 Corn Farmers Coalition to Provide Facts on Modern Family Farms
The Corn Farmers Coalition announced they will return to Washington this summer with a major educational program aimed at policymakers and opinion leaders who affect the fate of America's family corn farmers.
"The vast majority of farms in America, and 95 percent of corn farms specifically, continue to be family owned and operated ventures. They aren't some myth, but are a critical economic engine that provides most of the food, feed and fiber produced in this country," said Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association. "This awareness is important to our survival."
"Our mission is to put a face on today's family farmers, showcase the productivity and environmental advances being made in the industry, provide factual information on how innovative and high tech corn farmers have become," said Ihnen. "This is a corn farmer image effort designed for thought leaders in Washington. When all the business news out there seems to be negative, corn farmers have a great story to tell."
The Corn Farmers Coalition will launch a major advertising campaign June 1, that will put prominent facts about family farmers in Capitol Hill publications, radio, frequently used web sites, the Metro and Reagan National Airport. The program, which puts a focus on family farmers telling their story, will continue until Congress recesses in August.
"Washington needs to know corn farmers are using some of the most advanced technologies on the planet to do more with less - to grow more corn using fewer resources every year," said Mark K. Lambert, director of the Corn Farmers Coalition. "American corn farmers, the majority of them small family businesses, are among the most productive in the world."
The coalition will meet with media, members of Congress, environmental groups and others to talk about what's ahead: how U.S. farmers, using the latest technologies, will continue to expand yields and how this productivity can be a bright spot in an otherwise struggling economy.
Click here for more information or to view the CFC ads.
Resources Abound as ACRE Deadline Nears
Tuesday, June 1 is the signup deadline for the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program, and NCGA once again urges growers to review the program and determine if it make sense for their operation. Numerous resources are available to help farmers make the right decision.
Recently, NCGA co-sponsored a webinar with DTN to advise growers how to assess how well this innovative farm safety net protected crop revenue for 2009 and how to discover its potential usefulness in 2010-2012. Guests included Farm Service Agency ACRE expert Brent Orr and Ohio State University economist Carl Zulauf. For those who were unable to participate, the May 6 webinar is available for rebroadcast or downloading on the DTN website. Click here to access it.
In addition, the USDA's Farm Service Agency has launched an ACRE Web page with educational information, including an electronic program payment calculator. Click here for that resource.
The ACRE Program, adopted by Congress in the 2008 farm bill, represents a fundamental reform in U.S. farm policy. With rising input costs, greater market volatility and other operational challenges, this program provides an additional risk management tool for producers. While federal crop insurance offers substantial protection for crop failure, ACRE is intended to address less significant losses not adequately covered by insurance or disaster assistance programs.
Click here for additional resources on the ACRE program.
CUTC Announces Keynote Speaker
 NCGA announced that Dr. Gale Buchanan, dean and director emeritus of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, will give the keynote address at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference grand opening, June 7 in Atlanta.
"Dr. Buchanan is a passionate advocate of agricultural research. Having a speaker with his experience addressing CUTC attendees is very exciting," said NCGA Vice President of Research and Business Development Richard Glass, Ph.D. "We are facing a future that requires agricultural output to double between 2000 and 2050. The research work and investment that will be discussed during this conference are central to meeting this need."
Before assuming his current role at the University of Georgia, Dr. Buchanan served as chief scientist and under secretary for Research, Education and Economics at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Bush Administration. He is active in agriculture's scientific community, and recently chaired a panel of notable scientists and government leaders who released an update to Dr. Norman Borlaug's 1973 CAST Paper No. 1, addressing future challenges in agricultural productivity.
The CUTC poster session and other scheduled activities will provide opportunities for attendees to interact with peers and business contacts. CUTC will be held at the Atlanta Hilton Hotel in downtown Atlanta, Ga., June 7-9. Visit www.corntechconf.org for more information and to register online.
Water Issues Key for Texas Corn Growers
 During a recent meeting that brought state and national staff together, NCGA's "Off the Cob" series caught up with Texas Corn Producers Board and Corn Producers Association of Texas Executive Director David Gibson for an update on corn related activities in his state.
At that time, Gibson spoke about planting progress which, notably, has increased significantly since the interview. In the May 24 USDA Crop Progress Report, Texas planting progress was nearing completion with 96 percent of the total acres planted.
Gibson explained that state and local water management issues are key for growers across the state. With over two-thirds of the Texas crop grown under irrigation, the policies legislators are forming now will affect production for the next five to ten years. Additionally, Gibson noted that the water management decisions will affect not only corn growers, but also the state's entire agricultural industry.
To listen to the full interview, click on the "Off the Cob" logo. |
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Adding Reason to the Food versus Fuel Debate
 Today, NCGA debuts an occasional series of profiles on university researchers and their work in the area of corn and related subjects.
It's not often an economist interjects a dose of reality into any discussion. However, that was just the case when University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Randy Fortenbery countered critics placing the blame for a sudden spike in food prices solely on corn. As politicians called for a halt to the expansion of ethanol production, Fortenbery addressed the hysteria with hard facts. Federal statistics showed that farmers were producing more corn for food, feed, fuel and exports -- all at the same time.
"If we were really crowding out food, why are we feeding more?" he asked in a news article at the height of the food-versus-fuel debate. "Overlooked in rising food prices is the rising price of crude oil itself. Petroleum is used extensively in mass agriculture, both for fertilizer and for food transportation."
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This Week's NCGA Blog Highlights
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