August grain grading event offers hands-on training

FFMC - Mon Aug 4, 2:00AM CDT

Two single-day grain grading workshops will be held Aug. 13-14 in Amarillo, Texas. Whether working at a feedlot, dairy or grain elevator, the class is targeted toward employees wanting to learn more about grain identification and sampling. 

“Participants will learn through hands-on examples the importance of grading grain, become familiar with grain grading standards, and develop proper sampling techniques,” says DeDe Jones, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension risk management specialist and program co-coordinator.  

“They will also learn to identify different types of damage that occurs, and their potential impacts on grade and feeding value,” she added. 

Workshop schedule 

The workshop will include a morning and an afternoon session. Morning session topics include: 

  • Why grade grain, presented by Jones 

  • Grain quality and the feedlot industry, presented by Vinícius Gouvêa, Texas A&M ruminant nutritionist  

  • Current grain standards and upcoming changes, presented by Tim Hall and Clayton Hanson, with the USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service 

  • Hands-on wheat grading workshop, presented by Hall and Hanson 

Afternoon session topics follow:  

  • Hands-on corn grading, presented by Hall and Hanson 

  • Hands-on sorghum grading, presented by Hall and Hanson 

This workshop, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and in cooperation with the Federal Grain Inspection Service, is only offered once a year.  

The training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo. The cost of attending each workshop is $100, which covers equipment and materials, and lunch.  

Register online by Aug. 12 at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Each class is limited to 40 participants. For more information, contact Jones at 806-677-5667 or dljones@ag.tamu.edu