By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will be the keynote speaker for the National Grain and Feed Assoc. (NGFA) 39th annual Country Elevator Conference Dec. 5-7. Approximately 500 industry members are expected to attend the conference and trade show at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Hotel.

The major trade show will be Dec. 5-6 only, and features 86 exhibits of products and services relating to the grain, feed and processing industry. In conjunction with the conference is an annual leadership conference with NGFA-affiliated state and regional grain and feed associations, as well as a meeting of the NGFA’s Country Elevator Committee.

The business-focused conference will feature a major presentation on the financial outlook for the U.S. and global economy, and the availability and cost of capital. Confirmed featured speaker is James Glassman, managing director and senior economist for JPMorgan Chase & Co. of New York.

In addition, a panel will discuss the latest innovations in financing tools available for obtaining necessary operating capital to purchase higher-priced commodities and maintain hedge positions on those purchases during what may be a volatile market environment in 2011.

Panelists are Tom Fernandes, operations manager, Greenhaven LLC of Atlanta, Ga.; Brent Grecian, commodity derivatives specialist, Wells Fargo Commodity Products of Overland Park, Kan.; and Andrew Ward, associate director, Macquarie Commodities (USA), Inc. of New York.

Other major topics to be addressed for country elevator managers and their key employees include:

•A session on how to prepare for an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which in recent months has increased significantly its oversight of grain and feed facilities. The session will examine top safety issues for the grain-handling industry, as well as practical tips for avoiding grain-entrapment incidents.

•The 2011 market outlook for grains, oilseeds and grain products, and the domestic and world economic, demand and weather factors that will drive those markets.

•How to recruit, retain and reward the next generation of employees in rural agribusiness operations.

•How to manage contract risks, including when doing business with limited liability corporations (including producers), the pros and cons of master marketing agreements and the impact of bankruptcy filings on existing contracts.

•The impact of the November midterm Congressional elections on national agricultural, environmental and trade policies important to the grain, feed, grain processing and export industry, as well as their implications for the 2012 presidential election.

Also showcased during the conference will be new tools the NGFA is providing to enable members to become more directly engaged in making the industry’s views known to Congress. Registration information is available by contacting the NGFA at 202-289-0873 or by visiting its website at www.ngfa.org and registration is $375 if received by Nov. 30.

Hotel reservations may be made by calling 800-266-9432. Identify with the “Indianapolis Downtown Marriott” and the “National Grain and Feed Association” to secure the special room rate if available of $149 per night, plus tax, single or double occupancy.

The NGFA’s membership encompasses all sectors of the industry, including country, terminal and export elevators; feed and feed ingredient manufacturers; biofuel companies; cash grain and feed merchants; end users of grain and grain products, including processors, flour millers, and livestock and poultry integrators; commodity futures brokers and commission merchants; and allied industries.