Grainnet

GEAPS/KSU Team With USDA/GIPSA For New Distance-Learning Course on U.S. Grain Inspection System

Kansas City, MO.—GEAPS, Kansas State University and USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration have agreed to jointly develop a basic-level distance-education course on the U.S. grain-inspection system.

The project will capitalize on the grain-inspection expertise of GIPSA and the existing GEAPS-Purdue distance-education program, which will soon move to Kansas State.

“The collaboration with GIPSA is going to open up new opportunities for our members and many others in the grain industry,” said GEAPS International President Mark Daniels.

“It’s going to allow us to package a lot of very relevant information and provide it in a new, useful and inexpensive way.”

Representatives of the three organizations, who met here June 17, agreed to begin development of the course as soon as possible.

Tentatively called “Grain Inspection 101,” the course will likely include segments on:

•Grain markets

•U.S. grain standards

•The U.S. official and unofficial grain-inspection systems

•GIPSA’s duties

•Factors that define grain quality

•Sampling

•An overview of grain-inspection procedures, and

•A virtual tour of GIPSA’s Grain Inspection Lab and the technology that it uses.

Daniels said the course is being designed as an introduction to the U.S. grain inspection system, and will provide useful information to anyone planning to pursue grain-grading work for grain companies or other entities.

The target audience includes industry professionals in operations, merchandising and a wide variety of other capacities.

Under terms of the agreement, GIPSA will provide much of the lecture material, and the GEAPS-KSU partnership will help shape it into a discrete, goal-oriented program.

The partnership will also set up a dedicated course website, market the program, handle registration, and help students while they’re enrolled.

GIPSA representatives will be on hand to answer student questions.

John Sharpe, Director of GIPSA’s Technical Services Division, said GIPSA’s primary purpose in the collaboration is to make information about the official grain inspection system as accessible to the industry as possible.

“GIPSA’s mission is to facilitate the marketing of U.S. grain,” Sharpe said.

“Educating grain purchasers and receivers about the roles and services of the official inspection system promotes confidence in the quality of U.S. grain and reduces market disruptions resulting from differing inspection procedures used at destination.

This new partnership will greatly expand the U.S. grain industry’s and international customers’ access to information about America’s national grain inspection system.”

Sharpe noted that the impetus for the collaboration came from GIPSA’s Grain Inspection Advisory Committee, a board comprised of representatives of all segments of the grain production and marketing chain.

The committee specifically recommended that GIPSA join forces in a distance-education program.

Mike Kiel of The Andersons, chairman of GEAPS’ distance-education oversight committee, said GIPSA’s participation gives the project “instant credibility.”

“The expertise and authority that GIPSA brings to the table are unparalleled,” he said.

“We could not have a better partner for this project.”

The GEAPS-Purdue distance-education program has offered five courses multiple times during the past three years, and has five new courses scheduled for 2009.

The program’s university affiliation will soon switch from Purdue to Kansas State, along with program leader Dr. Dirk Maier.

Maier, a professor at Purdue, was recently named head of the KSU Grain Sciences and Industry Department.