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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.
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S AUDIO STORIES
NCGA
NCGA Inaugurates Respect the Refuge Program (1-4-08)
IN THIS ISSUE:
- NCGA Urges Growers to Stand Up, Be Counted in USDA’s 2007 Census of
- Clean Water Act Brochure Available on NCGA Web Site
- Deadline Nears for NCGA Corn Board Applications
- Pro Farmer Names U.S. Corn Grower as 2007 Person of the Year; NCGA Receives Honorable Mention
- This Week’s Corn Commentary Blog Stories
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NCGA Urges Growers to Stand Up, Be Counted
in USDA’s 2007 Census of Agriculture
The 2007 Census of Agriculture was mailed out last week to America’s farmers and ranchers. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census provides detailed data covering nearly every facet of U.S. agriculture, and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) urges members to respond quickly and completely.
“This survey not only helps government do a better job in planning, but it gives growers a voice,” said Ron Litterer, NCGA president and a corn grower from Greene, Iowa. “It’s essential that the census have as complete and accurate a picture of U.S. agriculture as possible, and we encourage all growers to be involved.”
Information from the census helps government organizations, lawmakers and town planners plan for future facilities, services and community growth and also influences policy decisions that can have a tremendous impact on farmers and their communities. Also, census information influences community growth because many companies review this data when determining where to establish their businesses.
Farmers have until Feb. 4 to complete and return their questionnaires. Producers can return their forms by mail or, for the first time, they have the convenient option of filling out the census online at http://www.agcensus.usda.gov.
Clean Water Act Brochure Available on NCGA Web Site
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has released a brochure to better assist growers in meeting the requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The brochure includes a summary of the Clean Water Act, a list of key elements of the law, and examples of how growers can adapt.
CWA requires producers to monitor nutrient application, erosion and chemical usage, while improving the environment. NCGA members have a commitment to the community to ensure that there is clean water and viable soil to ensure the land is productive for many years to come.
The law has aided growers in helping make remarkable progress in restoring the chemical, physical and biological integrity of our nation’s waters, and corn farmers continue to be good stewards of the environment. Examples include:
- Reversing the historic trend of wetlands losses and restoring streams and rivers degraded by pollution;
- Involvement in numerous state, local and national programs that complement the goals of the CWA by protecting environmentally sensitive land from crop production and encouraging other on-farm conservation measures; and
- Making important environmental gains using voluntary, locally led incentive-based programs to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and increase wildlife habitat.
Click here to download the NCGA’s Clean Water Act brochure.
Deadline Nears for NCGA Corn Board Applications
The Nominating Committee of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is still accepting applications for five open positions on the FY 2009 Corn Board. NCGA grower members are invited to becoming an integral part of the organization’s leadership by applying for positions on the board. Applications are due to NCGA on Friday, Jan. 11. NCGA members can visit the Corn Board section of the NCGA Leader Resource Center for more information. |
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AROUND THE CORN BELT
News from State Association
Illinois Corn Marketing Board’s Rose Bowl Promotion Yields Results
The game on the field may not have yielded the desired results that the University of Illinois football program had hoped for on Tuesday, but Illinois did make a significant impact. It was in fact the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) that provided a significant “win” for the State of Illinois’ agri-business community, at the prestigious Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
The ICMB used the national stage to deliver a few poignant messages. First, Illinois farmers want to help curb the nation’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of ethanol. Secondly, the nation can rest assured that farmers have the capacity to accomplish this, while still providing more than the necessary amount of corn as a food source.
With the University of Illinois making an appearance in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1984, the ICMB partnered with InStadium, Inc., a sports media and marketing company, to harness the national exposure of the more than 93,000 attendees. All of this was done in an effort to increase the awareness of the uses and implications of ethanol, which is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly fuel alternative.
All of this becomes even more pertinent with the recent Energy Bill passage by Congress in December. The plan includes a 36-billion gallon renewable fuels standard (RFS) to be in place by 2022 of which 15 billion gallons (roughly 42%) comes directly from corn. Illinois farmers are ready, according to the ICMBChairman, Ron Gray.
Grants Awarded for Colorado Renewable Energy Projects (1/3/08)
Fifteen grants totaling more than $560,000 have been awarded through the “Advancing Colorado’s Renewable Energy” (ACRE) program.
ACRE is administered by the Colorado Agricultural Value Added Development Board which encourages and promotes business projects that add value to agricultural products, as well as agricultural energy-related projects. |
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Pro Farmer Names U.S. Corn Grower as 2007 Person of the Year; NCGA Receives Honorable Mention
Pro Farmer newsletter picked the U.S. corn grower as its unofficial “Person of the Year” for 2007, recognizing that, collectively, growers “grew enough corn to satisfy demand in the food, fuel, export and feed industries.”
NCGA received an honorable mention for starting the active portion of the farm bill debate last January, succeeding in getting a nod in the farm bill plans with a revenue-based safety net option, for never giving up on the Water Resources Development Act, and for capping off a very active year in Washington with a boosted RFS in the Energy Bill. Other honorees were Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner and U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.).
“We tip our hats to corn producers and grassroots efforts,” said NCGA President Ron Litterer, a grower from Greene, Iowa. “NCGA has stressed that corn growers will respond to the marketplace and they certainly did in 2007. These achievements raise the bar and are important for the long-term profitability of crop farmers. It is refreshing to see U.S. corn growers and the NCGA recognized for a remarkable year.”
From This Week’s Blog: To read comments from this week’s Corn Commentary Blog, please click the bullets below:
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KEY ISSUES
