MARYLAND GRAIN PRODUCERS
Grain News & Updates
21st Annual Maryland Commodity Classic 
The twenty-first annual Maryland Commodity Classic was held on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at the Queen Anne’s 4-H Park. The event was attended by nearly 300 farmers and industry representatives, and featured keynote speaker Jimmy Bramblett, Deputy Chief of Programs at USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

During the event, the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board awarded scholarships to four deserving students. Recipients were Alexandra Guy of Hebron, Ethan Miller of Kennedyville, Cody Martin Morris of Parsonsburg, and Jacob Schmidt of Sudlersville. “We had an outstanding group of qualified individuals receiving scholarships this year,” states Bobby Guy, MGPUB President. “We need trained professionals to meet the demand for careers addressing issues such as world hunger and food safety, renewable energy and environmental stewardship. Over $180,000 has now been awarded through our Scholarship Program.”

Also during the event, the Maryland Grain Producers Association awarded two individuals with the Dr. James R. Miller Award , which recognizes an individual for outstanding service to Maryland’s grain industry. The award began in 1998 when it was given to Dr. James R. Miller. Since then, grower leaders, as well as elected officials, researchers, and agency representatives have been recognized. This year’s recipients were Brad Powers, former Deputy Secretary at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and Valerie Connelly, former Executive Director of Maryland Farm Bureau.

We also congratulate Todd Greenstone, who was the winner of our giveaway for visiting with vendors and researchers during the event.

The Maryland Commodity Classic is held annually on the fourth Thursday in July and is sponsored by the Maryland Grain Producers Association, Maryland Soybean Board, Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, and Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association.
Maryland Farmers Advocate at Corn Congress
Maryland Grain Producers Association President Evan Miles represented Maryland as our voting delegate for the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Corn Congress earlier this month. During this bi-annual meeting, delegates from each state set policy that corn farmers from across the country will advocate for with policy leaders. One policy highlight from this meeting was the “Sense of the Corn Congress” resolution urging President Trump to uphold his commitment to America’s farmers and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

NCGA delegates offered the statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing practice of providing RFS waivers to big oil companies. These waivers have reduced RFS requirements by 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons through refinery exemptions, with 38 more exemptions pending. Undermining the benefits of renewable fuels, the waivers have also reduced cornuse for ethanol production, lowered domestic ethanol consumption and blend rate, and will limit growth of higher ethanol blends such as E15. The resolution received a standing ovation in acceptance from the delegate body.

While in Washington, Evan took to the hill, meeting with staff from Representatives Anthony Brown’s and David Trone’s offices, sharing the importance of ethanol and the USMCA trade agreement. Evan, along with another Maryland farmer, Chip Bowling, had the opportunity to discuss these issues in a meeting with White House officials as well. We thank both of these farmers for their work in advocating for Maryland grain farmers. 
USDA Opens Signup for Market Facilitation Program
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week further details of the $16 billion package aimed at supporting American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals.

MFP signup at local FSA offices will run from Monday, July 29 through Friday, December 6, 2019. MFP payments will be made to producers of certain non-specialty and specialty crops as well as dairy and hog producers. MFP assistance for 2019 crops is based on a single county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings to the MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings.  View payment rates by county .

Deadline Extended! National Corn Yield Contest Entry Open Until August 15
With farmers in many states experiencing planting difficulties due to weather, the National Corn Growers Association has extended the entry deadline for the National Corn Yield Contest to Thursday, August 15. By providing additional time, NCGA hopes to make participation possible for all interested growers.

All harvest forms will be due by November 15. Contest winners will be announced on Monday, December 16.

Keep Your Cool in Hot Weather 
Tips on how to stay cool and safe in hot weather from the Centers for Control and Prevention:

High temperatures kill hundreds of people every year. Heat-related deaths and illness are preventable, yet more than 600 people die from extreme heat every year. Take measures to stay cool, remain hydrated, and keep informed. Getting too hot can make you sick. You can become ill from the heat if your body can’t compensate for it and properly cool you off. The main things affecting your body’s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather are:

  • High humidity. When the humidity is high, sweat won’t evaporate as quickly. This keeps your body from releasing heat as fast as it may need to.
  • Personal factors. Age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use all can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.