Michigan Corn Growers presents its annual service awards

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. (MCGA) presented two awards at its 2019 Annual Meeting, honoring former state Sen. Judy Emmons and farmer Jeff Sandborn for their many contributions to the agriculture industry.

Emmons was presented with the Friend of Corn Award, which is given annually to a legislator who has shown great support, leadership and dedication to the corn industry. She is a mid-Michigan native, fifth-generation farmer and served more than 250,000 constituents in the 33rd Senate District.

Her career has always centered around agriculture and being a strong, consistent voice of support for the industry. She supported programs to improve the agriculture industry and made sure agriculture was represented accurately in policy discussions in Lansing.

Sandborn was presented with the Annual Distinguished Service honor, which recognizes people in the corn industry that have shown exemplary leadership and service to their industry. He is a farmer in Portland and has dedicated his life to expanding the opportunities on his farm, as well as the operations of his neighbors.

He has served as former president and chair of the MCGA and currently serves on the National Corn Growers Assoc. board. He also served on NCGA’s Ethanol Action team for eight years and has been committed to promoting ethanol use and education in Michigan.

NCGA action teams and committees announced for 2019

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) announced the slate of new and returning farmer leaders who will serve as members of the organization’s action teams and committees for the next fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

Leadership for NCGA’s nine major teams in FY 2019 are:

•Consumer Engagement Action Team: Ted Mottaz, chair; Debbie Borg, vice chair; Bruce Rohwer, board liaison

•Corn Productivity & Quality Action Team: Charles Ring, chair; Randy DeSutter, vice chair; Jeff Sandborn, board liaison

•Engaging Members Committee: Brandon Hunnicutt, chair; and Denny Maple, vice chair

•Ethanol Action Team: Jay Schutte, chair; Mark Recker, vice chair; Tom Haag, board liaison

•Feed, Food & Industrial Action Team: Dan Wesely, chair; Chad Willis, vice chair; Chris Edgington, board liaison

•Freedom to Operate Action Team: Bob Hemesath, chair; Brent Hostetler, vice chair; Deb Gangwish, board liaison

•Market Access Action Team: Mike Lefever, chair; Larry Mussack, vice chair; John Linder, board liaison

•Risk Management Action Team: Randy Melvin, chair; Doug Noem, vice chair; Don Glenn, board liaison

•Stewardship Action Team: Roger Zylstra, chair; Carl Sousek, vice chair; Ken Hartman, board liaison

Leadership for NCGA’s standing committees in FY 2019 are: Finance Committee, John Linder, chair; and Governance Committee, Tom Haag, chair.

Lynn Chrisp will serve as president and also as NCGA’s delegate to the U.S. Grains Council. Kevin Ross of Iowa will serve as first vice president and, in this capacity, will chair the Resolutions Committee. Kevin Skunes of North Dakota will serve as chair and, in this capacity, will also chair the Nominating Committee.

The FY 2019 action teams and committees will have their first set of meetings in St. Louis in mid-December.

One new, four reelected directors gain positions with ICMC

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Jackson County farmer Luke Schnitker joins veteran Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) directors Mike Beard, Sarah Delbecq, Christian Rosen and Kelly Whiteman Snipes on the checkoff’s board, following elections in August.

Schnitker and his wife, Katlynn, grow 300 acres of corn and 300 acres of soybeans on their farm near Seymour. He represents District 8. Rosen and his wife, Andrea, grow more than 1,000 acres of row crops including corn, soybeans and wheat on his farm near Urbana; he represents District 2.

Beard and his wife, Pamela, farm 1,000 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of soybeans near Frankfort. He represents District 5; in addition, he is president of the ICMC board and vice president of the Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) board.

Delbecq and her husband, Benoit, produce about 2,400 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat on her family farm in DeKalb County. She was reelected to an at-large seat on the ICMC board and serves as secretary on its executive board, as well as president of the ICGA.

With 200 acres of corn, 150 acres of soybeans and another three acres of alfalfa, Kelly Whiteman Snipes and her husband, Dan, became the fourth generation to work the soil of their family’s farm. She was also elected to one of the at-large posts on the ICMC board.

These directors will serve three-year terms that began on Oct. 1.

Soy Coalition elects officers during its annual meeting

(photo in 6447)

ANKENY, Iowa — The Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) elected its officers and visited the nation’s leading export region for soybeans during the organization’s annual meeting on Dec. 10-11 in New Orleans.

During the meeting, Mike Bellar of Howard, Kan., was elected chair. Bellar served as the STC vice chair from 2017-18 and secretary-treasurer from 2015-16. He and his wife, Peggy, have five kids and raise soybeans, corn, wheat and cattle. He is also a director on the Kansas Soybean Commission.

Joel Schreurs, a soybean and corn farmer from Tyler, Minn., was elected vice chair. He served as STC secretary-treasurer from 2017-18. He has four kids. Schreurs is also a director on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Assoc. and the American Soybean Assoc.

Jonathan Miller of Island, Ky., was elected secretary-treasurer. Miller and his wife, Cindy, have two kids and raise soybeans, corn and wheat. He is also a director on the Kentucky Soybean Assoc.

In addition to the meeting, the STC board of directors visited the Bunge and CHS soybean and grain export terminals near New Orleans. The group also met with leadership at the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to discuss the proposed deepening of the lower Mississippi River shipping channel.

The group finally met with officials with Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District and American Patriot Holdings, LLC to continue discussing the joint initiative with the STC to promote a new container on vessel export service for farmers in Midwest states.