March 9-11 • Omni La Costa Resort • Carlsbad, CA
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) will head to Carlsbad, CA for its 129th Annual Convention, March 9-11.
The Omni La Costa Resort will be the site for the three-day event.
The convention is expected to draw more than 650 leaders in the grain, feed, and processing industries to discuss the state of U.S. agriculture.
According to the NGFA, “During the convention, our members will have opportunities for meetings and interactions with executives from leading agricultural companies and government officials.
“Members also will complete essential NGFA business during committee meetings throughout the convention.”
General Sessions
As of late January, four confirmed speakers had been announced:
• Newly appointed U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chairman Patrick Fuchs will discuss the Board’s 2025 focus on transparency, accountability, and collaboration in transportation.
Fuchs was designated as chairman of the STB by President Donald Trump, effective Jan. 20, 2025. He was sworn in on January 17, 2019 as a member of the board and re-confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 14, 2024. His second term expires on January 14, 2029.
Prior to his appointment, Fuchs was senior professional staff member working on surface transportation and maritime issues for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under the leadership of Chairman John Thune of South Dakota.
• Joseph R. Hinrichs, a leader with more than 30 years of experience in the global automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors, was named president and CEO of CSX in September 2022.
Hinrichs brings to CSX a commitment to operational excellence, experience building global businesses through investment in people and culture, and a deep understanding of balancing safety and efficiency in a complex industry.
In 2025, he was named the Railway Age Railroader of the Year, honoring his “immediate and long-term positive impacts on the freight rail industry.”
This recognition highlights the various initiatives he has spearheaded at CSX to create a more collaborative and customer-centric culture while improving the dynamic between management and rail labor.
Hinrichs previously served as president of Ford Motor Company’s global automotive business.
• Jake Joraanstad is the CEO of Bushel, an independently owned and operated software company headquartered in Fargo, ND. Bushel is focused on bringing innovative software products and solutions to the agriculture value chain. Since launching in 2017, Bushel’s software powers 3,500-plus ag retail and grain facilities and reaches over 100,000 farmers across the United States and Canada with real-time business information for its producers.
He serves on the Ninth District Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, advising on regional economic conditions. He also is an Advisory Council Member for the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University.
Joraanstad is actively involved in the entrepreneurial community, co-founding Emerging Prairie and serving on the Grand Farm Advisory Board. He has been named to Farm Journal’s The Scoop’s 40 Under 40 in Ag Retail list.
• David Wasserman is the senior election analyst for non-partisan newsletter, “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,” and a contributor to NBC News.
Founded in 1984, “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter” provides analyses of U.S. presidential, Senate, House, and gubernatorial races. The New York Times called “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter” “a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative.
Prior to joining the “The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter” in 2007, Wasserman served for three years as House editor of “Sabato’s Crystal Ball,” a widely respected political analysis newsletter and website founded by renowned University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato.
A native of New Jersey, Wasserman is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he was awarded the 2006 Emmerich-Wright Outstanding Thesis prize.
Ag Village Exhibits
The convention’s Ag Village exhibit hall will showcase 20 companies offering products and services for grain industry professionals to explore and engage with.
In addition to educational sessions and networking opportunities, NGFA encourages attendees to take part in this year’s two-part tour. The tour will visit Wild Florida, a lush nature preserved, as well as the Kennedy Space Center.
Annual Golf Tournament
The convention’s annual golf tournament, which is hosted by CoBank and supports the National Grain and Feed Foundation, will be held Monday afternoon, March 10, at the Omni La Costa Champions (north) course.
More info. To register or for more information, call NGFA at 202-289-0873, or visit ngfa.org/annual-convention.