#Classic17 General Session

Cindy Zimmerman

A time-honored tradition of the Commodity Classic general session is the talk show style interviewing of the sponsoring organizations’ representatives – a panel which has grown to five now with the addition of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers last year. Appearing on the stage with emcee Mark Mayfield this year were: American Soybean Association president Ron Moore of Illinois National …

AEM, ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic, Corn, NAWG, NCGA, NSP, sorghum, Wheat

Host Organizations Address #Classic17

Kelly Marshall

National Sorghum Checkoff Program opened Commodity Classic with a big announcement– their partnership with DuPont Pioneer has yielded results. “Today I’m pleased to share with you that, as a result of that partnership, we’ve made a discovery that is the first step, the first hurdle cleared in accelerating the sorghum breeding process,” said Cleve Franks, sorghum research scientist at DuPont Pioneer. …

Ag Groups, Audio, Commodity Classic, NAWG, sorghum

Chandler Goule New CEO of NAWG

Chuck Zimmerman

Let’s welcome Chandler Goule as the new CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers. Chandler is currently Senior Vice President of Programs at the National Famers Union. “NAWG is very pleased to have Chandler on board,” said NAWG President Gordon Stoner, a wheat grower from Outlook, Montana. “With our industry at a critical juncture, we know that with Chandler’s …

Ag Groups, NAWG, Wheat

China’s Wheat Policies Hurt US Farmers

Kelly Marshall

A 2014 study by DTB Associates revealed that China pays farmers more than $10 per bushel of wheat and subsidizes input costs as well.  The U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) have demonstrated several times in the last few years how policies like this one are hurting wheat trade in the U.S. and other …

Exports, International, NAWG, Wheat

Commodity Group Presidents Address Issues

Chuck Zimmerman

Once again this year Mark Mayfield emceed the general session at Commodity Classic taking place in New Orleans. The tradition of bringing the presidents of the commodity groups on stage had a twist with the addition of the Association of Equipment Manufactures Ag Chair, Jim Walker. Mayfield introduced them one at a time and asked them what the critical issues …

AEM, Ag Groups, ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic, NAWG, NCGA, NSP

Wheat & Sorghum Leaders Highlight Industry Issues

Lizzy Schultz

The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) each held a press conference on issues facing their industries during the 2016 Commodity Classic. Representatives from NAWG discussed several pieces of legislation that will have a significant impact on wheat growers and industry partners, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and GMO labeling laws. Their latest efforts …

Ag Groups, Audio, Commodity Classic, NAWG, NSP, sorghum, Wheat

Wheat Awards

Cindy Zimmerman

Members of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) were in Washington DC last week for their annual winter conference and during that time presented awards to friends in Congress. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) was presented with the 2015 Wheat Leader of the Year by the NAWG board of directors, including Washington farmer and NAWG president Brett Blankenship. “Senator Cantwell …

NAWG, Wheat

Commodity Classic Gets New Mobile App

John Davis

Attendees of the upcoming Commodity Classic will have an easier time planning their schedules during the event. The mobile app, which can be downloaded from a variety of operating systems’ app stores, will give attendees fresh information on sponsors, trade show floor events, locations for sessions and exhibits, and other up-to-the-minute information on the nation’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and …

Ag Groups, Apps, ASA, Commodity Classic, Corn, NAWG, NCGA, sorghum, Soybean

Whaley Joins Wheat Growers

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s now official. Our good friend and ag industry veteran Hugh Whaley has joined the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) as director of corporate relations. Though we have known Hugh for nearly 30 years now, this is the best fairly recent photo I could find. And Chuck just saw him a month ago! …

Ag Groups, NAWG, Wheat

Soybean Executive Named NAWG CEO

Talia Goes

Longtime soybean industry executive Jim Palmer has been named chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). Palmer was selected by the NAWG Board of Directors after a search process led by the NAWG officers and grower-leaders of the National Wheat Foundation, NAWG’s affiliated charitable organization. He will officially begin work with the Association and Foundation as …

Agribusiness, NAWG, Wheat