Agricultural News
From the 2011 Commodity Classic- Wheat Growers Focus on Four Priorities
Thu, 03 Mar 2011 3:12:16 CST
Wheat growers who volunteer to represent their state producer organizations on the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) Board of Directors are in Tampa, Fla., this week to meet as part of the 2011 Commodity Classic.
Commodity Classic is a large convention and trade show for growers of wheat, corn, soybeans and sorghum. It is also NAWG's annual meeting, and the last time the growers who make up NAWG's Board will meet before their focus turns to the busy harvest and planting seasons.
At the 2011 Classic, members of NAWG's Board of Directors will hold a full complement of policy meetings. These sessions allow Board members from around the country to bring their states' ideas to the national association for consideration, setting the policy that will guide NAWG's activities for much of 2011.
Pressing topics expected to come to the forefront of discussions include looming federal budget cuts, the future of farm policy, concerns about the Obama Administration being too slow in allowing Free Trade Deals to come to Congress for ratification and efforts to combat overreaching environmental regulations. We talked with Dana Peterson, Chief Executive Officer of the organization about these four priorities as the meeting was getting ready to roll here in Tampa- and you can hear our full conversation about all of these topics by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
"NAWG truly is a grassroots organization, so our face-to-face meetings are important part of getting our work done and giving direction to our staff," said Jerry McReynolds, NAWG's current president and a wheat producer from near Woodston, Kan.
"The farmers on our Board know they have a tremendous responsibility to their neighbors and to their families who work with them on the farm. Especially in these uncertain financial times, we have to be diligent about our policy work and making sure we are advocating for the best options."
Policy meetings begin Wednesday and culminate in a Board of Directors session Saturday afternoon. Some of the meetings will be closed to allow for open discussion among directors, but others will be open for Classic attendees who want to learn more about the wheat industry.
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