The CEO for GROWMARK is Jim Spradlin. Jim took the stage at the annual meeting here in Chicago to report on how GROWMARK is maintaining a focus on its core values while adapting to changing market conditions, leadership and the importance of engaged employees, implementing a strategic plan and being mindful of environmental concerns. He told me that GROWMARK has …
Baize Offers View of Soy Past and Future
When John Baize walked the halls speaking with attendees of the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, it wasn’t just some nice thoughts. Baize comes from 38 years of working the global market on behalf of soybeans and other farm products. That experience gives him a great him not just a good view of the past, but also of the …
Preview of GROWMARK Annual Meeting
Just prior to the start of today’s GROWMARK Annual Meeting I spoke with John Reifsteck, Chairman/President to get a preview. I’m a first time attendee, so I needed it! The theme for this year’s meeting is Execute with Excellence. John says that for GROWMARK it is not something you say or do once but it’s a habit. “We think it’s …
Bayer at Work to Combat Citrus Greening
During the 2017 Citrus Expo I visited with Adrian Percy, Bayer, about the partnership announcement between Bayer and the Citrus Research and Development Foundation to combat citrus greening disease. Adrian says that Bayer is uniquely qualified to take on the disease because of its long history in disease control and a great range of fungicide products and also work in …
U.S. Grain Inspection – What to Expect
One of the breakout sessions during the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange provided an overview on how the soy and grain inspection system operated. This gave U.S. growers a better understanding of how their grain was managed once it left the farm and more importantly provided international buyers with the information needed to ensure they were getting a quality …
Shifting to High Octane Ethanol Future
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual conference last week included a panel on shifting to high-octane fuel. First, Trey Binford, product manager of North America Dispensers at Wayne Fueling Systems, discussed the infrastructure component. He explained why Wayne differentiated itself as the first equipment manufacturer to exclusively offer fuel dispensers UL-listed for E25 to gasoline retailers in North America. …
Nebraska Proudly Hosts #USSoyExchange
To kick off the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley provided opening remarks to the international and domestic soybean audience. I was able to speak with the Lt. Governor who shared how proud the state is of its agricultural industry. He said, “It’s really the backbone of our economy. We like to grow things.” “It’s …
Moving More Ethanol Exports
U.S. ethanol exports are setting records this year and that is due at least in part to the efforts of the U.S. Grains Council ethanol advisory team, chaired this year by Jim Glavin, CEO of Lakeview Energy. Galvin spoke at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual conference last week in Omaha about some of the global headwinds and tailwinds …
GROWMARK and COFCO Announce Grain Partnership
A new grain partnership was created on Friday between agricultural cooperative GROWMARK, Inc. and global supply chain agribusiness COFCO International Limited (CIL) providing a direct link from farmers in the Midwest to the global marketplace, and China in particular. “We now have a direct pipeline from our growers to the end user,” said Brent Ericson, GROWMARK Senior Vice President, Member …
Trade Offers Stability for Rural Economies
Jason Hafemeister, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) addressed the attendees of the 2017 U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, bringing a message of greater trade opportunities for America’s farmers. “A substantial part of our farm income comes from foreign markets,” said Hafemeister. “So we at the department are always …