Less Than Two Weeks Remain Until Crucial Corn Yield Contest Deadline
Less than two weeks remain for growers participating in the 2010 National Corn Yield Contest to complete the necessary harvest forms. The National Corn Growers Association reminds entrants that the online harvest form can help speed up their reporting of corn harvest information as the crucial Dec. 1 deadline approaches.
"Given the excellent harvest conditions across most of the country, making the December 1 deadline should be easy for most growers," said Steve Ebke, chairman of the NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team. "The National Corn Yield Contest plays a significant role in recognizing excellence and finding new, more productive techniques. We hope that growers continue to support the contest by seeing their entry through and submitting their completed harvest data forms."
The National Corn Yield Contest is in its 46th year and remains NCGA's most popular program for members. With 7,119 entries, the 2010 NCGA National Corn Yield Contest set a new participation record again this year. The 2009 contest received a then-record number of entries with 6,958 participants.
Winners will receive national recognition in publications such as the NCYC Corn Yield Guide, as well as cash trips or other awards from participating sponsoring seed, chemical and crop protection companies. In Tampa, Fla. during the 2011 Commodity Classic, state winners will be presented awards at the NCYC Breakfast and national winners will receive awards at the Awards Banquet.
Click here 2010 National Corn Yield Contest Harvest Form, PDF
Click here 2010 National Corn Yield Contest Online Harvest Form
Click here for more information on the National Corn Yield Contest.
It is a requirement that all Initial Harvest Report Forms and any corresponding Recheck Harvest Report Forms must be printed and saved when the user is prompted. There is no exception to the required mailing of all harvest report forms to NCGA with proper documentation attached, including the weight ticket. Forms and other required documentation must be sent by mail to NCGA, and postmarked no later than seven days after the final yield check, or by Dec. 1, whichever is earlier. See complete rules for details.
Commodity Classic Registration Open!
Online registration for the 2011 Commodity Classic opens at 12:00 noon CST today, Nov. 17. Space is limited and hotel rooms are sure to go fast. In addition to booking a room, attendees need to register for Commodity Classic in order to attend the trade show and take advantage of educational sessions, banquets and entertainment events. The 2011 Commodity Classic will be held March 3-5 in Tampa, Fla.
Commodity Classic is the premier convention and trade show of the U.S. corn, soybean, sorghum and wheat industries. Last year's trade show featured 816 booths that were visited by 4,330 attendees, including 132 of the nation's leading media contacts. Represented in the attendance were approximately 3.5 million American crop acres and more than 1,500 farming families.
This year's General Session will be emceed by "The Corporate Comedian" Mark Mayfield and feature entertainer Frank Miles' special mix of magic and inspirational messages. Chart topping Little River Band will take the stage on Saturday night March 5 at The Evening of Entertainment performance.
To register and make hotel reservations, visit www.commodityclassic.com.
Corn Farmers Coalition Recognized for Excellence
A series of radio advertisements from the Corn Farmers Coalition, a project of the National Corn Growers Association and many of its state affiliates, was honored by the National Association of Farm Broadcasting with the Herb Plambeck Award for Creative Excellence.
"The Corn Farmers Coalition began as a project of several of our state organizations to educate Washington policymakers about the value of today's corn farmers," NCGA President Bart Schott said. He was on hand to pick up the honor at NAFB's annual awards banquet Thursday evening. "Our states worked very hard to develop and expand a well-conceived and powerful program in 2009 and 2010, and the coming year brings many more opportunities to make sure those who influence legislation and regulation are informed about what we do."
For this story in its entirety, please click here.
Farm Policy and Obesity in the United States
An Occasional Series Spotlighting Pertinent Research
Writing in the current issue of Choices, a publication of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, Dr. Julian Alston and others tackle the subject of farm policy and obesity - and how much of a connection there is, or is not, between the two. Alston is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis, and a member of the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.
"Many commentators-including prominent economists, nutritionists, journalists, and politicians-have claimed that American farm subsidies have contributed significantly to the "obesity epidemic" by making fattening foods relatively cheap and abundant, and that reducing these subsidies will go a long way towards solving the problem.
"These commentators often treat the issue as self-evident, and do not present either details on the mechanism by which farm subsidies are supposed to affect obesity, or evidence about the size of the likely impact. In this article we examine the consequences of U.S. farm subsidies-including indirect subsidies provided by trade barriers as well as direct subsidies-for prices of farm commodities and thus food products and caloric consumption patterns in the United States.
For this article in its entirety, please click here.
Ethanol, Ag Leaders Urge Extension of Key Tax Policies
Tens of thousands of jobs could be a stake if Congress fails to extend key ethanol tax incentives in the lame duck session warned a group of leading ethanol and agriculture advocates in a letter to House and Senate leadership.
Writing today to Congressional leaders ahead of their scheduled White House visit Thursday, the National Corn Growers Association, along with the Renewable Fuels Association, the American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Sorghum Producers, encouraged them to extend and/or address three key ethanol-related tax policies. These policies include: extension of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), extension of the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Credit, and broaden the definition of the cellulosic ethanol producer tax credit to include additional feedstocks like algae.
"The ethanol industry has been an essential component of our nation's effort to achieve energy security and improve our environment," the groups wrote. "The volumes of ethanol produced domestically have been uniquely successful in reducing our dependence on foreign, imported oil, and have helped to reduce our nation's emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. In addition, the ethanol industry has helped to revitalize our nation's rural and farm economies by providing a value added market for agriculture, and supported the creation of hundreds of thousands of non-exportable, high-paying green jobs."
For the entire letter, please click here.
NCGA Showcases U.S. Sustainability, Urges Ag Advocacy
National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman took the sustainability story to the annual National American Agri-Women Conference held last week in St. Louis. The group, a coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women's organizations, looked at sustainability from a variety of standpoints during a panel discussion featuring representatives from industry, academia and marketing organizations. Exploring the factors used to determine sustainability, Tolman provided insight into the already sustainable but consistently improving state of U.S. agriculture.
Tolman began his presentation noting that many groups with agendas well outside of the mainstream are currently working to redefine the concept of sustainability in ways that would favor certain production techniques. In reality, he continued, the concept of sustainability does not logically dictate a certain practice but instead a set of outcomes.
For this story in its entirety, please click here.
