Follow Along With An Export Exchange Trade Team!

This week, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) Manager of Communications Will Margerum traveled to Indiana with a group of corn and corn co-product end users from the Philippines for visits with growers, processors and logistics sites that built confidence in U.S. corn.

Follow along below in a photo essay detailing the team's meetings and activities!

The quality of U.S. corn was then on full display at Cox Farms farm in Gaston. It was perfect timing as operator Jenna Scott and her father were in the middle of harvesting when we arrived! Scott serves as chair on the ICSA's Sustainability and Value Creation Committee and was an expert source of knowledge for the group's questions about land stewardship and crop versatility.

The group was very excited to see the crop and spoke highly of its healthy appearance, inquiring deeply about Scott's planting and harvesting techniques.

Combine rides are always one of the highlights for trade team participants, helping them understand the scale of U.S. agricultural production. Scott's father kindly took turns taking each of them along with him as he harvested.

POET, the world's largest producer of biofuels and a USGBC member, welcomed the group to its facility in Alexandria to discuss the ethanol production process and how DDGS are created.

Everyone was so interested in looking at the freshly made DDGS and watching corn deliveries roll in, we ended up staying well past our appointment time. It was well worth it if you ask me!

The next day, we headed south and visited Ethan McNeely at his farm in Scottsburg. He explained modern farm economics and his strategies as a smaller, part-time farmer in addition to his full time role as a credit officer.

McNeely showed off his corn crop, and again participants were in awe of the scale and quality of U.S. corn production and inquired about sourcing corn and DDGS from the region.

The last segment of the trip focused on shipping logistics and grain handling, starting with a look at The McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Ky., where participants learned about the U.S. river system and how it facilitates moving massive quantities of agricultural goods to international customers.

Finally, a tour of USGBC member Consolidated Grain and Barge's (CGB's) facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana showed how U.S. grains are safely stored and transferred for transport via rail or ship.

We were also able to observe the rigorous testing procedure for incoming loads of feed grains, underscoring the quality assurance measures built into the U.S. agricultural value chain.

That's a wrap on the team's activities and Export Exchange 2026! The entire group expressed interest in following up about purchases from the U.S. and seeing additional production regions of the country, highlighting the power of Export Exchange's reach in connecting global buyers to U.S. growers and exporters.