(Probable, if normal progress; MW may require adjustment as we proceed)

March 17 M	Lecture on ACT
19 W	Finish Act, rep sample, sampling, etc.
21 F	Wheat lecture, wheat dockage determination, wheat grading
24 M	Wheat grading (problems)
26 W	Wheat grading (problems)
March 25 - April 1	(Good Friday and Easter Holiday)
April 02 W	Wheat grading
04 F	Rye lecture, rye and wheat grading
07 M	Mixed grain lecture, grading, ACT exam
09 W	Barley lecture, grading
11 F	Barley grading
14 M	Oats lecture, oats grading
16 W	Oats and barley grading, (Wheat, Rye, Mixed Grain exam, Sight)
21 M	Corn lecture, corn grading
23 W	Continue corn grading, (Barley, Oats, Corn exam)
28 M	Review, misc. grading, SIGHT grading. (Soybean, Grain Sorghum, Sunflower DEMO).
30 W	Last day exam (analytical sight, problems). Course evaluation..

Could use May 2 last class day officially. *Visit Licensed Inspector in evening? Optional - 8-10 students/visit. (Attendance every day is important, or make arrangements for makeup. Grading samples, equipment, etc. must be removed from Walster 221 each day but can be available in 219 as arranged.)

2.4. There is no textbook but a Grain Grading Manual and equipment are provided. Copies of ACT are available in Library of Plant Sciences and lecture notes and other information will be distributed as appropriate.

• 1.2. History of grain grading
  • 2.1. Previous to 1916
    • 3.1. Large markets and grain exchanges built up over years, in the late 1880's in North Dakota, earlier in east.
    • 3.2. Buyers and sellers in these terminal markets set up an unsatisfactory subjective set of grades that were descriptive but not specific, e.g., PLUMP, DAMP, CLEAN, DIRTY, UNMERCHANDIZABLE, UNSOUND, NOT PURE, ETC.
    • 3.3. No uniformity or standardization of grades between various markets or grain exchanges.
    • 3.4. Different interests influenced types of "grades".
      • 4.1. Millers wanted high standards of quality and still do.
      • 4.2. Those interested in volume of grain handled wanted lower standards; some exporters still do apparently, but decreasing; some money made on dockage but expensive to ship. Exporters now must deliver a good product. (See Complaint section of Annual Report of FGIS.)
      • 4.3 We now have Wheat Quality Council in hard winter area and Spring Wheat Quality Advisory Council in spring wheat area which promote wheat quality. The two Councils now are considering merging to a common program.
    • 3.5. State laws --
      • 4.1. Illinois, 1857, was first to enact grain standards law.
      • 4.2. Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Minnesota...still had state laws a short time ago, but U.S. Grain Standards supercedes state laws.
      • 4.3. Most states never had grain standards law; ND did not.
      • 4.4. Eight states now are "delegated" to act for FGIS in grading and weighing for export, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc.
    • 3.6. Because of lack of uniformity and suspected dishonesty in grain evaluation among many markets and grain exchanges, farmers, commodity organizations, millers, importers in foreign countries, etc. DEMANDED a federal or national set of grain standards for many years in late 19^th and early 20^th century. Problems then were similar to now, e.g., dockage, foreign material, inaccurate sampling, lack of agreement on protein percentage, dirty grain, broken corn and foreign material, etc.
    • 3.7. The Congress or federal government began investigating possible laws to establish federal grain standards in 1901.
      • 4.1. From 1903-16 twenty six bills were introduced into Congress for federal grain standards law.
      • 4.2. The United States Grain Standards law was passed in 1916. It was revised extensively in 1968 and again in 1976 due to problems in export facilities mainly. (FGIS weighs and grades for export except in the 8 "delegated" states.) All standards are examined for revision at least at 5 year intervals, or more often if necessary. BARLEY now is revised (6-01-97) Canola standards have just been developed, June 1993.
        • 5.1. Several years were required to develop the standards, train the inspectors, etc. before the federal standards were in effect. (See a later section on Provisions.)
        • 5.2. Now are federal standards for wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, grain sorghums, flaxseed, sunflower, canola, soybeans, Triticale, and mixed grain.
        • 5.3. FGIS also "grades" "commodities" such as flour, pasta, dry beans, dry peas, etc. but these are not "grains" under the Grain Standards Act.
        • 5.4. (The U.S. Grain Standards Act should be distinguished as separate from the Federal Seed Act which deals with seed for seeding purposes, such as Foundation, Registered, Certified, etc.)
  • 2.2. AFTER 1916
    • > 3.1. PROVISIONS of the U.S. Grain Standards Act are:
      • 4.1. Establishment of the official grain standards, e.g., test weight, wheat Classes and Subclasses, damaged kernels, foreign material, dockage determination, plump and thin for barley, etc. were defined; EQUIPMENT was developed to evaluate various characteristics; STANDARDS for each "grain"; certificates and the "paperwork" system, etc.
      • 4.2. Federal LICENSING and SUPERVISION of Grain Inspectors
        • 5.1. Licensing
          • 6.1. Licensed inspectors are self-employed or employed by State Dept. Of Agriculture, e.g., Minnesota and Wisconsin, sometimes by trade organizations but none may have a financial interest in grain that they grade.
          • 6.2. On sample fee or salary basis.
          • 6.3. Training of licensed inspector.
            • 7.1. Apprenticeship in office of FGIS or Licensed Inspector learning procedures; learn and take tests over period of 2 or more years.
            • 7.2. This grain grading course, or two quarter course plus lab experience is very effective to get license.
            • 7.3. More details later
        • 5.2. "Supervision" of Licensed Inspectors, meaning that the FGIS people check work and equipment of Licensed Inspectors to be sure they are accurate, repeatable, honest, etc.
          • 6.1. Random grading by FGIS of 1% or more of inspections made by LI (Licensed Inspector) based on daily request, or "in lab" over-shoulder observation, depending on daily volume of inspections. From FGIS, Grand Forks, supervision of Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, and Aberdeen in South Dakota of LI's.
          • 6.2. Almost all of supervision samples are now from automatic samplers in country elevators, etc., but these are not checked for accuracy unless a "yellow tag" (none in ND) elevator.
          • 6.3. Help inaccurate LI's to improve or lose their license.
          • 6.4. Supervise LI's to enforce new regulations or in adjustment to seasonal problems such as sprout damage, frost damage, wet or moldy grain, etc.
          • 6.5. Grade and write APPEAL certificates on appeals called on the grade of a LI.
      • 4.3. Acceptance and action on APPEALS or INTERMARKET COMPLAINTS on grades assigned by LI's. A person or organization with financial interest in grain may call for appeal if they believe the grade assigned by LI is wrong. (Usually buyer, seller or transporter of grain, truck or rail.) More on appeal process later.
      • 4.4. Further, the ACT, until amended Feb. 12, 1969, provided that all grain shipped in interstate or foreign commerce, to or from a point at which an LI licensed under the ACT is located, must be officially inspected and graded, if the grain is merchandizable by grade. As amended in 1969, grading is voluntary but in practice all grain in commerce is graded as in the past, except "in house" between elevators of the same owner, e.g., Continental Grain shipping its own grain Duluth to Buffalo, etc.
        Practically all this grain that is graded by LI's is on SUBMITTED SAMPLE basis, that is, has been sampled by an automatic diverter sampler when loaded into a rail car, truck, barge, etc. (More on Submitted sample later.)
    • 3.2. The U.S. GRAIN STANDARDS ACT is administered by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), GIPSA, USDA. The GIPSA Administrator and Deputy Administrator of FGIS are appointed by the President of the United States and are responsible to the Assistant Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. The GIPSA Administrator is now James R. Baker.
      (See Administrative chart for FGIS, GIPSA, USDA.
      • 4.1. FGIS is responsible for
        • 5.1. Grain standards.
        • 5.2. Hay grading.
        • 5.3. Commodity grading...flour, pasta, dry beans, rice, etc.
        • 5.4. Weighing of grain and container inspection, i.e., be sure containers are clean, free of insects, contaminating odors, etc.
        • 5.5. Market news on grade basis.
        • 5.6. New variety or product classification and verification.
        • 5.7. Education and licensing, etc.
      • 4.2. FGIS is administered from Washington, D.C. and Kansas City via 21 Field Offices, 2 Federal-State Offices, and 8 Sub-offices.
        • 5.1. BOARD OF APPEALS AND REVIEW - Kansas City
          • 6.1. Now 13 members, Eurvin Williams, Chairman
          • 6.2. Consider Appeals and Final Appeals
          • 6.3. Establish interpretation of new varieties; hybridization of winter-spring varieties that result in troublesome kernel types, e.g., ARKAN; or untypical kernel types, STOA allegedly; or new "hard white" pan bread types; etc.
          • 6.4. "Supervise" FGIS Field Offices in grading of about 1% of random samples of grain submitted to FGIS by LI's for supervision.
        • 5.2. FIELD OFFICES, now 21 of them, plus 2 Federal-State combinations, plus 8 Suboffices, all having same duties. Grand Forks and Minneapolis are Field Offices, Duluth is a Suboffice, the latter "supervising" 55 LI's.
          • 6.1. Check equipment accuracy each month of LI.
          • 6.2. Grade or "supervise" about 1% of all grain graded by LI's in their territory. Most of samples are on Submitted Sample basis (from automatic diverter) but some may be from probed cars especially unit trains.
          • 6.3. Inspect Commodity Credit Corp. Grain in ASCS program.
          • 6.4. Grade and weigh grain for export except in the 8 "delegated" states.
          • 6.5. Grade COMMODITIES, e.g., dry beans, flour, pasta, etc.
          • 6.6. Receive and act on Appeals Hearings, Intermarket Complaints . . .
          • 6.7. Conduct educational programs for elevator managers, etc.
          • 6.8. Give exams to prospective LI's.
          • 6.9. Send random samples of grain graded to BAR (Board of Appeals and Review at Kansas City.)
    • 3.3. Country elevator managers need to know principles of Grain Standards Act too, so can informally apply the principles.
      • 4.1. Grain grading regulations are specific and clear and possible for elevator manager to learn and apply; school for them annual.
      • 4.2. Knowledge most valuable for bulk handling, binning, drying, etc.
      • 4.3. Knowledge to recognize premium vs. poor grain, including wet.
      • 4.4. Knowledge for hedging or using futures markets.
      • 4.5. Knowledge to facilitate blending two grades to create a third. Malting Barley.
      • 4.6. Need to know factors such as protein % outside standards but still influencing grain value.
      • 4.7. Minimum of equipment is needed, a Carter dockage tester, test weight device, moisture determination, Pelican type sampler or automatic sampler, sieves and auto shaker.
      • 4.8. Elevator manager can write a Grade Designation on a warehouse receipt if wishes but subject to Intermarket Complaint if wrong.
      • 4.9. Country elevator managers and others encounter the following principal factors, problems, etc. in various grain producing areas of the United States, with emphasis on wheat.
        • 5.1. Soft Red Winter Wheat area, and corn belt.
          • 6.1. Three crops, wheat, corn, soybeans.
          • 6.2. In wheat, test weight, dockage, wild garlic, and moisture (from double-cropping) main problems.
        • 5.2. Hard Red Spring and Durum Wheat area.
          • 6.1. Many grain crops, 3 wheat Classes, barley, oats, rye, corn, soybean, canola, flax, (variety preserved for malting barley), etc.
          • 6.2. In wheat, test weight, dockage, moisture, foreign material, kernel damage, shrunken and broken kernels, total defects, ergot in some locations-years, protein content, etc. in various combinations are principal problems.
        • 5.3. Hard Red Winter Wheat Area.
          • 6.1. Wheat and grain sorghum are principal crops, perhaps corn with irrigation.
          • 6.2. In most years, test weight is only concern because dockage is low, grain is uniform, and rarely even a grain moisture problem at harvest.
        • 5.4. Pacific Northwest or "white wheat" area.
          • 6.1. All Wheat Classes are present in total area, several in a restricted area. Many other grain crops also are grown except not much corn or soybean.
          • 6.2. Test weight, Class purity of wheat, dockage, smut dockage, grain moisture, kernel damage, etc.
          • 6.3. Often Submitted Sample certificates on each field of grain are required before a country elevator will receive grain.
• 1.3. The PURPOSES and BENEFITS of U.S. Grain Standards
  • 2.1 The physical grain is specifically described for domestic and export markets, the same within human and experimental error at all locations.
  • 2.2. Transactions between buyer and seller are easier.
  • 2.3. Futures trading is possible.
  • 2.4. Permits definite market reports on grade and kind.
  • 2.5. Permits premium for superior quality or special types (high protein wheat, malting barley) and explains reason for discounts of inferior grain.
  • 2.6. Permits definite descriptive terms, "grade designation".
  • 2.7. Facilities trading on basis of warehouse receipts.
  • 2.8 Facilitates co-mingling or bulking or blending grain at country points or terminals and for transportation.
  • 2.9. Reduces marketing, storage and other risks.
  • 2.10. Shows cause for discounts and suggests remedy or how to improve.

A CONCEPT: The principal objective of the Grain Standards Act is to provide a system to describe the physical (some chemical as percent protein or water) characteristics of grain under the ACT, repeatable and understood at hundreds of locations in domestic and foreign commerce.