News Release

BNSF Contributes to MGGA Education Program

FORT WORTH, Texas, February 13, 2001:

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) has contributed $15,000 to Montana MarketManager, the Montana Grain Growers Association’s (MGGA) marketing education and information program for Montana grain producers.

Stevan Bobb, BNSF group vice president of Agricultural Products, today presented a check to Randy Johnson, executive vice president of MGGA, in Helena. “We are proud to partner with Montana Grain Growers Association in an effort to help improve the marketing skills of Montana’s grain and livestock producers,” said Bobb. “Not only will this program benefit the individual producer, but it will substantially strengthen the state’s agricultural industry.”

The program was conceived during a series of “listening sessions” conducted in fall 1998 around the state by the MGGA in which improved marketing skills were identified as the single greatest need from growers. The program is serving a critical role in providing the tools needed to keep and return profits to small grain and livestock producers in Montana.

“We at the Montana Grain Growers Association believe that enabling producers to understand and take advantage of market opportunities will have a significant impact on transforming the state’s agricultural economy,” said MGGA’s Johnson. “For this reason, the support provided by BNSF is deeply appreciated. We also believe that this is one of the most important routes to achieving the Montana Vision 2005 Task Force goal of doubling the value of the state’s agricultural economy by the year 2005.

“Once growers are properly trained to develop and implement marketing plans and have the support and discipline to use all marketing tools available, they are more likely to survive situations such as the devastating effect of low prices experienced over the past few years.”

The check was presented at a meeting where a number of issues were discussed between BNSF, MGGA and Governor Judy Martz.. “It is nice to have a company like BNSF that puts back into the state to help the economy,” says Governor Martz. “This is an example of a good corporate citizen. BNSF has given a timely gift that will make a huge difference to grain growers in Montana in a year that hasn’t had much good news for the industry.”

BNSF has contributed a total of $60,000 to MGGA’s MarketManager program since the program’s inception in 1998.

BNSF operates one of the largest rail networks in North America, with 33,500 route miles of track covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces.

BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000