The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is a member-based organization driven to develop markets, enable trade and improve lives to generate demand for U.S. agricultural products on behalf of its members.
Members are an integral part of the Council’s work not just through their investments, but by contributing their expertise to hone the Council’s promotional strategies year-over-year and participating in trade teams and missions to connect directly with international buyers.
This week, USGC Director of Industry Relations Ellen Zimmerman, USGC Manager of Industry Relations Rebecca Williams and USGC Manager of Global Strategies and Trade Alexander Grabois met virtually with members of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board and the Virginia Corn Board to share the Council’s recent work and discuss funding opportunities in the future.
“The Council is committed to maintaining constant connection with its members and transparently updating them on the organization’s operational strategy and structure,” Zimmerman said. “Whether in-person or virtual, we want to make sure our members feel connected to the Council and its mission and see the benefits and return on investment of the Council’s work.”
Presentations include charts and graphs that show how the Council’s funding is distributed so members can see how their investments are being deployed and details of highlighted programs of interest to each association. It also includes information on our top customers and where we are working to continue to develop demand for the products the Council represents.
Staff also covered the intricacies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (USDA’s RAPP) and how it will enable the Council to dramatically ramp up its operations around the world.
“RAPP represents a big change for the Council and its operating capacity, and we want to make sure our members are aware of the magnitude of the opportunity and how their contributions can be exponentially boosted,” Zimmerman said.
Learn more about the Council’s membership here.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.