Carlos Campabadal, feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum manager, explains to participants different grain consistencies for Grain Elevator Management course participants. Shown left to right are Tom Phillips, Kansas State University; John Kuhlman, CHS United Plains Ag; Scott Endriss, NEW Cooperative Inc.; and Kendall Frahm, Bunge North America.
Image credit: IGP KSU
Participants join for grain training at Kansas State University"s IGP Institute.
As the demand for professionals in the grain industry continues to grow, the need for continued education in the industry is essential.
The IGP Institute at Kansas State University offered an IGP–KSU Grain Elevator Managers course May 14–18, 2018, where 15 participants gained management skills and learned the importance of grain operation systems.
This IGP–KSU Grain Elevator Managers course is beneficial for those who are responsible for supervising grain managers. The focus of this course is on the science behind the practices used in grain management.
"This course is covers the different technical areas that are important to understand for day-to-day activities involving grain handling and storage operations. Our focus is on grain elevator managers and other personnel that play a role in this type of operation," says Carlos Campabadal, feed manufacturing and grain quality management curriculum manager at the IGP Institute. He adds, "The course helps new managers break down and evaluate the practices used by previous supervisors."
The course topics include personnel management; grain quality characteristics; psychrometrics; operation costs; grain grading; inventory management; grain handling equipment and equipment maintenance; aeration principles and hardware; grain shipping and receiving; grain safety; grain drying; hands-on training equipment; fumigation; and grain condition monitoring. Along with presentations from KSU faculty, the training included a tour of the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Centre and the Hal Ross Flour Mill on the KSU campus.
"We had a diverse group allowing us to intermingle and learn about our different markets, which helped us understand different styles of operations," says Harry Franklin, manager trainee for Bungee. Mr Campabadal explains, "In this course, we had a core group of participants from grain elevators and co-ops, but we also had managers of river facilities, feed mills, flour mills and grain merchandisers."
Mr Franklin shares that the diversity of professional backgrounds enhanced his learning experience. He says, "The course brought out all of our differences so we could learn from them." In addition to courses offered in feed manufacturing and grain quality management, the IGP Institute also offers training in flour milling and grain processing, and grain marketing and risk management.
To learn more about these other training opportunities, visit the IGP Institute website, HERE.
