931 -

Toronto, Ontario

1932 -

Fargo, ND

 

1933 -

Chicago, IL

1934 -

?

 

1935 -

St. Paul, MN

1936 -

Rochester, NY

 

1937 -

Washington, D.C.

1938 -

Guelph, Ontario

 

1939 -

Madison, WI

1940 -

Auburn, AL

 

1941 -

Ames, IA

1942 -

Lexington, KY

 

1943 -

?

1944 -

Columbus, OH

 

1945 -

?

1946 -

East Lansing, MI

 

1947 -

Richmond, VA

1948 -

Springfield, IL.

 

1949 -

Corvallis, OR

1950 -

Washington, D.C.

 

1951 -

Guelph, Ontario

1952 -

West Lafayette, IN

 

1953 -

Lincoln, NE

1954 -

Ames, IA

 

1955 -

Stillwater, OK

1956 -

Sacramento, CA

 

1957 -

Baton Rouge, LA

1958 -

Montreal, Quebec

 

1959 -

Bozeman, MT

1960 -

Springfield, IL.

  

1961 -

Richmond, VA

1962 -

Miami, FL

 

1963 -

Ft. Collins, CO

1964 -

Rochester, NY

 

1965 -

Lexington, KY

1966 -

Vancouver, BC

 

1967 -

Madison, WI

1968 -

Atlanta, GA

 

1969 -

Sacramento, CA

1970 -

Jefferson City, MO

 

1971 -

Raleigh, NC

1972 -

Salt Lake City, UT

  

1973 -

Ottawa, Ontario

1974 -

Little Rock, AR

 

1975 -

Portland, OR

1976 -

Hershey, PA

 

1977 -

Amherst, MD

1978 -

Lincoln, NE

  

1979 -

Saskatoon, SK

1980 -

Des Moines, IA

 

1981 -

Orlando, FL

1982 -

Corpus Christi, TX

  

1983 -

Ottawa, Ontario

1984 -

Boise, ID

  

1985 -

Richmond, VA

1986 -

Minneapolis, MN

 

1987 -

Sacramento, CA

1988 -

Rochester, NY

 

1989 -

Peoria, IL

1990 -

Annapolis, MD

 

1991 -

Lexington, KY

1992 -

Oklahoma City, OK

 

1993 -

Ft. Collins, CO

1994 -

Portland, OR

 

1995 -

Sacramento, CA

1996 -

Milwaukee, WI

 

1997 -

Savannah, GA

1998 -

Boise, ID

 

1999 -

Omaha, NE

2000 -

Ames, IA

 

2001 -

Albuquerque, NM

2002- Sioux Falls, SD   2003- Seattle, WA
2004- Tunica, MS   2005- Saskatoon, SK
2006- Indianapolis, IN   2007- Cody, WY
2008- St. Paul, MN*   2009- Fort Collins, CO
         

* scheduled