Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is confirmed to once again be the keynote speaker for an expected crowd of more than 4,800 corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum producers and guests during the 2012 Commodity Classic, March 1-3 in Nashville, Tenn. “The secretary’s return for a third straight visit is testament to the value of our grower constituency in Washington,” National …
The Sorghum Checkoff Continues
It’s official. The Sorghum Checkoff (officially the Sorghum Promotion, Research and Information Order) will continue as announced by USDA today. “We are pleased to announce that this Checkoff program will continue, and I am confident that this program will further its goal of strengthening the industry and expanding marketing opportunities for sorghum producers and importers,” said USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service …
A Record-Setting Commodity Classic
The 2011 Commodity Classic is one for the record books. Attendance at the annual meeting of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers shattered previous records. Total attendance was more than 4826, breaking the previous record at Nashville three years ago by almost 300. Total number of growers was over 1600, compared to the previous record of 1513 in 2009 in …
Sorghum Offering Alternative To Celiac Diet
I was interested to see that the Sorghum Checkoff is holding a food workshop since I’ve got a brother and sister who have Celiac disease. It made a major impact on their lives since so much of food today contains gluten. However, sorghum is providing an alternative. The Sorghum Checkoff, in conjunction with USDA/ARS, is sponsoring a sorghum food workshop …
Sorghum Growers See Good Growth Potential
Commodity Classic is a gathering of farmers who grow many crops, including sorghum. I wanted to learn more about the organization that assists sorghum growers, the National Sorghum Producers, so I spent a little time with their Chairman, Gerald Simonsen. Simonsen began by telling me about a great victory that had recently for sorghum growers. The organization has some issues …
U.S. Grains Council Announces Global Food Security Symposium
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC ) made a significant announcement during a press conference at Commodity Classic last week with the announcement of key speakers for the upcoming Global Food Security Symposium, which is sponsored by the organization. USGC Chairman Rick Fruth confirmed that U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is expected to deliver the keynote address at the symposium, …
Sustainable Definitions
Can you define sustainability? Neither can I. But that was the first task of the panel discussion of commodity group leaders this morning at Commodity Classic. Moderated by Mark Mayfield, the panel discussed what sustainability means to them. Panelists included: Darrin Ihnen, President, NCGA, Rob Joslin, President, ASA, Karl Scronce, President, NAWG and Gerald Simonsen, Chairman, NSP. You’ll hear the …
Sorghum Fueling Food Aid
Representing the National Sorghum Producers on the Commodity Classic stage this morning was Chairman of the Board, Gerald Simonsen. We learned some interesting things about sorghum such as how 30 percent of the crop goes into ethanol and when it comes to export and food aid it’s big too. And last year sorghum was the number one requested food commodity …
Cruising to Commodity Classic
Registration is officially open for the 2010 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California and you better register soon because it will fill up fast. This will be the 15th annual Commodity Classic for soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum growers and their families, to be held March 4-6 right next to Disneyland. The theme for 2010 is “Cruising to Success.” Growers who …
World Food Prize Winner
Gebisa Ejeta, Purdue University Distinguished Professor of Agronomy plant breeder and geneticist, will receive the World Food Prize for his work in developing sorghum varieties resistant to drought and Striga, a parasitic weed common on the African continent. Because of Ejeta’s efforts, sorghum yields are significantly higher in many African nations. The World Food Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of …