Grain Inspection Topics - 70 Years Ago

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(Excerpted from the minutes of the annual conference of the National Association of Chief Grain Inspectors and the Grain Branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, May 4-5, 1950.  Chicago, IL)

The Commodity Credit Corporation and the Grain Branch are working together to improve crops and keep stabilized prices.  Production has increased 30 percent over the last 10 years and now lower planting allotments are in order because of large stocks on hand and the expectation of lower exports in the future.  About 305 million bushels of corn were exported last year.  Wheat and corn are to be bought on the farm and market, handled through the regular grain handling firms, and put in Federal storage or exported.  Leroy Smith, director of USDA’s Grain Branch. 

A major inspection problem is the frequency of heavy loaded rail cars – it is impossible to put a 5-foot straight probe to the bottom of a 6- or 7-foot rail car.  Some cars are found to have poor quality grain at the bottom where it cannot be reached with the probe.  George Butler, Cincinnati.

Intermarket discrepancies are a problem, cars tend to grade lower at destination.  Federal offices should keep a closer check on the inter-markets.  Edward Guinane, Sioux City

Many agencies provide pensions or retirement plans for their employees.  Employees pay 5 percent of their salary for pensions.  Maximum pensions are $150 per month based on an annual salary of $4,800.  C.W. Shelly, Minneapolis. 

Seedburo Equipment Company sponsored the evening social hour.  The session the next morning opened with a demonstration of the new Federal Dockage Tester.  Inspectors thought the tester looked good, is quiet, and gives a better cleaning operation on wheat.  The price is $750 and orders should be placed soon.  Federal offices are being equipped with them.

C.W. Shelly, chief inspector for the Minneapolis inspection Department of the State, was elected president of the Association.  He reported that his agency employs about 355 people regularly and about 50 more in the busy season.  There are 86 terminal elevators in the State.  They have charge of warehousing, weighing and inspections.  They have inspected 14 to 1,500 cars of grain on a big day.  The overtime for employees cost about $225,000 per year.  There are sampling stations outside of Minneapolis where the cars are sampled and the railroads deliver the samples to the main laboratory for analysis.

USDA’s Grain Branch reported there are 150 inspection points in the United States and 493 licensed inspectors.  Over 2 million inspections were made last year.  Eight percent of these were supervised, 19 percent of the inter-market shipments were supervised.  Only 80,000 appeals were requested, which is about 4 percent of the total.

Report of the resolutions committee:  to have further investigation of pensions, to work for better personnel, and to increase services and efficiency of inspection departments.

AAGIWA Governance Updates

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New AAGIWA Leadership

This year has been full of changes and transitions - some expected, and others not. AAGIWA continues to move forward and adapt to our changing circumstances. 

Following the passing of AAGIWA President Tom Dahl earlier this year, Tom Meyer, Kansas Grain Inspection Service assumed the role of president, following guidelines set forth in the association bylaws. 

However, after 45 years in the grain inspection business, Tom Meyer officially retired from Kansas Grain Inspection Service earlier this month. Upon his retirement, AAGIWA Vice President Brent Hibbets, Enid Grain Inspection, assumed the role of President. In that new capacity, President Hibbets appointed as Vice President, Kia Mikesh, North Dakota Grain Inspection. 

Mikesh's appointment to Vice President created an open seat on the Board of Directors, which will be filled by Annabet Foster, Hastings Grain Inspection. Foster will serve the balance of term which expires at the 2022 annual meeting.

Best Wishes Tom Meyer!

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If you have been around the grain inspection industry for any length of time, you have no doubt intersected with Tom Meyer at some point. Tom first joined the Kansas Gain Inspection Service as a sampler in their Belleville office in 1975, and from there moved up the ranks to inspector, assistant director, and then Vice President and finally President in 2000. He has been involved with AAGIWA nearly as long, serving many years on the association's board of directors, including two separate stints as President and Vice President.

Over the years, Tom has given much of his time to serve on the Federal Grain Inspection Service Advisory Committee, Federal Research Coordinating Team and the Federal Sorghum Odor Task Force. 

Tom’s leadership over the years at the Kansas Grain Inspection Service has been exemplary. He has always demonstrated an appreciation of the value of the partnership between KGIS and the grain industry as a whole.

He promises not to be a stranger, but we will miss his regular participation and guidance. Best wishes on a wonderful retirement, Tom!

Grain Inspection Topics ... 50 Years Ago

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The National Association of Chief Grain Inspectors and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Grain Division held their annual joint conference May 7-8, 1970 in Corpus Christi, TX. Some snippets from the meeting:

  • Howard Woodworth, chief, Grain Division, AMS/USDA – there will be more mechanical sampling by the grain industry and more tests to measure grain quality including more objective standards.

  • P.R. Daly, regional vice president, Cargill – there is a need for improved intermarket grades and we need to keep inspection costs reasonable.

  • Panel of chief inspectors (Gary Bothwell, Kansas; Virgil McNamee, Toledo; W.L. James, Virginia; and A.C Sipes, Destrehan) – having difficulty finding qualified personnel and keeping them when work volume varies greatly. File samples are an expensive problem at most locations.

  • David Galliart, deputy director, Grain Division – cross breeding in wheat is causing normal characteristics of classes and sub-classes to be impossible to recognize.

  • B.T. Skeels, Grain Division –there are 285 diverter-type samplers installed that are approved.

New association officers for 1970 are:

  • Harry VanHouten, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • John Williamson, Destrehan, Louisiana

  • Nicholas Fabac, Topeka, Kansas

Remembering a Titan

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Written by Arthur Neal, FGIS Deputy Administrator

“Who is this guy that keeps emailing me all of these questions?” is what I asked myself and staff, as I had not, yet, started my new role as the Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). Still transitioning out of my role as the Deputy Administrator for Transportation and Marketing, I quickly began to learn about a man named Tom Dahl.

As FGIS staff began to give me background on Tom, I figured, I’d better give him a call just to introduce myself. Once introduced by phone, I let Tom know that I had to take a trip to Iowa to close out some business for my former program area, and if he’d like, we could meet for an hour to get to know one another.

Tom agreed to meet me in the lobby of my hotel in Des Moines. Once I arrived, I spotted him immediately. He stood tall, smiled big, and spoke with authority. Little did I know that a one-hour meeting would turn into a three-hour meeting! Tom shared so much in that time. He gave me an orientation about the American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies, he told me about Sioux City Inspection & Weighing Service, he gave me a history lesson about FGIS, he let me know about a host of issues that needed to be addressed, he told me about the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee and more. However, it’s not what Tom “told” me that stuck with me. It’s how Tom shared during the encounter.

Tom shared from a place of authenticity, respect, concern, and passion. He shared stories about his upbringing, his family, his relationships, his joys, his pains, as well as his hopes for grain inspection. He shared his heart, an experience I would learn, overtime, is one of the things that makes him special. As we drew near to the third hour of engagement, I told Tom, “Hey, man…I have other people I have to meet with. I can’t spend all my time with you!” We laughed, shook hands, and knew that the ensuing journey we were about to embark would be productive, collaborative, respectful, and encouraging.

We’re still on the journey. The foundation has been laid. There continues to be much work to do. And the infectious smile, as well as the booming presence and voice of Tom Dahl is still felt and heard throughout the hallways of our hearts to inspire us along the way!

On behalf of the FGIS team, we salute you, Tom!

Know Before You Store: 2019 Grain Harvest Challenges

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GEAPS hosted a webinar October 31, 2019 featuring a number of AAGIWA members to discuss the 2019 fall harvest challenges.

Grain inspection experts warn that the 2019 fall harvest will bring quality challenges for many. Quality challenges may vary by region. Some may be seeing weathered grain while others may be seeing green or immature grains. Or, it could be frost damaged kernels, mold or fungus issues. Any of these create marketing issues for producers. For users, whether they are processors, feeders, or millers, it is a matter of understanding the quality they are receiving so it can be used for its best purpose.

Join our panel of experts to discuss the harvest challenges in some of the most impacted areas. They will provide their insights as well as answer your questions regarding harvest and quality.

About our Presenters

  • Jimmy Williams with the Missouri Department of Agriculture located in Columbia, Missouri.

  • Mark Fulmer with Eastern Iowa Grain Inspection and Weighing Service located in Davenport, Iowa.

  • Tom Dahl with the Sioux City Inspection and Weighing Service located in Sioux City, Iowa.

  • Ryan Kuhl with Northern Plains Grain Inspection Service in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Moderated by John Sharpe with the American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies (AAGIWA).

Fall Harvest Poses Grain Quality Challenges

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KANSAS CITY, MO – October 28, 2019 - Grain inspection experts warn that the 2019 fall harvest will bring quality challenges for many.

Tom Dahl, president of the American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies (AAGIWA), said the quality challenges may vary by region. Some may be seeing weathered grain while others may be seeing green or immature grains. Or, it could be frost damaged kernels, mold or fungus issues. Any of these create marketing issues for producers. For users, whether they are processors, feeders, or millers, it is a matter of understanding the quality they are receiving so it can be used for its best purpose.

Central to these challenges is accurately measuring the crop quality. Both buyers and sellers can benefit from clearly understanding the quality of the grain or oilseeds they are handling.

Dahl said many have already seen concerns over test weight in corn; accurate and repeatable test weight results require consistent testing procedures, he commented.

According to Dahl, there will be issues when poor quality grain is being put into storage for a longer period than normal. Mycotoxins, for example, typically only become worse during storage when conditions are already questionable. Producers and users need to understand that these poor quality conditions can affect storability and long-term quality condition. A number of research papers from Iowa State University provide good information on these topics.

Iowa State University Professor Charlie Hurburgh noted that 2019 continues the chain of growing seasons with extremes and rapid changes beyond our long-term experiences. He expects test weight in corn to be down and notes that low test weight also often means more handling breakage, shorter storage life and higher drying costs. He said there have been reports of mold damage in the field, so producers should be sure to be alert for mycotoxins. At-harvest grain management will be particularly important this year. He said the key at-harvest activities are cooling as fast as possible and drying as rapidly as drying systems will allow. He noted that grain with field mold already present is particularly vulnerable to further spoilage if drying is not done quickly.

Dahl said producers and users can also benefit by making sure the testing technology being used is the most up-to-date. Dahl cautioned that the old 2 Mhz corn moisture meters are still in use in many grain regions. There is an issue of “high moisture rebound” that can occur with the old technology. The newer, 149 Mhz moisture meters have reduced or eliminated that problem. He said that all Official Grain Inspection Agencies use this new technology.

Even the proper sampling methods can have a huge impact when grain loads have varied quality issues. Dahl noted that farmers often will be harvesting right through wet spots and variable maturity. A grain quality sample that is not representative of the entire load may only mask the poor grain conditions that end up in storage.

Consistent, accurate test results can be best assured through using an Official Grain Inspection Agency. These are agencies supervised by USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service.

Dahl said when a user chooses an Official Grain Inspection Agency the user will receive:

  • The most accurate inspection system, monitored daily by USDA to ensure everyone with the official system across the country provides consistent results, ensuring grades hold-up every day.

  • The only inspection system with all equipment and personnel aligned to USDA’s central grain quality reference point. Official Inspection Agency equipment and personnel are the only ones aligned to USDA’s central reference point at the National Grain Center (NGC). The NGC is the sought out reference for grain quality tests both in the U.S. and internationally. Only Official Inspection brings that confidence to your facility.

  • The only inspection organizations that can issue a certificate backed by the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). USDA certificates are considered prima facie evidence in all courts of law providing the user with the legal backing no other certificate can.

  • Unbiased decisions. By law, official agencies can have no interest in grain companies or grain related companies.

For more information –

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Press contact: Bob Petersen, 816-912-2993