Midwest Specialty Grains Conference

Return to Home Page August 24, 2004
For Immediate Release Producers Can Get Free Shippers Membership at Specialty Grains Conference Minneapolis, Minn., USA -- Midwest Shippers Association (MSA) has announced a special membership promotion package available to regional producers who attend the Midwest Specialty Grains Conference and Trade Show. The conference is September 8-10 at the Minneapolis (Minn.) Airport Marriott Hotel. According to Carrol Duerr, general manager of the Midwest Shippers Association, the package includes a free membership from September through December 2004. “Through this free membership, producers can try out the association's benefits. New members will receive weekly market information, container contract rates, and marketing assistance,” says Duerr. Regional producers and processors are encouraged to attend the Midwest Specialty Grains Conference to learn how IP crops can help their bottom line. For the producer who wants to diversify, IP crops provide another way to earn premium prices. International buyers are a prominent driving force for the IP system, since it allows handlers to segregate the crops by characteristics during all stages of production, storage, and transportation. "Make no mistake about it—the demand for identity-preserved commodities and food products is going to continue growing, and we have to do everything we can to make sure we meet our customers' needs and wants," says North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. "The Midwest Shippers Association has organized this conference to bring together all the key players - growers, shippers and processors - to discuss the issues, opportunities and challenges of this exciting and growing market. Working together, we can ensure that we are all out in front of this new market and provide our customers with the best possible service," he concluded. A full array of agriculture experts will address the conference. Breakout sessions include food safety, traceability and identity-preservation, global outlook for specialty grains, future developments for Midwest IP soybeans, specialty corn products for food and feed, specialty grain processing, risk management techniques, IP transportation, and the Midwest quality advantage. Conference participants will also have an opportunity for tours to see the crops growing in the field and the regional facilities where they are processed. The Northern Tour will travel to Fargo, N.D., to visit two university research plots, a milling company, processing plant, and Northern Crops Institute. The Southern Tour will visit a food-grade soybean plot, processor facility, ethanol plant, and a University of Minnesota experiment station in the Minneapolis vicinity. Buyers and Sellers Forum provides a trade show venue for processors, suppliers, elevators, and producers involved in the emerging specialty grains industry. Duerr said exhibitor space is filled to capacity. To register, contact MSA at 612-252-1453 or visit http://www.grainconference.com . # # #

For Immediate Release

Producers Can Get Free Shippers Membership at Specialty Grains Conference

Minneapolis, Minn., USA -- Midwest Shippers Association (MSA) has announced a special membership promotion package available to regional producers who attend the Midwest Specialty Grains Conference and Trade Show. The conference is September 8-10 at the Minneapolis (Minn.) Airport Marriott Hotel.

According to Carrol Duerr, general manager of the Midwest Shippers Association, the package includes a free membership from September through December 2004. “Through this free membership, producers can try out the association's benefits. New members will receive weekly market information, container contract rates, and marketing assistance,” says Duerr.

Regional producers and processors are encouraged to attend the Midwest Specialty Grains Conference to learn how IP crops can help their bottom line. For the producer who wants to diversify, IP crops provide another way to earn premium prices. International buyers are a prominent driving force for the IP system, since it allows handlers to segregate the crops by characteristics during all stages of production, storage, and transportation.

"Make no mistake about it—the demand for identity-preserved commodities and food products is going to continue growing, and we have to do everything we can to make sure we meet our customers' needs and wants," says North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. "The Midwest Shippers Association has organized this conference to bring together all the key players - growers, shippers and processors - to discuss the issues, opportunities and challenges of this exciting and growing market. Working together, we can ensure that we are all out in front of this new market and provide our customers with the best possible service," he concluded.

A full array of agriculture experts will address the conference. Breakout sessions include food safety, traceability and identity-preservation, global outlook for specialty grains, future developments for Midwest IP soybeans, specialty corn products for food and feed, specialty grain processing, risk management techniques, IP transportation, and the Midwest quality advantage.

Conference participants will also have an opportunity for tours to see the crops growing in the field and the regional facilities where they are processed. The Northern Tour will travel to Fargo, N.D., to visit two university research plots, a milling company, processing plant, and Northern Crops Institute. The Southern Tour will visit a food-grade soybean plot, processor facility, ethanol plant, and a University of Minnesota experiment station in the Minneapolis vicinity.

Buyers and Sellers Forum provides a trade show venue for processors, suppliers, elevators, and producers involved in the emerging specialty grains industry. Duerr said exhibitor space is filled to capacity.

To register, contact MSA at 612-252-1453 or visit http://www.grainconference.com .

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