“I was the first American governor that hosted Xi Jinping when he was just a young party leader from our sister state, Hubei province in China,” Branstad says. “So I’m one of the few people in the world that can say I’m a friend of Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping calls me an old friend because we treated him so well when he came Iowa in 1985.”

Hear more from former Amb. Terry Branstad in this episode of The Scoop Podcast before learning from his fireside chat during the ARA Conference & Expo.

What is next for ag retailers now that Donald Trump is the President-elect and Republicans have taken Senate control? Richard Gupton and Hunter Carpenter of the ARA public policy team share top takeaways for the our industry in the blog post linked below.

Dive deeper into the new political landscape in Washington and how it will steer the association's 2025 public policy priorities during an ARA Conference breakout session featuring expert insights by Gupton and Carpenter. 

Buckle up and lift your team to new heights in safety with "Stories from Space" told by former astronaut Mike Mullane. Explore Mullane's invigorating life experiences with NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and hiking some of the world's highest peaks.

Plus, see what former President Ronald Reagan told him and the crew on Space Shuttle Discovery's maiden voyage in the blog post below.

Listen to The Scoop Podcast to hear Mullane talk about teamwork.

“It's already all around us. You just can't necessarily touch it, feel it all the time,” Bushel's Ryan Raguse says about AI.

How can we use AI to optimize agronomic sciences and business operations? Which routine tasks can AI do for you so that you have more time to spend with your customers?

Learn more about his upcoming panel discussion in The Scoop Podcast!

“Whether it's electricity or whether it's fuel for your car, miraculously, ag and ag products play a huge starring role in all of it,” says renewable fuels expert Tim Urban about agriculture's game-changing role in the energy evolution. 

“I don't think there's ever been a time in my memory where the ag sector can pick up the phone and it gets answered at the highest level."

Learn more about his upcoming session in The Scoop Podcast!

What if you could transform a task that used to take half of your day to just minutes? For agronomists looking to streamline crop scouting, gain efficiencies, and agronomic recommendations, AI is offering such a solution. And while the technology exists, Taranis Chief Commercial Officer Jason Minton says retailers should let go of any fear they have about AI, start using it, and get excited for the future. Bushel's Ryan Raguse will join Minton for a panel about AI Applications in Ag with The Scoop's Margy Eckelkamp as the moderator.

You can hear more in The Scoop Podcast!

Let the countdown begin for the NASA Johnson Space Center Tour, Houston’s top attraction! With the largest collection of artifacts in the southwestern US, the Space Center has been fueling curiosity and innovation through the history of America’s human space-flight program since 1992. 

Discover what else you can learn or experience first-hand about space in the blog post below.

"Naturally, we are a competitive group in the marketplace and some of that bubbles up during the bidding action at the ARAPAC auction. It’s all in good spirits as we work toward the common goals of ARA. There’s nothing more satisfying than outbidding a friend for an item on the auction list, knowing it went to support our industry.” 

Read more from ARAPAC Committee Chair Ryan Burke and ARA's Richard Gupton in this blog post about ARAPAC and the annual Dinner & Auction held at the House of Blues during ARA Conference week.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with its tax incentives for biofuels and subsidies for climate-smart agriculture, represents the dawn of a new policy era supporting American farmers’ clean energy innovation. While the path to crafting fair guidance and claiming these credits presents challenges, they provide a unique opportunity to influence policymaking and put money directly into the pockets of American farmers.

Read more from Keynote Speaker Tim Urban in this blog post providing a background on his Biofuels 101 session during the opening general session.

Tee off at one of the best courses in Texas, the Golf Club of Houston, at this year’s ARA Invitational Golf Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Each year, players say this is one of the most powerful networking opportunities during the ARA Conference & Expo. 

To show their appreciation, many company leaders stack their golf foursomes with customers and partners as they compete for the top score. 

2024-2025 ARA Board Chair Amy Asmus, co-owner of Asmus Farm Supply, at the 2023 ARA Conference.

ARA opened registration with a rejuvenated schedule for its annual Conference & Expo, to be held Dec. 3-5 in Houston, Texas.

ARA Board Chair Amy Asmus, co-owner of Asmus Farm Supply, encourages industry leaders to join the conversations at the ARA Conference this year:

“The ever-changing landscape of ag retail presents us with many opportunities as well as challenges. Attendees will leave knowing how to evaluate and react to fluctuations in a way that helps their businesses and our industry thrive."

Read more from ARA's news release published June 11.