WASHINGTON, D.C., January 5, 2010 – America’s Heartland, a television program dedicated to connecting rural and urban America, traveled overseas along with the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Wheat Associates to understand the vital role U.S. farmers play in feeding the world. Dave and Sue Roehm, farmers from Leesburg, Ohio, traveled with the film crew in August to Egypt and Morocco where they saw the investments in their producer checkoff programs hard at work. With sponsorship from the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, Dave and Sue were able to show how global their fourth generation family farm really is.

“This trip was a big revelation to me. It was phenomenal the impact export market development programs orchestrated by the Council and U.S. Wheat are having overseas,” said Sue. “When I look at our corn and wheat in Ohio, I will have a whole different perspective. My family’s harvest is truly improving lives thousands of miles away.”

Being from Ohio, Dave and Sue did likely see their harvests in feedlots and bakeries across Morocco and Egypt.

“With our farm’s location, a lot of our harvest goes to the East Coast or down the Ohio River to export markets,” said Dave. “I have been actively involved with the Council for a few years and was fully aware of the efforts my checkoff dollars were funding. However, it’s still amazing to see it up close, one-on-one. I realized that America is not only the land of freedom but the land of opportunity. The Council and U.S. Wheat are truly providing opportunities for U.S. farmers and global end-users that really didn’t exist before.”

This episode (#518) of America’s Heartland will air this week on RFD-TV on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and again on Sunday, Jan. 10. The show also airs on various PBS stations throughout the country. Check your local listings for air times and dates. The program is also available online at http://bit.ly/4XfuQ1.

-30-

Multimedia Available: Photos from Egypt; Photos from Morocco

The U.S. Grains Council is a private, non-profit partnership of farmers and agribusinesses committed to building and expanding international markets for U.S. barley, corn, grain sorghum and their products. The Council is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has ten international offices that oversee programs in more than 50 countries. Financial support from our private industry members, including state checkoffs, agribusinesses, state entities and others, triggers federal matching funds from the USDA resulting in a combined program value of more than $26 million.

The U.S. Grains Council does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital/family status. Persons with disabilities, who require alternative means for communication of program information, should contact the U.S. Grains Council.

Phone: (202) 789-0789 Fax: (202) 898-0522 Web site: www.grains.org E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

1400 K St. NW, Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20005