Dec 1, 2023
Drought & River Transport Impact on Corn CompetitivenessKey Issues: TradeTransportation and Infrastructure
Author: Krista Swanson
For the second year in a row, drought conditions are impacting transportation on the Mississippi River at the peak shipment point of the year. Shallower river levels mean barge weight restrictions, slower barge traffic, and higher costs to ship commodities on the river. Ultimately, this translates to a relatively lower price at the farmgate and higher cost for the world buyer. Drought Slows Grain Barge Traffic in 2022 and 2023 The Mississippi River is an important channel for commodity transportation. The USDA reports the final mode of transport was barge for 13% of U.S. grains in 2020, and 46% of exported U.S. grains[i]. There are normally two peaks in grain barge movements, one in late summer leading up to the end of the marketing year for corn and soybeans, and the other emerging in the fall harvest season and into the post-harvest months. The impact of low water levels on grain barge movements was notable in 2023, marking the second consecutive year of drought...
Read MoreDec 14, 2021
Final Stretch to Harvest Votes for NCGA’s Photo ContestAuthor: Beth Musgrove
More than 300 photos were entered in the National Corn Growers Association’s 2021 Fields-of-Corn.com photo contest. Entrants and interested observers are invited to use the month of December to ramp up popularity through Facebook Likes. Entrants compete for 26 cash prizes across 8 categories, with two $500 prizes, one for popularity and one of a panel of judges. The number of Facebook likes are an influential factor across all categories. Annually the National Corn Growers Association invites amateur and professional photographers alike to help tell the story of farming field corn in America through the Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest. Through this contest, NCGA seeks high-quality photos of corn growth from seed to harvest and the families that grow it. Visitors can pick their favorite photos at Fields-of-Corn.com/vote by using the Like and Share buttons to accumulate votes through Dec. 31. Winners are to be announced in...
Read MoreFeb 11, 2021
NCGA Announces Winners of the Fields-of-Corn Photo ContestAuthor: Beth Musgrove
In 2020 we went from one unprecedented event to another. A challenging year for so many, yet photographers continued to share essential farmers’ stories of perseverance through the seventh National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Fields-of-Corn Photo Contest. Also unprecedented was the number of social shares, breaking records overall for NCGA’s photo contest. NCGA awarded two Grand Prizes. A grand prize was awarded for the single most popular photo, taken by Amanda Bush of Ohio, “Cotton Candy Harvest,” which gained more than 1700 likes on Facebook. Also, one selected by a panel of judges, submitted by McCullum Steen from Illinois with the photo titled “Harvest 2020.” “Grit and grace characterize the photos of the year,” said NCGA Graphic Communications Manager Beth Musgrove. “The Facebook engagement this year is telling that people are appreciative of the beauty of rural America in their daily feed.” “We continue to look at different ways to improve the contest by...
Read MoreMay 8, 2020
More prizes and two new categories added for 2020 Photo ContestAuthor: Beth Musgrove
The seventh annual photo contest of the National Corn Growers Association, Fields-of-Corn.com is open for photographers to enter their submissions. This year there are two new categories and additional prizes. The single, most popular photo with Facebook “likes” will be awarded a $500 prize. First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100), prizes will be awarded for each of eight categories and, as in prior years, judges will select a single Grand Prize winner to be awarded $500. Two new categories: Livestock and Farm Pets A total of 26 cash prizes will be awarded. “It is important to continue re-evaluating the contest and category offerings for photographers to submit their images as the landscape of agriculture changes and expands,” said NCGA Graphic Communications Manager Beth Musgrove. “Each year, we continue to get new photographers who enter, and it’s exciting to see the story of agriculture portrayed through their eyes.” Visit Fields-of-Corn today to enter your...
Read MoreFor media inquiries contact Bryan Goodman, goodman@ncga.com
