Speaker's Bureau Offers Free Service to Civic Clubs

Fall brings forth a bountiful harvest of nutritious, great-tasting foods to Marylanders’ dinner tables. Have you ever wondered where and how this mouth-watering array of delicacies is produced? The Maryland Grain Producers Association’s (MGPA) Speakers Bureau answers these questions and more with their informative presentation, available free to civic and service organizations statewide.

“When families sit down to their meal at night, they rarely think about the farmers who produce the food,” said Debra Spurrier, coordinator for the program. “This colorful presentation brings consumers in touch with the business of agriculture and how it benefits them.”

The presentations cover descriptions of day to day workings of a farm business, economics, production methods, environmental stewardship and much more. Each is different and personalized by the speaker’s own farm experiences.

“Our success in spreading agricultures message to our consumers through the Speakers Bureau has been phenomenal since its inception in the spring of 2000,” said Ms. Spurrier. “Our Bureau’s bank of volunteers is excited to continue this service, speaking to more and more organizations in the communities throughout Maryland .”

The MGPA Speakers Bureau consists of a unique collection of volunteers who either farm or are involved in agriculture-related businesses or activities. All speakers are trained in public speaking and work hard to offer an exciting presentation about Maryland ’s agriculture industry.

“Marylanders are becoming farther and farther removed from their farming roots with the birth of each new generation. Many do not understand the importance of this industry to our state’s economy or their daily lives,” said Byron Grossnickle, a farmer who volunteers as a speaker. “The purpose of the Speakers Bureau is to get people back in touch with Maryland ’s top economic industry – agriculture – and let them see its local and global effects.”

The Speakers Bureau was developed to reach non-profit, civic and service organizations with a slideshow focusing on Maryland agriculture. Since February 2001, the group has given presentations to such groups as Rotary, Jaycees, Lions, Ruritan, Optimists and Chambers of Commerce.

To take advantage of this free service and reserve a presentation in your area, please contact Debra Spurrier at 301-473-7522.

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July 24, 2003                                                                                         

Maryland Commodity Classic a Success

Sunshine graced Maryland grain producers as more than 300 farmers and guest gathered for the 2003 Maryland Commodity Classic, held Thursday, July 24, at the Queen Anne’s 4-H Park near Centreville.

“The purpose of this event is to inform our growers of what’s coming down the road in relation to grain production and marketing,” said Jamie Jamison, chairperson for the event. “I think we accomplished that and more this year.”

According to Jamison, the collapse of the pier in Baltimore has had many producers hurting financially from the inability to market their crops for top prices.  John Cassidy, vice president of Perdue Farms Inc., Grain and Oilseed Division, was on hand to share optimism towards the outcome of marketing this year’s crop.

Cassidy shared that there will be a better price for soybeans this year as Perdue looks toward opening portable transfer stations in Central Maryland to help move the crop to the Perdue export facility at Chesapeake. “While the price will not rebound to what it was before the collapse of the pier, we are confident prices will be better than the last couple of years,” he added.

Keynote speaker for the event was Francis Childs of Manchester , Iowa . Childs has been the national leader in the National Corn Growers Association Corn Contest for the past six years achieving his record yield of 442 bushels per acre last year.

Childs shared with the group his techniques for producing high-yielding corn. According to Childs, the key to high yields and environmental stewardship is spoon-feeding nitrogen and building a healthy soil for deep roots. Childs applies nitrogen in four doses, for a total of just over one pound per bushel of corn. By spoon feeding his corn, he says he does not apply a lot at one time leaving little in the soil to leach away.

Also on hand with encouraging comments were Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Lewis Riley, Sam Willet of National Corn Growers Association, Bobby Hutchison of Mid-Altantic BioFuels Working Group, and Scott Welsh, Project Manager for Penn-Mar Ethanol, LLC.

The Commodity Classic is sponsored by the Maryland Grain Producers Association, the Maryland Soybean Board and the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

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July 24, 2003

Maryland Grain Producers Award Scholarships

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, as part of their checkoff program, awarded Robert Davis, Jr. and Edward Robinson each a $2,500 scholarship during the Maryland Commodity Classic, held Thursday, July 24, at the Queen Anne’s 4-H Park, near Centreville.

“This scholarship program was started to demonstrate our commitment to education and to the agricultural industry,” said Bob Hutchison, founding president of the Maryland checkoff program.  “The checkoff program requires commitment. Results are not generated in a day, a week, or even a year – it is an ongoing process to expand markets and improve profitability. Too, education is a long-term investment. The youth we support today will ultimately return to our industry in the future to insure a safe, inexpensive food supply for our consumers.”

Robert Davis hails from a grain operation in Kent County. He is attending Salisbury University and majoring in Finance with a minor in agribusiness. He recently completed a project that measured the correlation between knowledge of ethanol and prices at which consumers would be willing to purchase E10, a 10 percent blend of ethanol with gasoline. Robert’s interest in innovative, value-added agriculture products, such as E10, and their marketability will help create a brighter future for Maryland grain growers.

Edward Robinson is attending Delaware State University majoring in Animal and Poultry Science, his family farms in Caroling County.  Edward’s interests lie in animal nutrition. After graduation, he hopes to begin work with a feed company formulating feedstuffs or with USDA testing feed samples. Since much of Maryland ’s grain is marketed directly to feed companies, Edward’s studies will directly affect the profitability of our grain producers.

“These two gentlemen both have strong agricultural interest and will be an asset to our industry in the future,” added Hutchison.  “We wish these two young men success in their future and encourage their continued interest in our industry.”

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July 24, 2003                             

Pat McMillan Named Man of the Year

Patrick McMillan was added to the list of Maryland ’s finest grain supporters as he was honored with the 2003 Man of the Year Award for the Maryland Grain Producers Association at the Maryland Commodity Classic, held Thursday, July 24, at the Queen Anne’s 4-H Park, near Centreville.

“The Man of the Year is intended to recognize a professional, non-grower for their contributions to the grain industry,” explained Jamie Jamison, Commodity Classic chairman.

Patrick McMillan is the newly-named Maryland Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Marketing, Animal Industries and Consumer Services. However, his dedication to Maryland agriculture and grain production runs deep in his veins.

“Pat has provided tremendous support to the grain industry,” explained Mr. Jamison. “Pat has been a leader in the expansion of crop insurance programs in the state and we have him to thank specifically for bringing the Wheat Crop Revenue Coverage program to Maryland .

“He has supported our efforts to bring ethanol to Maryland and to work out a solution to the loss of the export pier in Baltimore ,” Mr. Jamison continued. “Pat is one of those people who never says “no” but always offers to do what he can to help.”

Mr. McMillan has served Maryland farmers at MDA since 1986 and has acted as the Department's representative to both the Maryland Grain Producers Association and the Maryland Soybean Board.

In his earlier job with the Department, as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist, he was instrumental in organizing producer-only farmers markets in many regions of the state and coordinating the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program in conjunction with the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). This program now serves more than 21,000 Maryland families while increasing the customer base and income of farmers' market producers.

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May 23, 2003                                                    

Hull-less Barley Unveiled at Twilight Tour

Staying on the cutting-edge of new agriculture research, Robert Hutchison is the only Maryland grain producer to be growing hull-less barley, an innovative crop that could hold many answers to ethanol production on the East Coast. Hutchison Brothers will be hosting a twilight tour at 6 p.m., on June 3, 2003, at their Cordova operation, 11008 Lewistown Road, to showcase their field of hull-less barley.

Along with the tour of the grain fields, several researchers involved with the development and improvement of this new crop will be on hand to discuss the new varieties on the horizon and to answer questions.

Anticipated speakers include Carl Griffey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Bruce Beahm of the Virginia Foundation Seed Farm and Dan Brann of Virginia Small Grains Association. These three men have been growing hull-less barley for study in Virginia. Jose Costa of University of Maryland, a small grains breeder who has also worked with hull-less barley, may also be on hand.

“This tour will open wide the subject of the commercial production of hull-less barley and its great potential,” says Lynne Hoot, executive director of the Maryland Grain Producers Association. “So much speculation has taken place over the last couple of years about whether hull-less barley could be profitable to our growers and its role in ethanol production. The answers to these questions are close to being answered, and this tour will enable Maryland grain producers to learn more about this exciting crop.”

Hutchison has dedicated 8 acres of cropland for the production of hull-less barley. “I feel positive about what hull-less barley has to offer,” he says. “The crop is looking good in the field and stood up slightly better than the hulled barley next to it.”

However, Hutchison has kept an open mind about the possibility of an ethanol plant on the East Coast utilizing this new crop. “If there is only one market for the hull-less barley – ethanol – then it may not catch on,” he says.

According to Hoot, there are several desirable characteristics hull-less barley has to offer to the food and animal feedstock market, as well as the fuel industry. “Hull-less barley has a lower fiber level makes it more acceptable than regular barley in the diet of poultry, swine and other monogastric animals, and its higher density of starch to fiber makes it a desirable addition for high producing dairy cattle,” she shares. “For humans, hull-less barley has a high beta glucan level that has been linked to lowering cholesterol in the body. So, there are many good things this product has to offer.”

For more information about attending the twilight tour, contact Lynne Hoot at 410-956-5771.

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May 19, 2003                                                                            

Maryland Grain Scholarship Reminder

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) reminds students of the June 1, 2003 , deadline for their two annual $2,500 scholarships. These scholarships are funded with Maryland grain check-off funds.

In an effort to promote agriculture education, MGPUB will award two deserving students a scholarship in the amount of $2,500 to be distributed evenly over two semesters ($1,250 for each semester).

Now entering its sixth year, the purpose of the MGPUB scholarship is to provide financial support to students interested in pursuing an agriculturally related career. Given the dynamics in agriculture today, the advances in biotechnology, global positioning systems, environmental protection, and crop and livestock production, Maryland ’s grain farmers believe it is very important to encourage students to consider careers in agriculture by supporting their educational needs with these two scholarships.

The scholarships will be awarded to Maryland residents who are enrolled or accepted to a 4-year institution working toward a BS degree, or students enrolled or accepted in a 2-year institution with an agricultural program. The school need not be located in Maryland .

The selections will be based on agricultural background, family farm involvement, financial need, grade point average, agriculture related studies, career goals, and extra curricular activities. Applicants or the applicant’s immediate family must be involved in the production of grain.

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April 14, 2003  

E85 Station Opens in Annapolis  

After months of preparation and planning, the first E-85 fuel station will open in Annapolis, at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22, 2003, at the Citgo Station located at 2042 West Street, (between Riva Road and Rt. 2), Annapolis. This is only the third E-85 station to open to the public in the state. 

E-85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.  Ethanol is an alcohol made from fermented corn or other plants high in starch, which also makes the product a renewable resource. Ethanol has proven to be environmentally-friendly.

“With each new E-85 station, we are one step closer to becoming independent of foreign energy sources,” said Donnie Tennyson, Vice-president of Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board and a grain farmer from St. Mary’s County. “As we continue this war with Iraq and watch our gasoline prices rise because of our current dependence on Middle East oil, it is even more important to continue working toward creating our own domestically-produced fuel source. Ethanol and ethanol blends, like E-85, offer us that independence in the future.”

“We are very encouraged by the opening of this E-85 station,” said Robert Hutchison, a grain and vegetable farmer in Talbot County . “This shows true progress in our country’s efforts to promote ethanol.  We believe with the support of the Department of Energy and farmers across the state, ethanol can be the accepted fuel for our future.

“It simply makes so much sense for our state and our nation to make this natural progression.  We have the natural resources and the knowledge to produce our own alternative fuels.  Costs can be kept in control and by producing right here within our country, we have tremendous benefits for all those involved—from the grain producer to the jobs provided in the ethanol plants, to the person filling up their car at the fuel station. Ethanol also promotes a healthier environment because it is a cleaner-burning fuel,” Hutchison added.

The opening of the Annapolis station became possible through a grant given by the US Department of Energy to the Metropolitan Baltimore Clean Cities program within the Maryland Energy Administration and implemented by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.  Additional support was provided by the National Corn Growers Association, the Virginia Corn Growers Association, the Illinois Marketing Board, the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Ford Motor Company, and the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan.    

There are approximately 150 stations in the United States which sell E-85.  With the recent rise in gasoline costs, more and more discussion about the use of ethanol has occurred across the Country.  Congress is considering a Renewable Fuel Standard which will expand the use of ethanol to 5 billion gallons by 2015.

As we look toward cleaner-burning fuel alternatives, consumers should know that all vehicles can run on a 10 percent blend of ethanol, known as E-10. Currently, Ford, Chrysler and GMC produce a wide range of vehicles which can run on E-85.  The selection is expanding and includes popular vehicles such as the Taurus, the Chrysler 3.3 liter minivan, the Ranger pickup, the Suburban, the Stratus and the Explorer, contact your dealer or www.E85fuel.com for more information on compatible vehicles. 

“Ethanol is accepted in the Midwest . They are already producing over 2 billion gallons a year, and consuming ethanol as their homegrown energy source. Here on the east coast, we are preparing to do the same as the need for cleaner air and renewable fuel sources grows. Events like this ribbon cutting and what it represents are very encouraging for all of us,” finished Tennyson.

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February 5, 2003

MGPUB and MPGA Elects New Officers

A new slate of officers was elected Tuesday, February 04, 2003 , to lead the Maryland ’s two grain commodity organizations - Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) and the Maryland Grain Producers Association (MGPA).

Stepping up to the position of MGPUB president is James Saathoff of Caroline County. Saathoff grows corn, soybeans, wheat and barley on 1,000 acres near Denton. Donnie Tennyson of St. Mary’s County now holds the office of vice-president.

Both Saathoff and Tennyson are new to their elected positions, but not new to the role of leadership. Saathoff served the board as vice president for the past two years, while Tennyson served MGPA as president. The treasurer, Jamie Jamison of Montgomery County and the secretary, Byron Grossnickle of Frederick County, were both reelected to their current positions.

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board was established in 1991 to administer the Maryland Grain Checkoff Program.  Its mission is to increase the profitability of Maryland grain production and to improve public understanding of agriculture using checkoff investments to support promotion, education, and research.

Taking the helm as president of MGPA is Somerset County ’s Charles Otto. Otto runs a diversified operation in Princess Anne, including growing corn, wheat, soybeans and sweet corn, and raising poultry. Off the farm, Otto works in sales for the Farmers and Planters Company of Salisbury , a full service agriculture supply retailer.

Other officers elected for the MGPA were Bruce Burgess of Queen Anne’s County, as vice president; Drew Stabler of Montgomery County , as treasurer; and Byron Grossnickle of Frederick County , as secretary. Both Otto and Burgess were newly elected to their positions.

The Maryland Grain Producers Association is a membership organization of grain producers in the state.  The organization’s major role is to act as a voice for grain farmers, mostly through its legislative activities both at the state and federal level.  They keep their membership informed through newsletters and the Maryland Commodity Classic.

Both boards share 12 members, two from each of six regions across the state.  These members provide the board with a better understanding of the different issues affecting their region and offer continuity amongst the two organizations as they work together to support the betterment of the Maryland grain industry.  Other members serving on each board of directors represent the University of Maryland , the Maryland Department of Agriculture and supporting agricultural businesses.

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