Wheat grading

[Blaithin]

They should deduct a few dollars an hour off your pay cheque cause it's hot out !

Can't handle the heat ?

Heat stress !

I'm not the one that appears to have an issue with the heat.

So my pay should be deducted if a grain is downgraded, does that mean I should get a raise if I tell you what you want to hear?

You better not ever tell someone Canada is known for it's quality and standard of grain. You seem to really take issue with anyone in the line of quality control.

Docked pay would be the least of my concerns if I just tried to pass any wheat off as a #1 because the farmer thought it was unfair to grade it accordingly. What I grade gets graded multiple other times as it passes through the supply chain.

[TOM4CWB]

If the flour yield is down because of shrunken kernels and bran damage from drought, don’t expect the Miller to pay a premium for the wheat.

Some markets are less sensitive to these quality deficits… hence a difference between grain purchasing facilities… blaming the grader is rather pointless.

If the shoe were on the other foot… you would be doing the same as the grain grader.

Cheers

[wmoebis]

Is it just heat stress that concerns or should graders disregard Ergot and Fusarium what about excreta?

[Blaithin]

Is it just heat stress that concerns or should graders disregard Ergot and Fusarium what about excreta?

I guess we need to make a list.

FRHTS and mildew are irrelevant until, what, a 3? Then they kick in.

If it starts raining and sprouts and FN suffer, grade should default to whatever quality the grain was before the rain.

Wheat full of volunteer barley because it was a field with hail last year? Let’s pick the OCG and then divide the result by 2, that should get a proper grade.

Canola heat in the bin? Too bad, it was graded a 1 in September, better stand by that grade.

What else wiseguy?

[wmoebis]

I would like to hear from all the other farmers and people on here that put down Grain guide and employees as to how they want to see quality control handled.

I didn't realize what all the different factors had on milling an baking, there is a lot more to it than just grading and has nothing to do with trying to steal from farmers.

That said yes there are things that can and are done that give false results and I do believe that more universal/certified training needs to be done at both the elevator and farmer level.

[Blaithin]

Dockage is what to be particular on if you’re concerned a company is stealing from you or a grade is wrong.

[wmoebis]

Dockage is what to be particular on if you’re concerned a company is stealing from you or a grade is wrong.

And yet when discussing grade and dockage issues with one of the producer group elected BOD they said if you can't afford to give away a little dockage you shouldn't be farming. So not a concern to farmers. LOL

[Blaithin]

Some farms really want a grade deal. Others don’t care about grade deals, they want dockage deals.

I don’t know which one gets the better return but I know which one I would guess does.

[wmoebis]

Some farms really want a grade deal. Others don’t care about grade deals, they want dockage deals.

I don’t know which one gets the better return but I know which one I would guess does.

The Grain ACT and Grain Grading Guide was established so that every farmer got paid for what they grew, nothing more nothing less everyone equal I guess some are just not satisfied with that. On both sides of the fence, buyer and seller so that is where the CGC was implemented to be that police but people don't want them either.

[LEP]

The Grain ACT and Grain Grading Guide was established so that every farmer got paid for what they grew, nothing more nothing less everyone equal I guess some are just not satisfied with that. On both sides of the fence, buyer and seller so that is where the CGC was implemented to be that police but people don't want them either.

I think the frustrating thing for farmers are the grade variances between elevators. V calls it a 3 and 4. R calls it a 2 and 3. C buys it all for a 2.

But according to you and Blaithin. Nobody is trying to screw you.

Dockage here is .8% to 1.8%. 1% on $14 durum is .14.

There is a .40 to .50 drop from a 2 to a 3.

[Herc]

Trust the grain graders, they have a 2 day course you don’t have…..

[wmoebis]

I think the frustrating thing for farmers are the grade variances between elevators. V calls it a 3 and 4. R calls it a 2 and 3. C buys it all for a 2.

But according to you and Blaithin. Nobody is trying to screw you.

Dockage here is .8% to 1.8%. 1% on $14 durum is .14.

There is a .40 to .50 drop from a 2 to a 3.

No I said it is lack of education. There is for sure elevators that will screw you but you have the right to watch and request a subject to if you don't agree.

Where do elevators get their training? It takes 4 years of training to become a qualified Grain Grader for the gov't and then you are constantly checked by superiors and do annual grading tests to make sure you are still accurate.

If there is a dockage difference on the same sample, what are they doing different? If same sample done the same way in two different locations using the same equipment you should get the same result.

If someone is doing it wrong tell them to do it the right way. It is kinda like letting someone else run your combine and they change the settings your going to stop them an make them set it right.

[Blaithin]

I think the frustrating thing for farmers are the grade variances between elevators. V calls it a 3 and 4. R calls it a 2 and 3. C buys it all for a 2.

But according to you and Blaithin. Nobody is trying to screw you.

Dockage here is .8% to 1.8%. 1% on $14 durum is .14.

There is a .40 to .50 drop from a 2 to a 3.

The graders aren’t trying to screw you.

Grading is/should be grading.

Buying is what’s different between elevators, mills, crush plants, etc.

I’ve never had a manager come to me and say call something a lower grade. However I’m always asked can we make a grain work as a better grade. If they offer the farm a deal as a higher grade to get the buy, can we make it fit in the specs we need to meet. With bin samples this is why they like to know tonnes. If it’s a tight paper blend we’ll even take representative amounts of each bin sample and mix it to see what we get.

I have worked at elevators where they tell you to plump up the dockage. Which is why I said pay attention to dockage more than grade. Splits is another one.

I’ve never worked at an elevator where the graders are privy to sales, prices, or deals. In no way are they trying to call a grade something lower to screw somebody. I can’t speak for what’s done with the information once it’s passed on to marketing, but typically what I’ve seen is an effort to make a deal. Other elevator graders could be trying to screw people, but it seems unlikely.

And yes, while improperly trained graders can lead to grade discrepancies, I’ve seen far more instances of farms getting a higher grade from this, than a harsher grade. Graders are more likely to miss something than pick something that isn’t there to downgrade.

[wmoebis]

Trust the grain graders, they have a 2 day course you don’t have…..

Some companies have way better training courses than others but there still needs to be a Universal/Certified apprenticeship type training. And yes I agree farmers should take a course also 2 days isn't enough tho.

[wmoebis]

Some companies have way better training courses than others but there still needs to be a Universal/Certified apprenticeship type training. And yes I agree farmers should take a course also 2 days isn't enough tho.

Years ago Alberta Wheat Pool, UGG and SWP (Farmer owned Grain Companies), all had a training course that were taught at Olds Collage and maybe others. When farmers decided to amalgamate and ultimately sell out to foreign companies that training was stopped and OLDS dropped the courses.

I have copies of all those courses and they were intensive training not just a couple days. So you can't blame the graders it wasn't them that stopped the training in fact the vast majority want to learn and be able to do it right and be good at it.

I don't think we understand the loss that doing away with inward inspection has had either. When CGC or 3rd party went onsite to grade cars so that port knew what was coming, the elevators could see first hand how to do it properly, they saw and were told when they missed something or were off on assessment that way they learnt from independent trained staff. I can't talk on 3rd party training but I do know that CGC inspectors have (had) good, intensive training and monitoring.

Know Your Grain!