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Trade School

Upcoming Trade School – June 14, Belton, Texas

We are pleased to announce a regional trade school event for farmer members and stakeholders in Belton, Texas, on June 14. This event will be sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council, National Corn Growers Association, Bell County Farm Bureau, Texas Corn Producers Board, Texas Grain Sorghum Board, National Sorghum Producers, Sorghum Checkoff and Capital Farm Credit.

Event Details
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Bell County Expo Center
Address: 301 West Loop 121, Belton, TX 76513
Cost: Free

REGISTER HERE

Topics:
A full agenda is in development, with topics expected to include:

  • The benefits of trade for U.S. grains and where trade stands today
  • Hot topics in trade: how fertilizer costs, Ukraine and more
  • Developing and deploying messages on trade

Hotel Arrangements: There is no hotel block being arranged for this event. A recommended hotel is the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Belton – Temple South, next door to the Expo Center, available at 254-939-2772.

Questions:  For questions about the event, please contact Ellen Zimmerman, director of industry relations for the U.S. Grains Council, at ezimmerman (at) grains.org or 202-794-0455.

Past Trade School Events

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) have offered a series of in-person trade school workshops since 2016. While each of these events has been different, they all focused on:

  • the importance of trade to farmers and agriculture;
  • current issues on the trade agenda; and
  • how participants can talk about trade in their communities and organizations.

Past trade school events have included:

  • March 2022 – Alexandria, Minnesota – in partnership with the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council and Northern Crops Institute 
  • March 2020 – Burlington, Colorado – in partnership with Colorado Corn
  • February 2020 – Moline, Illinois – in partnership with Iowa Corn and Illinois Corn  
  • February 2020 – Olathe, Kansas – in partnership with Kansas Corn, Nebraska Corn, Missouri Corn and Iowa Corn  
  • January 2020 – Indianapolis, Indiana – in partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, with participation from the Ohio Corn Marketing Board, the Michigan Corn Marketing Program and the Kentucky Corn Promotion Council 
  • December 2019 – Kent Island, Maryland – in partnership with the Maryland Grain Producers Board
  • July 2019 – in association with Corn Congress, in Washington, D.C.
  • June 2018 – in St. Louis
  • June 2016 – in Washington, D.C.

Other Ways To Learn About Trade

If you’re diving into trade topics for the first time, looking to learn more about key topics like the WTO, China, USMCA and more, or wanting to find reports and podcasts to explore, check out our Learn About Trade page.

If you’re looking for tools to help you reach out to neighbors, colleagues, reporters or other audiences on trade topics, visit our Trade Toolkit page.

Questions? Comments?

Looking for more information? Have a comment or suggestion? Email Melissa Kessler, USGC director of strategic initiatives and engagement, at mkessler (at) grains.org.

Start learning about trade with these resources:

The Trade Toolkit includes talking points and resources.

Trade Toolkit

Get a good foundation on essential trade topics and trends.

Trade Backgrounder Booklet

USGC and NCGA have conducted analysis done of the impact of trade by state. An interactive map with one-pagers to download.

Value of U.S. Grains Trade

Trade issues outside of ag are critical to learn about, too! We covered that – mostly manufacturing and impact on the broader economy – as well as NAFTA in a webinar in 2018.

Trade And The U.S. Economy

Trade issues change rapidly. Keep up with the latest trade news.

NCGA Newsroom

USGC Newsroom

Why Ag Trade? Some Key Ideas

  • The flow of goods, ideas, capital and people is essential for prosperity.
  • 95%+ of the world’s population lives outside the U.S.
  • More than 97% of the anticipated population growth over the next 35 years will take place outside of U.S. borders.
  • Agriculture is the U.S. foreign trade champion.
    • The United States has negotiated trade agreements with 20 countries since the end of World War II, including that which established the World Trade Organization.
    • U.S. grains exports to FTA partners routinely account for more than HALF of all U.S. grains exports, according to USDA data.
  • Trade policy + market development = sales!
  • Failing to move forward on trade means falling behind.
  • When trade works, the world wins!