 |
| NCGA’s
Production and Stewardship Action Team toured the Perdue Grain
Plant in Maryland with Maryland Secretary of Agriculture earlier
this week. Their agenda included agriculture facility tours in
Maryland and Delware. Front row, from left are Max Starbuck, NCGA
staff; Tade Sullivan, Iowa Corn Growers Association staff; Lewis
Riley, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture; action team members
Pat Dumoulin, Jamie Jamison, Paul Gross, Betsy Atherton; (back
row) David Ward, NCGA First Vice President Tumbleson; Bryan Fogersen,
Bill Berg, Warren Kemper, Ron Blaesi, David Sieck, Bill Chase,
Steve Ebke, Perdue President Roger Covey; and Lisa Kelley, NCGA
staff. |
NCGA
Fact-Finding Tours Bring Midwest, East Coast Farmers Together (03-23-05)
Members of the
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Production and Stewardship
Action Team (PSAT) were in Annapolis, Md., this week conducting committee
business and touring eastern shore agriculture industry facilities.
Maryland produced
50.4 million bushels of corn in 2003. The facility tours, which included
visits to grain facilities, a soybean refinery, poultry house and
barge loading facility, put a spotlight on how issues affecting East
Coast agriculture impact corn growers.
Max Starbuck,
NCGA director of livestock and economic analysis, said the facility
tours gave Midwest and East Coast growers a good opportunity to come
together. “This was an important trip for our growers because
they were able to come from the Midwest to discuss similar issues
with farmers from the East Coast,” he said. “It’s
imperative for corn growers all over the U.S. to share viable information
and concerns with each other and not just from one region.”
The PSAT group
toured the Perdue Grain Terminal at Salisbury, Md., where Perdue Vice
Presidents John Cassidy and Roger Covey provided an overview of the
crush plant and grain terminal facilities. Air quality issues, environmental
quality controls, rail and truck rates as well as port infrastructure
were discussed.
PSAT Vice Chair
Bill Chase said touring the Maryland facilities gave the growers insight
into the many issues that impact growers in the United States “Touring
the Perdue plant gave our group a tremendous amount of valuable information
on their transportation and environmental issues,” he said.
“Issues concerning the poultry industry directly impact the
corn grower. “
According to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 56 percent of U.S. corn is used as
feed for the poultry and livestock industry.
"The future
of livestock is going to be a very contentious issue relating to environment
and neighborhood relations,” Starbuck added. “This is
something we need to pay strong attention to.”
At the Salisbury
soybean refinery, the team got an in-depth look at the variety and
complexity of soybean oil production. At lunch, the discussion revolved
around rail transportation inefficiencies in the Maryland area due,
in part, to lack of labor as well as growing energy concerns. The
team also learned about water quality and run-off requirements aimed
at protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
Also on the agenda
was a tour of a poultry house that holds 30,000 birds, along with
a tour of the Seaford Barge Facility in Delaware and the Blades micronutrient
plant. The action team members discussed animal welfare issues along
with Confined Animal Feeding Operation concerns.
The team was able
to tour a waste processing facility where they turn poultry litter
into organic fertilizer that is added to potting soil. Waste management
is a key factor in livestock production.
“The final
stop for the team was a surprise,” said Starbuck. “The
team toured the Taylor and Messick Antique Tractor Collection, which
is one of the largest collections in the U.S. and is located in Delaware
of all places. All in all, the team came away with two days of very
informative and eye opening experiences.”
Last reviewed
March 23, 2005