Grain Talk

Using 3-D laser scanning technology can save time and money in retrofitting or building a grain handling facility. Ross McEllhiney is the director of operations and safety for Zen-Noh Grain Corp. and has many years of experience using 3-D laser scanning technology for design and engineering. The technology allows for the construction of a virtual facility that can be "toured" and evaluated for accuracy before any equipment is manufactured and put in place. The technology can deliver efficiencies and improved quality in construction undreamt of a generation ago.

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) is celebrating 125 years of agricultural service and advocacy in November, and President and CEO Mike Seyfert addressed the landmark anniversary in a letter to members. Diversity, healthy lands, safety culture and global markets are the focus of four initiatives flowing from the new tag line "Transforming America's Harvest" as NGFA looks ahead to a successful agricultural future.In this Grain Talk podcast, Seyfert delves deeper into those points and discusses such longer-term issues as safety, labor, and infrastructure, and a 21st century newcomer: cybersecurity. 

Matt Carstens, president and CEO of Iowa-based Landus Cooperative, discusses "optimization" as an alternative to traditional mergers and acquisitions in the grain industry. Carstens describes the benefits Landus and its partners hope to realize from sharing each others' strengths while continuing to put the best interests of farmers first. Carstens likens the process to dating, engagement, and marriage. Optimization gives a partnership an opportunity to develop without necessarily tying the knot via a merger.

How will the move away from coal and natural gas affect rural America and its major employer, agriculture? Will Main Street be traversed in electric cars and the local grain elevator get its electricity from wind turbines and solar panels in the near future? Teri Viswanath shares CoBank Knowledge Exchange's insights into this rapidly changing landscape.

John Lee, director of safety, health and environmental services for the Grain & Feed Association of Illinois, speaks about procedures and challenges for pre-harvest safety preparation. Seasonal workers, increased traffic, fatigue and getting equipment ready are among the topics addressed.

Ben Fargher, vice president, Sustainability, Cargill Agricultural Supply Chain North America, talks about the firm's sustainability efforts, why they’re important to the company and what the future may hold for agricultural producers. 

Malcolm Johnson, founder and owner of Ontario, Canada-based Maljohn Company, discusses his company's industrial plastics products for the grain industry and charitable mission through the sales of toboggans and the "Home Alone Team."

Grain, particularly wheat, is a top-five export for the state of Oregon, where Port of Coos Bay is poised to serve growing demand across the Northwest. In this Grain Talk episode, Margaret Barber, director of external affairs and business development, discusses the port's facilities, including a rail line, and goals for growth in the grain export market.

Bill Spreeman, safety director at Portland, OR-based Columbia Grain International, shares his experiences and some of the ways CGI has approached mitigating the hazards of grain handling and storage. He also talks about why CGI participates in Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week each year.

New National Grain and Feed Association President and CEO Mike Seyfert discusses his background, what led him to NGFA, and the goals he has for himself and the association on behalf of its members.