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Issue 2: From Dream to Ironing Board to Reality |
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 The first contract for the development of foreign markets for U.S. feed grains was drawn up between the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Grain Sorghum Producers Association (GSPA) in December 1958. D.G. (Bill) Nelson of GSPA reportedly said that because of a lack of an office and a staff, the contract was typed on his wife's ironing board with a rented typewriter. The 20 copies that FAS required were made on a Xerox at the local bank for 25 cents a piece.
Nelson is said to have contacted FAS to inquire about the possibility of GSPA becoming a cooperator. He and John McCracken, grain marketing specialist for FAS, not only drew up the initial contract, but subsequently conducted surveys of the world market for feed grains and devised a market development program that was followed substantially through the 1960s. On March 3, 1959, an agreement was reached with FAS that GPSA would carry out market development programs in Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. An office was later established in Rome from which all of these programs were to be supervised. Charles Gidney Jr., a former State Department official was hired as the director. In addition to administering programs, Gidney's responsibilities included finalizing agreements with third-party cooperators. From March to November 1959, GSPA participated actively in eight of the most important agricultural fairs in Italy under USDA's Trade Fair Program. Other activities included bringing six feed grain industry representatives from the United Kingdom to feed grain production areas in the United States where they spent a month learning about harvesting, transportation, merchandising and processing. Meanwhile, GSPA was working to include other commodity groups in their export market development programs. In fact, it was stated in the original FAS/GSPA contract that GSPA would attempt to "stimulate the interest of other trade and commodity groups to participate financially and assume responsibility of the program. As the program develops, it is the intention of both parties that this agreement... shall be amended to include such other groups." In the late fall of 1959 and early spring of 1960, work began in earnest to bring such parties together into a unified entity at the earliest possible date. Officers of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) were negotiating with FAS and GSPA officials to include NCGA in the organization. Their proposal was met with enthusiasm from GSPA and FAS officials. Walter Goeppinger, president of NCGA, was also talking with Dr. Julius Hendel of the corn division for the North American Export Grains Association, envisioning a diversified organization of feed grain producers and agribusinesses to promote markets for feed grains worldwide. Also during that spring, a planning committee, chaired by Goeppinger, was formed, with Hendel; Nelson; Fred Maywald of the Farmers Grain Dealers Association; Reagan Peeler, GSPA; and Nelson Urban, serving as members. They drew up a formal prospectus for a "U.S. Feed Grains Council," with a target date for chartering of June 15, 1960. Apparently the prospectus served its purpose well, because on June 28, 1960, the first membership meeting of the U.S. Feed Grains Council was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.
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