|
Hello! My name is Emma Smith, I am currently a sophomore at Illinois State University with a double major in Animal Science and Agribusiness. I am from Seneca, Illinois where I grew up on a diversified grain and livestock operation. I am blessed to have been selected as a recipient of the GFAI Industry Immersion Scholarship. This scholarship is unique in the sense that it not only provides recipients with financial resources, but also with resources that allow students to connect with the grain industry in a unique way. Before the current school year began, my fellow scholarship recipients and I experienced the Industry Immersion Tour, where we were given the opportunity to visit and experience different grain facilities throughout the state. During these three days we were able to network with both each other and professionals within the industry, develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the grain industry in Illinois, and have the opportunity to be exposed to what happens to the grain once it is unloaded at the elevator.
Speaking of the elevator, in addition to the Industry Immersion Tour we took in August, each recipient is able to shadow a grain facility in the fall and spring. I was fortunate to be paired with Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. (CGB) in Dwight, which is about a half an hour from my home. At the office, I met with Facility Manager, Ryan Tucker, who explained the main purpose and goals of CGB’s Dwight location and how the rail system is a key factor to the success of their operation. I had the unique opportunity to watch as a train was being filled with grain before it headed to the Southeastern part of the United States. As we watched the train be loaded, I was given valuable information about the different rail systems that are utilized, the importance of loading cars in a timely manner, and how organic grain is handled differently than non-organic grain. I also watched how each semi was probed and sampled before entering the facility. We experienced quite a bit of this during our Industry Immersion Tour, but it is always interesting to see the different ways different operations go about this process. While the train was loading, I was able to sit in on a weekly safety call with the general manager, the assistant general manager, the group manager, and several facility managers throughout Illinois. It was quite refreshing to witness managers be so concerned about the safety of their facilities and the wellbeing of their employees. Following the meeting, I was walked through the billing process of the train that was being filled, which can also be applied to train containers - which are what is being filled if a train is not present. I was then fortunate enough to meet with Senior Merchandiser, Sam Sardesai, who walked me through his day-to-day duties. We discussed how important it was to build a relationship with the local producers, rather than just being focused on the dollars and cents of the operation. Mr. Sardesai informed me that the facility was able to come haul the grain of producers if they did not have the equipment to do so, and the scales had the dimensions to fit a tractor hauling two wagons. I thought this was awesome because it creates such a convenient experience for the producers. We then discussed how risk was being managed within an operation. CGB provides solutions such as, but not limited to, floor/ceiling target, precision reports that compare predicted/actual costs in order to predict for the upcoming years, and selling a certain percentage of the crop - all to ensure that the farmer is not in a high risk situation. I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work with CGB’s Dwight location. From even just the short amount of time I was there, I was able to tell they are an operation that truly cares about the producers and I am excited to continue this experience in the spring! My name is Jaton Shaffer, and I am currently a Junior at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I am studying Agriculture and Consumer Economics with a focus in Markets and Management. Within my studies at the University, I have been focusing mainly on the commodity futures markets and learning the forces and factors that drive these markets. I may not fully know what my future career will look like. I have taken a serious interest in the grain industry. For my job shadow as a part of the GFAI scholarship program I was paired with Leland Dean at the Deland Farmers Cooperative in Deland, IL. My time spent with Leland this fall was very insightful. During my time I learned more about how elevators protect themselves from losses on the grain they purchase from farmers by hedging using the futures markets. How elevators manage to make money using basis and making timely sales the end user markets that are available to them. As well as how important record keeping is in managing the overall state of the elevator. It wasn’t just the management side of the business that Leland taught me about. Leland shared a lot of the important parts of keeping in touch with your customers, providing advice and wisdom where you feel comfortable, and just how important personal relationships are within the business. Many people stopped by or called the elevator during the day and Leland was always there to visit with them and help them make the best decisions for themselves. I cannot wait to return to Deland this spring and learn more about managing an elevator
Hi me again! Approximately a month later, I traveled back to Tuscola to learn further into their daily business operations at the elevator. As I was pulling into the facility, trucks were digging into the corn pile to move grain into the elevator bins. This is essential as winter weather and commodity quality are negatively correlated. All day trucks were working to reduce the size of the pile and truck it to the grain pits. Chase had some team calls scheduled for the morning time, so I got to listen in and hear about what they thought the market was doing and how things are looking within their region. After the team calls for the day, there was cash grain to be hedged in the futures market. He showed me the process of how a real-life hedge would work and since it was nearing the end of the month, we talked about spreading contracts to the next month. Not only is he managing risk for all the Tuscola grain, but for the six other elevators in the region. This involves a heavy amount of communication and market awareness to be able to pick up on good grain basis opportunities. Collaboration is a key factor to the success of any elevator as there are many moving pieces that need to fit together to accomplish the daily tasks. Originators, operators, and the trading team must be able to have strong skills in communication and problem solving to work as a successful team. Once again, I am honored and thankful to be a scholarship recipient and to spend two days within the grain industry at ADM. Thank you to everyone who has a hand in making this program happen
Hello! My name is Kate Miller, a senior at the University of Illinois majoring in Agriculture Consumer Economics with a focus on Agribusiness Markets & Management. My roots trace back to a grain farm in Macedonia, IL, located in the southern part of the state. Ever since my early days in 4-H as a clover bud, agriculture has been my unwavering passion. Throughout a decade of active involvement, I cultivated my interest in this field. In high school, I joined FFA and proudly earned my Illinois State Degree. I chose the University of Illinois for its renowned College of ACES, which stands among the world's top agriculture colleges. During my time at Uof I, I became part of the 4-H House Cooperative Sorority and spend my free time engaging in excellent organizations like Orange Krush and ACE Ambassadors. Last summer, I had an internship at ADM in Decatur, where I further developed my merchandising and sales skills. I'm set to return to ADM's St. Louis location in Summer 2024 to dive deeper into basis trading and expand my understanding of commodity markets. My career goal is to be a commodity trader so I am educating myself further by taking two courses on basis trading and will receive my grain merchandising certification by the end of the year! This experience has helped me further understand grain elevators and the board of trade. During the fall semester, I chose the ADM Elevator in Tuscola, IL to spend my time learning more about their business structure and market opportunities. I spent most of my time learning from Kenny Hadden, Regional Manager and Chase Rhein, Trade Manager. They gave me a general understanding of the Tuscola Elevator and the several market capabilities. We then further discussed the situations on both the corn and bean piles and how quality can become a serious problem when not tarped or picked up in an efficient amount of time. I was happy to be able to relate what I was learning through my basis trading courses to the conversations during this two-day job shadow experience. After learning an overview of the elevator, I received a tour from two operation employees. They explained how the whole elevator is operated by just one computer and how there is many pros and cons to technology advancing in several spaces within agriculture. I was given a tour of the rail load out system and even got to take the operations elevator up to where they go to fill outbound trains. This experience was unmatched as all their staff was welcoming and they answered all my questions. I would like to say thank you to all the employees at Tuscola and especially Kenny and Chase for making my first day educational and enjoyable. I can’t wait to go back for my second day of job shadowing.
I am a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing dual degrees in Agricultural and Consumer Economics (emphasis in Policy, International Trade, and Development) and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. This semester, I am enrolled in ACE 222 Agricultural Marketing with Professor Paul Stoddard. The course and Grain and Feed Association industry tour have sparked my interest in a career in international grain marketing, allowing me to apply my interests in agriculture and Eastern European studies. I recently had the privilege of spending two days with Topflight Grain Cooperative Inc. in Monticello. Grain Originator and Crop Insurance Agent Kelley Lawhorn and CEO Derrick Bruhn provided invaluable insights into Topflight's efficient grain operations. With fifteen facilities and 3.159 million bushels of storage capacity at their Monticello location alone, I was impressed by the scale and efficiency of their grain movement and marketing programs for commodities, including corn, soybeans, wheat, and non-GMO beans. I am grateful to Mr. Lawhorn and Mr. Bruhn for taking the time to educate me on the workings of a thriving agricultural cooperative—experiences like this further my goal of one day working in international grain marketing and trade.  Hello! My name is Emily Brooks, and I am originally from Prophetstown, Illinois. I am a senior at the University
of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign majoring in Agricultural and Consumer Economics. As the f if th generation of my f amily’s grain and livestock f arm, I have gained an immense passion for the agricultural industry. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the GFAI Summer Immersion Tour. Over fall break, I got even more insight into the grain and feed industry during my job shadow experience at Rock River Lumber and Grain Co. As a young girl, I felt like a regular at Rock River's main of f ice in Prophetstown because I loved selling Girl Scout candy and cookies to the employees. I had no clue how big of a role they played not only in our local area but also within the agricultural industry. It was great being able to view their company through a dif ferent lens as a college student who has taken multiple agricultural marketing courses. During my f irst day at Rock River, I spent the day with Mr. Carey Bauer, the General Manager, both discussing Rock River’s role in the grain and feed industry and touring its facilities. Rock River is the biggest grain shipper on the UP-Rail Line, and the grain goes to Texas, Mexico, and California to feed chickens and cattle. In fact, Rock River has served 5 billion chickens. Additionally, I was able to tour Prophetstown’s fertilizer and chemical facilities, the Sterling grain elevator and rail, and Frary Lumber. I was able to observe Conner King and Jaycie VanKampen, who are both Merchandiser-Logistics, on the second day. I listened as they interacted with farmers both in person and over the phone and learned more about the commodity markets and the role of basis, margin calls, and bids. I want to thank the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois for providing this scholarship and experiential learning opportunity to myself and other young agriculturalists interested in learning more about the industry. Additionally, I want to thank Mr. Carey Bauer and his team at Rock River for teaching me more about the ins and outs of what it takes to be a successful local grain elevator. |
Grain & Feed
3521 Hollis Dr. Archives
April 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed
|
Grain and Feed Association of Illinois. All Rights Reserved.
3521 Hollis Drive | Springfield, IL 62711 Phone: (217) 787-2417 | [email protected] | sitemap |