Earlier this week, a handful of U.S. Grains Council Washington, D.C. staff had the opportunity to tour the family-owned farm of USGC Board of Director’s Corn Sector Director Chip Councell. This trip provided a unique experience to help USGC staff with little farming experience understand intricacies of farming and that the first step in international product marketing starts on the farm.

Councell Farms is located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where they specialize in fruits, vegetables, and pumpkins. The staff learned about a variety of crops at Councell Farms and neighboring farms, including corn and sorghum. Councell answered many questions about the process for growing corn and multiple and double-cropping. Many of the staff found interesting the difference between the corn containing and not containing a drought resistant trait. The stark difference between the color and size of the kernels showed how much weather affects growth and put into perspective what is happening in much of the United States.

After touring the fields and learning how grain is grown and harvested, Councell took the staff to one of Maryland’s grain elevators to explain how the finished product is then shipped worldwide. Understanding the process farmers undergo before they even reach an elevator reaffirmed the hard work and dedication Council members face to meet both local and global demands.

It was a very eye opening experience for the staff to have exposure to crop outside of purchasing it from a grocery story. The Council sincerely appreciates Chip Councell for allowing staff to get a taste of how many of our members work and live. The Council would also like to thank the ladies from St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, who cooked a delicious lunch made from produce from the farm. By seeing the work and attention to quality that goes into U.S. crop production, the D.C. staff are better able to promote USGC’s mission of Developing Markets, Enabling Trade, Improving Lives.