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70 SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2015 Exploring ideas and views on all aspects of the seed industry. FOUNDATION SEEKS TO RAISE MONEY FOR DROUGHT DOCUMENTARY Thirsty Land a new documentary that sets out to tell the story of drought its impact on agriculture communities and the global food supply is receiving support through a fiscal sponsorship from the AgChat Foundation. This allows the filmmaker to receive grants and other tax-deductible donations for the film project. The story of drought needs to be told says the filmmaker Conrad Weaver who is also responsible for the award-winning documentary The Great American Wheat Harvest. Our global food supply and our very survival of humans depends on clean abundant fresh water Weaver explains. I want to make the audience think about it every time they take a drink of water enjoy a shower or water their lawn. According to Jenny Schweigert AgChat Foundation executive director the foundations goals are two-fold to empower those in agriculture with the tools they need to develop meaningful conversations with consumers and to provide a conduit for our industry to connect with those who are not involved in farming or ranching. Weaver is launching a fundraising campaign for the new documentary through IndieGoGo.com with a goal of raising 25000 to help with the production of the film. TPA IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR ACHIEVING PROGRESS ON THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP. Ron Gray TPA PASSES SENATE DEBATE MOVES TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES With the May 22 passage of Trade Promotion Authority TPA legislation by the U.S. Senate the trade policy focus shifted to the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time of print no schedule had been announced for House action on TPA though vigorous debate and ultimately a close vote are expected. The Senates action is important progress but there is more work to do says Ron Gray U.S. Grains Council chairman. TPA is an essential tool for achieving progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP and other trade agreements that can give U.S. farmers additional market access. The TPP countries which include the United States Japan Canada and Mexico account for about 40 percent of world exports. An ongoing trade negotiation between the United States and European Union could also benefit from TPA opening that market to new sales. TPA legislation is intended to set Congressional priorities for negotiators and provide for regular consultation between negotiators and Congress. It would also establish a time-bound approval process in which Congress would vote up-or-down on a proposed agreement as a comprehensive package without amendment. FARMING IN SPACE IS IT POSSIBLE In December three twelfth-grade students from Germany will see their research blast-off to the International Space Station. Their research focuses on the ability to produce large quantities of quality vegetables on a space station. Under normal gravitational conditions cuttings can be used to reproduce plants. If cuttings could be used for the reproduction of plants in microgravity this would be a major step forward in the effort to supply long- term space flights with food from space farming. The question the students are attempting to answer is simple but groundbreaking Can cuttings grow their own root system without gravity to guide them The student research team is developing an experimental design. BASF is providing knowledge on how to keep the plants healthy and free from fungal disease during the 30 days in the ISS environment. The students will do an internship with experts at the BASF Agricultural Center in Limburgerhof Germany before conducting trials at Kennedy Space Center laboratories in Florida. TPA PASSES SENATE DEBATE MOVES TO With the May 22 passage of Trade Promotion Authority TPA legislation by the U.S. Senate Authority TPA legislation by the U.S. Senate