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LOCATION: Agri-Grain
Marketing is located at 311 B Street, McGregor, Iowa 52157.
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HOURS: Regular
guided tours are scheduled for Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. mid-March
through mid-November.
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COST: No admission is
charged.
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RESERVATIONS: Formal
reservations are not taken but call ahead to let them know you are
coming. Phone: 1-319-873-3436.
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SIZE OF GROUP AND AGE:
No limit.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Because Agri-Grain Marketing is located just a mile north of Pikes
Peak State Park, a field trip might include a visit to the park for a
picnic, a hike and a beautiful view of the Mississippi River.
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Why is Mississippi River
barge transportation an economically efficient way to move grain?
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From the purchase of
seed to the shipment of grain for market, how many steps are involved?
How many different people participate in the process?
The predecessor of Agri-Grain Marketing,
the Farmers Grain Dealers Association, was formed in 1904 when farmers
felt they weren't being treated fairly by the private firms that
dominated the marketplace at that time. Since 1986, the
partnership between Agri-Grain Marketing (AGM) and Cargill has
flourished. On a daily basis, Agri-Grain Marketing loads barges
with grain headed to the gulf for international export. In an
average season, about 25 million bushels of corn and 10 million bushels
of Soybeans go to market. About 90% of the grain shipped out from
the AGM terminal arrives by truck. Trucks come to the McGregor site from
as far as I-35 to the west, Hwy. 20 to the south and southern Minnesota.
Some Specialty loads come from the Omaha Nebraska area. In terms of
hauling capacity, four truckloads equal approximately one railroad car.
At peak season the terminal is in operation around the clock. During the
busy harvest season, so many trucks come into Agri-Grain they are
stopped two miles west of McGregor on Hwy. 52 where they are staged for
unloading using CB radio and computer. They are then sent to the
site at the rate of five to six trucks every 10 minutes. The
largest AGM facility is located at Fulton, Illinois where 750,000
bushels of grain, enough to fill 14 barges, are loaded each day during
peak season.
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If a farmer can't use all the
corn/beans grown, what is done with it?
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Where do corn and beans go when
they are harvested?
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For what products or purposes
are corn and bean grown?
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In addition to farming work,
what other jobs are related to agriculture?
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What specific educational
preparation is needed for these occupations?
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How many semi-trucks would it
take to fill a 15-tow barge? (Use the attached information developed
by the DOT to present the relative volume various grain carriers
hold.)
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Create a “Follow the
Seed” flow chart that maps the life of a seed from seedling to
marketable product.
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Learn the "Field
Trip" song (see Introduction to the CHC Field Trip Guide).
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Using a dictionary or
encyclopedia, have students define the word “cooperative” or
“co-op”. Encyclopedia Britannica defines a “cooperative” as
follows:
“Consumer cooperatives,
or co-ops, are retail outlets that are owned and operated by consumers
for their mutual benefit. The first consumer cooperative store was
established in Rochdale, England, in 1844, and most co-ops are modeled
after the same, original principles. They are based on open consumer
membership, equal voting among members, limited customer services, and
shared profits among members in the form of rebates generally related
to the amounts of their purchases.”
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To help students
understand the nature of a co-op, identify with students a classroom
problem. Based upon the definition of a co-op, create a
simulated co-op in the classroom to address the identified problem.
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Take a guided tour of the AGM plant. Have students observe the
process by which trucks are emptied of their grain as they arrive at
the plant.
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Using the Field Trip Activity Book, have students list the various
jobs as they observe during the tour.
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Have students note evidence of safety precautions for both workers and
visitors to the plant.
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Take videotape footage of the tour.
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Assign students to sketch various aspects of the AGM operation in
their Field Trip Activity Booklet so that each part of the operation
is covered.
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Discuss student entries in the Field Trip Activity Booklet regarding
various jobs observed on the field trip. Discuss how each
person’s job fits into the overall function of the industry.
Relate this to the classroom and the cooperation necessary to provide
an orderly and productive classroom environment.
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Review the videotape of the field trip to AGM. Discuss the
how this industry is just a part of the total production process from
planting to consumption of agricultural products.
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Have students share their sketches of the AGM operation by displaying
them in the front of the classroom. As a review of the trip and
the operation of the plant, have students place the sketches in
sequential order.
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Have students write an original verse to the “Field Trip Song”
based upon their visit to AGM.
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Agri-Grain Marketing, 311 B Street, McGregor IA 52157. Phone:
1-319-873-3436
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McGregor/Marquette Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Information, 146 Main
P.O Box 105, McGregor IA 52157. Phone: 1-800-896-0910.
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 COMPARE:
Cargo Capacity
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COMPARE:
Cargo Capacity