b'SEED EDUCATIONThe Power of Your Voice: Why Advocating for the Seed Industry MattersCINDY HICKS Communications IIIIowa State University Seed Science Centercghicks@iastate.eduwww.seeds.iastate.eduIN JUNE, I HAD THEopportunity to join the American Seedand understand the industry. Our real-world stories helped turn Trade Association (ASTA) in Washington, D.C., to advocate forabstract policy into concrete priorities, making the issues more the future of the seed industry. I was one of more than 160 par- immediate and relatable for them.ticipants representing 16 ASTA groups who met with members ofHeres what I want to emphasize: your voice matters. Congress to discuss three critical issues: research and innovationLawmakers want to hear from you, not just during Capitol funding, trade and tariffs and the harmonization of seed regula- Hill visits, but year-round. Send an email. Make a phone call. tions. ASTA makes it easy to get started by offering a U.S. Congress ASTA members met with 85 legislators or their staff. Thats 85Handbook with contact information and tips for effective out-opportunities to underscore that seed isnt merely where agricul- reach. Trust me, they read what you send.ture begins; its the very heart of agriculture. The essential work inAt the ISU Seed Science Center, I see firsthand how critical seed research, breeding and production underpins every part ofseed research and policy are to agriculture. The center is a global the food system.leader in seed testing, innovation, and education. But without As part of the Iowa delegation, which included representa- strong, sustained federal support for research, even institutions tives from the Iowa State University Seed Science Center andlike ours cant fully deliver what farmers need.the Iowa seed industry, I spoke with our states lawmakers. GivenFarmers already grapple with the effects of climate change Iowas deep agricultural roots, I expected support. But what trulyand the demand to feed a growing global population and face surprised me was how engaged and receptive every lawmakerincreasing pressure to do more with less: less land, less water, was, not just those from Iowa. They were interested. Curious.fewer inputs. They shouldnt also have to fight for access to the And they appreciated hearing directly from people who work invery thing that makes agriculture possible: seed.PRODUCTIONAI Already has an Opinion About You. Is it Positive?JIM SCHWEIGERT President, Gro Alliancejim.schweigert@groalliance.comgroalliance.com@GroAllianceI WORKED IN PUBLICrelations prior to rejoining the familyYou might be asking how this is relevant to the seed business.seed business in 2003. One of my early PR jobs was to conductWell, think about what a farmer might ask ChatGPT:Internet searches of our clients and their leadership teams toWhich company conducts the most soybean yield trials in compare and contrast their product descriptions and companysouthern Wisconsin?positioning to our clients. Whats the best corn hybrid for irrigated, sandy soil in central How times have changed. Internet search engines are seeingNebraska?a drop-off in usage as more folks turn to AI tools like ChatGPT toWhich seed corn hybrid offers my farm in central Ohio the get their information. In fact, Apples senior vice president of ser- best ROI per acre?vices testified to Congress in May that Google saw its first-everCompare XYZ Seed Corn Company to ABC Seed Corn monthly query decline on its Safari web browser. Company.For fun, I used ChatGPT to see what it said about me. I typedMost companies have spent years working on SEO maximiza-Tell me about Jim Schweigert the seedsman. I was surprised totion, so they appear on the first page of various Google searches. read several pages of information about my role at Gro Alliance,AI is the new frontier.leadership within ASTA, content from past interviews and nug- I recommend creating a list of common questions farmers gets of information from past Seed World articles. It even high- ask your salespeople. The more specific the question, the better. lighted a few common topics I post about on social media. Most likely, they will ask those same questions to their favorite Turns out that AI already has a strong opinion about me! AI tool. Analyze the answers closely. How does your company It has opinions about you, too.rate in the responses? Does the AI tool properly summarize your AI tools scour the internet to build a comprehensive datasetcompanys offerings and services?about virtually any person, thing or subject. They cross-referenceYou can then rework the language on your website, update those data to see whats most common, whats from reputableterminology in your press releases and tailor the focus of your sources and what others say about the subject of your inquiry.social media posts. Doing this will ensure that you are properly And yes, they even scan your social media posts. positioned for the era of artificial intelligence.40/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2025'