NCGA's Mission: To Create and
Increase Opportunities for Corn Growers
This is Corn Commentary, the weekly newsletter for state and national
grower leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). For
complete stories and updated NCGA information, visit www.ncga.com or
the NCGA Leader Resource Center, www.insidencga.com.
IN THIS ISSUE:
- NCGA Corn Growers Will Plant More Acres Next Year, Satisfy All Markets
- NCGA Grower Leaders Meet to Discuss Priorities, Policies
- NCGA Leaders Look Ahead to 2008
- NCGA Announces 2007 Inductees to Recruiter Hall of Fame
- NCGA to Hold Farm Bill and Trade Policy Conference in February
- Early Registration Deadline Approaches for Commodity Classic
- Peggy Bellar Takes Grand Prize in NCGA Gallery of Corn Photo Contest
- NCGA Announces 2006 Top Recruiters
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NCGA: Corn Growers Will Plant More Acres Next Year, Satisfy All Markets
While today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) 2006 Crop Production Summary reported corn growers harvested the third-largest corn crop at 10.5 billion bushels, a two percent drop for 2006, NCGA President Ken McCauley noted corn growers are already planning to plant more acres next year. The 2006 crop yielded the second-highest yield on record at 149.1 bushels per acre. (More On This Story) |
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| NCGA President Ken McCauley (right) recently met with the new Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin Peterson. |
NCGA Grower Leaders Meet to Discuss Priorities, Policies
Discussions ranged from the growing use of ethanol to transportation issues as grower-leaders from state affiliates and corn checkoff and promotion boards of the NCGA began two days of meetings Thursday in St. Louis at the association’s Priority and Policy Conference. (More On This Story)
NCGA Leaders Look Ahead to 2008
While many of us are still struggling to remember to write “2007” on our checks, the grower-leaders of the NCGA are already developing plans for next year – and beyond. (More On This Story)
NCGA Announces 2007 Inductees to Recruiter Hall of Fame
As the NCGA celebrates its 50th anniversary, it has grown from a group that represented a few hundred growers in nine Midwestern states to a vibrant association of 32,000 corn producers in 48 states and Canada. (More On This Story)
NCGA to Hold Farm Bill and Trade Policy Conference in February
The NCGA announced plans today to hold a Farm Bill and Trade Policy Conference Feb. 21 – 22 at the Renaissance Hotel at the Airport in St. Louis. The conference will give growers another forum to learn about the upcoming farm bill and related trade topics. (More On This Story)
Early Registration Deadline Approaches for Commodity Classic
Growers can save $50 by registering now for Commodity Classic. Early registration ends Jan. 17 for the combined convention and trade show of the American Soybean Association (ASA), the NCGA and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) takes place in Tampa, Fla., March 1-3. This is the 11th Classic and first year NAWG has joined with NCGA and ASA. (More On This Story)
Peggy Bellar Takes Grand Prize in NCGA Gallery of Corn Photo Contest
For the second consecutive year, Peggy Bellar of Howard, Kan., snapped the grand prize photo in the 2006 NCGA Gallery of Corn Photo Contest. Judges selected her photo, entered in the “Harvest” category, as the contest’s “best of show.” (More On This Story)
NCGA Announces 2006 Top Recruiters
The NCGA has announced its leading grower recruiters for 2006. The efforts by these recruiters are keeping NCGA membership levels high at a time when other agricultural organizations are declining. (More On This Story)
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AROUND THE CORN BELT
News
from State Associations
Iowa: Each year, the Iowa Corn Growers association (ICGA) develops and distributes a packet of updated information on the corn industry. This year’s packet includes information on the 2007 farm bill, E85, ICGA Membership and more. Corn Tabs 2007 are supplied as media materials or, for specific information, contact ICGA at 515-225-9242.
Kansas: Kansas now boasts 15 stations that sell E85 ethanol fuel for flexible fuel vehicles, according to the Kansas Corn Commission (KCC). Stations have opened at Olathe, Wichita and Offerle. The KCC, along with United Bio Energy and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, have cooperated in an effort to add several new E85 stations in Kansas.
Michigan: Producers can learn about management practices for controlling environmental risks and find out about available incentives and partnerships by attending Agriculture’s Conference on the Environment: Managing Today for Tomorrow (ACE), sponsored in part by the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM), on Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. The registration fee, including lunch, refreshments and parking is $50 ($20 for students) before Jan. 22. After that date, the registration fee is $75. For more information or to register by cash or check, visit www.maeap.org. To register by credit card, call Jim Van Arkel at (517) 241-2232.
Missouri: Applications are now available for Missouri high school and college students interested in applying for the 2007 Missouri Corn Scholarships. Sponsored by the Missouri Corn Growers Association and Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, 10 scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors and college juniors interested in pursuing a ag-related career. Applications are now available for download at www.mocorn.org/ scholarship.htm, or by calling the Missouri Corn office toll free at (800) 827-4181. Deadline is Feb. 15.
Nebraska: The Nebraska Corn Board will participate in upcoming meetings to discuss ethanol production and the feeding of ethanol coproducts to cattle. Six meetings, entitled “Cattle, Corn and Ethanol—Challenges and Opportunities,” are scheduled across the state. Representatives from Nebraska Cattlemen, the Nebraska Corn Board and the Nebraska Ethanol Board will be present. University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economist Darrell Mark will also speak. For more information, please contact the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Lincoln office at 402-475-2333. |
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