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Friday, November 12, 2010
Thank the President, Urge More Action on Ethanol

By allowing higher blends of ethanol in newer cars and talking about the importance of ethanol for energy security, the Obama Administration has taken some smart steps forward. Join NCGA in thanking the president and urging him to keep moving in the right direction. Just click here to take action!
About Us

Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) represents approximately 36,000 dues-paying corn growers and the interests of more than 300,000 farmers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its 48 affiliated state associations and checkoff organizations work together to help protect and advance corn growers' interests.
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U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance
Some of the board members of the new U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance were present at the kickoff Thursday morning in Kansas City.

Farmers, Ranchers Come Together in New Alliance

 

The National Corn Growers Association has joined nearly two dozen other national farmer- and rancher-led organizations to create the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, a broad-based effort to enhance U.S. consumer trust in modern food production that ensures the abundance of affordable, safe food.


"This is a historic collaboration of farmers and ranchers around a common cause, promoting our work to a public that has grown more distant from the farm," said NCGA President Bart Schott, a North Dakota corn farmer who serves as secretary of the USFRA executive committee. "We are proud to be involved in a leadership position in this effort and are looking forward to working with all interested parties who share our vision and values."

 

USFRA believes the actions of groups opposing today's agriculture have led a number of farm and ranch organizations to fund programs that bolster the image of agriculture and enhance public trust in our food supply. While these individual efforts have been helpful in answering some of the criticism, there is a growing need for all of agriculture to coordinate their messages and reach out even further to the consuming public through consumer influencers and thought leaders.


At this time, 23 different farmer- and rancher-led organizations - representing nearly all aspects of agriculture - have joined the alliance to pool resources. In addition to NCGA, these founding affiliates are the American Egg Board, the American Farm Bureau Federation, American National CattleWomen, American Sheep Industry, American Soybean Association, American Sugar Alliance, Beef Checkoff, Federation of State Beef Councils, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Cotton Council, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, Southern Peanut Producers Federation, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, U.S. Grains Council, United Egg Producers, United Fresh Produce Association, United Soybean Board, U.S. Soybean Federation and Western Growers.

 

Farmers Connect with Farm Media

Bart Schott interviewed.Officers of the National Corn Growers Association participated in more than 40 media interviews and spent time with members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting at its annual convention this week in Kansas City, Mo.

 

NCGA President Bart Schott found many connections between corn farmers and the media who cover them, and recognized their hard work in communicating the values of rural America.

"2010 has been quite a year for farmers and farm broadcasters," Schott said. "We are both dealing with industry consolidation and the pressure to do things differently. And although we're expected to do more, there are fewer of us to do it."

Among the topics covered in interviews by Schott, First Vice President Garry Niemeyer and CEO Rick Tolman were the 2010 corn crop, the importance of ethanol, the new U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, and the outcomes of the midterm elections.

NCGA Symposium Focuses on Ag Energy

 

A growing body of research on issues like international indirect land use change and carbon neutrality points to an improving environmental footprint for agriculture and its role in producing food, feed and fuel. Taking a look at these issues and the emerging science was the purpose of the National Corn Growers Association's Ag Energy Symposium, held Nov. 4 in Washington.

 

"Farmers are producing a growing volume of energy for this country in the form of corn-based ethanol, so the future of biomass and producing it sustainably is a critical issue for agriculture," said Bart Schott, NCGA president and a corn farmer in Kulm, N.D. "Our role will continue to grow, which is why National Corn Growers Association feels it is important to facilitate the kind of dialogue taking place at this symposium."

 

More than 100 research and policy experts, news media and representatives from environmental groups attended the meeting to assess the state of the biomass energy industry today and get a sense for the promise of the future.

 

"I don't know a single farmer who doesn't want to grow crops better and more sustainably each year and we are making significant progress," said NCGA Past President Fred Yoder, of Ohio, who served on the first panel at the symposium. "It takes 37 percent less energy to produce a bushel of corn today. There's more corn on fewer acres, so it's not food 'versus' fuel today but food 'and' fuel."

 

2010 Crop on Track to Meet All Needs

 

The 2010 U.S. corn crop is still on track to compete with previous years with both yield and production forecast to be the third-highest on record according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports released on November 9. With a projected surplus of 827 million bushels, this crop demonstrates that U.S. corn farmers will continue to meet all demands for food, feed, fuel and fiber.


In this report, USDA reduced production and yield estimates slightly to 12.5 billion bushels and 154.3 bushels per acre. These revisions follow previous adjustments made in the report released on October 8 that showed reductions of the estimated 2010 national average corn yield from 162.5 to 155.8 bushels per acre and overall corn production from 13.2 billion to 12.7 billion bushels. Projected yields in Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska were reduced the most substantially from October projections seeing seven, five and four bushel per acre declines respectively. Notably, Minnesota and Wisconsin are still on track to break previous state yield records.

The average farm price increased 20 cents per bushel over the October estimate, to $5.20 per bushel. A USDA announcement released on Sept. 30 reporting the U.S. carried an additional 322 million bushels of corn carried into this year tempers what could have been more severe increases.

 

Click here for more on these and other stories.


 

Corn Commentary

On NCGA's award-winning blog, Corn Commentary, we provide a personal Veterans Day salute to soldiers ... wonder why the Natural Resources Defense Council flip-flopped on ethanol and then has been so stubborn ... and fearlessly point out about how the groundwork is already being laid to expand Missouri's Proposiiton B to the livestock sector -- via the funny pages.