Fred Yoder of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association was honored for 10 years of service to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) during the organization’s 13th International Marketing Conference and 56th Annual Membership Meeting this week in Sarasota, Florida.

Building off of his years of USGC service and his experience as president of the National Corn Growers Association, it’s no surprise that Ohioan Yoder takes a big picture view of the Council’s role serving its grower members.

When asked about the highlights of his tenure, Yoder cited the Council’s constant efforts to find new markets, develop those markets and develop people-to-people relationships.

“I’ve seen a lot happen in 10 years, all the way from pretty steady exports to the drop that happened when we had high prices because of the drought,� Yoder said. “The Council spent a lot of time going back to customers and re-connecting.�

Yoder is optimistic about the future for U.S. grain exports.

“The Council takes some of the markets that are not so big and grows them into pockets of demand,� he said. “In countries where the economy is growing, we need to be right there in lock-step with them, providing them quality grain so they can expand their livestock industries and feed their growing middle classes better.

“With the Council, we’ve got the right people in the right places to do that, and I think we’re going to see exports continue to grow.�