2011 Annual Meeting Highlights

NAMA’s Chairman, Paul Maass opened the 2011 Annual Meeting of the North American Millers Association with comments about NAMA’s investment in the future of the milling industry. “Investing in the future is the key to improving the consumption of grain-based foods and the key to the growth of our businesses,” said Mr. Maass. He highlighted the need for consumer education about the health benefits of grain products and favorable public policy surrounding nutrition. He called on millers to invest in the future through product innovation, research and mentoring future generations of millers.

Here’s what industry experts had to say about how to “Invest in the Future” at NAMA’s 2011 Annual Meeting:

Innovation is key for the grain industry to successfully navigate challenges ahead ranging from fad diets to the tight economy and aging consumers. (Darren Seifer, Food & Beverage Analyst, The NPD Group) Public/private collaborations are the new model for funding research. (Dr. Robert N. Beachy, president emeritus, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center). Family-owned businesses have the ability to focus on long term returns. (Ann Kinkade, president, Family Enterprise, USA).
		Board Member Howdy Holmes (center), CEO of family-owned “JIFFY” Mixes in Chelsea Michigan, engages speaker Ann Kinkade, NAMA Vice Chairman Greg Schlafer (left), General Mills, Inc. and NAMA Chairman Paul Maass (right), ConAgra Foods during Kinkade’s Q&A.

The meeting, attended by more than 120 representatives of the milling and related industries, was held October 6-8, 2011, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO.

• How America Eats Grains: Then, Now and Next, Darren Seifer, food & beverage analyst, The NPD Group, Inc.

• Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture, in the U.S. and Globally, Dr. Roger N. Beachy, president emeritus, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

• Changing the Public Image and Public Policies Impacting Family-Owned Businesses, Ann Kinkade, president, Family Enterprise, USA.

Nutrition Roundtable

The leaders of the Grain Chain hosted a round table discussion of hot button nutrition issues. NAMA President Mary Waters was joined by Robb MacKie, President and CEO, American Bakers Association; Dana Peterson, CEO, National Association of Wheat Growers; and Judi Adams, President, Grain Foods Foundation and Wheat Foods Council, to review developments on regulatory activity involving nutrition. Key takeaways:

• Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act – the Grain Chain supports the bill that gives U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to set science-based standards for foods sold in schools through rulemaking and following the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

• National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs – the Grain Chain has expressed concern to federal regulators that the programs do not follow federal guidelines outlined in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends the consumption of both whole and enriched grain products.

• Nutrition Principles in Food Marketed to Children – the Principles do not include enriched and some whole grain as foods that can be marketed to children. The Grain Chain is advocating the principles be based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

• Gluten-Free Labeling – the Grain Chain agrees with the federal government definition of gluten-free but is concerned gluten allergies or gluten intolerance are health conditions not fully understood by consumers. Consumer education about gluten allergies and gluten intolerance is a priority for the group.

The impact of the new book, Wheat Belly, which promotes no consumption of any grain foods, was also discussed. The Grain Chain is working through the Grain Foods Foundation scientific advisory panel to refute false claims made in the book.

Board of Directors Actions The NAMA Board of Directors: Approved the FY2012 budget; Approved minor revisions to the Bylaws, allowing electronic meetings of the Board in the future; Approved an investment policy for NAMA; Seated the 2011-2012 Board of Directors; Appointed the following NAMA staff members as non-elected officers of the association: Mary K. Waters, President; James A. Bair, Vice President; and Terri Long, Secretary and Treasurer. Special guest Dr. Dirk Maier, Professor and Department Head of the Grain Science and Industry Department at Kansas State University updated Board members on the status of the new NAMA Instructor of Milling position. Dr. Maier reported the search committee has chosen three candidates to interview and expects the new instructor to be teaching in the classroom in the spring 2012 semester. Dr. Maier also congratulated NAMA on the success of NAMA’s Public Policy Experience.

FY 2011-2012 Board of DirectorsFirst row:Donald L. Mennel, The Mennel Milling Company; NAMA Vice Chairman Greg Schlafer, General Mills, Inc.; NAMA President Mary Waters; NAMA Chairman Paul Maass, ConAgra Foods.Second row:Karl Gerrand, Viterra, Inc.Third row: Stephen H. Wickes, Agricor, Inc.; Arthur Loeffler, Star of the West Milling Company; Robert J. Giguere, Iowa Corn Processors; Kris Lutt, ADM Milling CompanyFourth row:A. Bruce Roskens, PepsiCo/Quaker Oats; Dan Fetherston, SEMO Milling Company; Luke A. Marano, Minot Milling Company; Dan Dye, Horizon Milling LLC/Cargill.Fifth row: Dan Ward, La Crosse Milling Company; George Allard, Bunge Milling, Inc.; Steve D. Arndt (alternate), Midstate Mills, Inc. Sixth row: Breck Barton, Cereal Food Processors, Inc.; Tommy Lynn, C.H. Guenther & Son Inc.; J. Vance Taylor, North Dakota Mill & Elevator; James A. Meyer, Italgrani, U.S.A., Inc.; Seventh row: John C. Miller, Miller Milling Company; Charles B. Knappen III, Knappen Milling Company; Howdy S. Holmes, “JIFFY” Mixes; Thomas A. Rogers, Wilkins Rogers Mills; Charles B. Stout, Milner Milling/PFM/Southeastern Mills; Ray S. Clark (alternate), Hopkinsville Milling Company.

Other Annual Meeting Highlights

		Executive Committee Meeting and strategic planning session (left). NAMA President Mary Waters leads strategic planning session (right).

• The Executive Committee held a strategic planning session led by NAMA President Mary Waters. The session reaffirmed the following mission and goals of the association. Go to /oldsite to review the mission statement and goals of the association.
• The Corn Division held a separate meeting to discuss key takeaways from the Corn Dry Milling conference. Bruce Roskens, PepsiCo/Quaker Oats, provided an update on developments with Syngenta, as well as the “Twin Row” research study. Actions and issues in the food safety arena were also covered, including proposed regulations about preventive food safety controls. Key takeaways:
  • Acquiring samples of the Syngenta’s 3272 Amylase Corn have not been successful.
  • NAMA is advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that FDA guidance about preventive food safety controls take into account food safety systems and programs already in place in milling facilities today and that any new guidance consider the economic and operational impact on the mill.
• The Oat Division held a separate meeting to discuss research, sustainability, food safety regulation harmonization and gluten-free labeling. Key takeaways:
  • The NA-Core oat genome research project continues to make progress in the mapping of the oat genome and should be celebrated.
  • Food safety regulation harmonization between Canada and the U.S. is critical to continued successful trade between the two countries.
  • An oat sustainability statement will be finalized and provided to NAMA members for distribution to customers.
• The International Trade Committee met to review the federal food aid budget and how it will be impacted by 2012 Appropriations as well as NAMA’s FMD (Foreign Market Development program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service) budget and marketing plan for FY 2012. Key takeaways:
  • NAMA will provide our legislative contacts who have supported food aid appropriations with historical shipment and budget data to demonstrate the impact of budget cuts on the programs’ ability to impact food security in poor countries.
  • NAMA staff will engage U.S. government and food aid partners in a review of supply chain management techniques to assure quality control over processed grain products. The review will be designed to protect products from insect infestation and prevent over-fumigation of products.

Many thanks to the following Associate Members for sponsoring the networking breakfast and lunch: Automated Ingredient Systems, LLC Bayer CropScience Buhler, Inc. Caravan Ingredients CETEC – Cereal Technologies Inc. CoBank Degesch America, Inc. Dow AgroSciences LLC Drumheller Bag Corporation Hansen-Mueller Company Hood Packaging Corporation Industrial Fumigant Company JohnPac, Inc. Kice Industries, Inc. Louis Dreyfus Corporation Michigan Agricultural Commodities Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. Portco Packaging Premier Tech Systems Rabobank International REMBE, Inc. Research Products Company Riverland Ag Corp Robert E. Lamb, Inc. SignalDemand, Inc. The Robinette Company Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Wright Enrichment, Inc. Winners of the Golf Tournament Kudos to the 10 members who braved the snow and cold temperatures to play in NAMA’s golf tournament. In the end, the sun came out and the sky was blue for most of the tournament. However, the golfers can now add hail to the golfing experiences. First Place Foursome – score of 67 Bill Gamble, Caravan Ingredients, Inc. Mark Ramsland, General Mills, Inc. John Wiebold, General Mills, Inc. Dan Ward, La Crosse Milling Company Closest to the pin – on #16 John Wiebold, General Mills, Inc. Longest drive – on #3 Bill Gamble, Caravan Ingredients, Inc. Mark Ramsland, John Wiebold, Bill Gambel and Dan Ward, winners of the first place foursome. Mark Your Calendar for Next Year’s Meeting October 25-27, 2012 Grove Park Inn Asheville, NC CONTACT: Terri Long Director of Communications and Meetings 202.484.2200, ext.11 [email protected]