NCGA Past President Inducted into Ohio Agricultural Association Hall of Fame

Today, National Corn Growers Association Past President Fred Yoder was inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Association Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed by the Ohio Agricultural Council. Yoder shared this prestigious honor with three other inductees also being recognized for committing their lives to working in, promoting and advocating for Ohio's farm community.

"We congratulate Fred with a strong sense of appreciation for the tireless work he has done on behalf of corn growers both in his home state and across the country," said NCGA President Bart Schott. "His dedication to agriculture is evident, and his continuous efforts benefit our industry as a whole."

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NCGA Seeks Members for Action Teams, Committees

The National Corn Growers Association is seeking applications from members interested in working on an NCGA action team or committee in the 2012 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. This service provides growers an opportunity to play an active role in shaping the future of their industry and to become a part of the national agricultural leadership community.

"As a grassroots organization, NCGA relies on its members to step forward and take an active role in developing the policies that will lead our industry forward," said NCGA First Vice President Garry Niemeyer. "This year, we have opportunities in every area the organization touches that will allow members to take their involvement to the next level while exploring in great depth the areas which interest them the most."

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Study Finds Beef, Dairy Farm Profits Rose Since RFS Expansion

Up-and-Coming Grower Leaders Get Taste of Leadership at its Best

Growers gathered in Minneapolis for the first session of the National Corn Growers Association's Leadership Academy, sponsored by Syngenta. Upon completion of the program in January, the participants will join more than 500 colleagues who have graduated from this program in the past 25 years.

At the meeting, participants got an up-close look at NCGA from President Bart Schott and First Vice President Garry Niemeyer, both of whom are Leadership Academy alumni. They also took part in media training and public speaking exercises as well as association management presentations. In addition, the class looked at the state of biotechnology, present challenges and opportunities for corn growers and enjoyed a comprehensive economic forecast from futurist Bob Treadway.

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At Symposium, NCGA CEO Focuses on Policy

This week, NCGA CEO Rick Tolman highlighted the ways in which the farm bill impacts U.S. corn growers as he addressed the 28th Annual International Sweetener Symposium in Stowe, Vt.

The program focused on overall farm policy while allowing attendees to explore related topics such as the U.S. and world supply and demand outlook and the effect of trade agreements on world sugar policies and U.S. commodity programs. Promoting an understanding of farm issues in the sweetener industry, Tolman covered several farm issues and recognized the importance of the sweetener industry and all of American agriculture working together.

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NCGA Comments on Guidance for Farm Vehicles

The National Corn Growers Association submitted comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regarding proposed guidance for operators of farm vehicles and off-road agricultural equipment.  NCGA President Bart Schott identified several areas of concern that could impact growers, including whether grain being transported from the farm to the local elevator should be defined as "interstate commerce."

"When it comes to the shipment of agricultural commodities, in most cases corn growers do not know the eventual destination of their crop, its ultimate use and whether portions might leave the state after being mixed with grain from other farmers," Schott said.  "If a broad definition of 'interstate commerce' is used, growers could be forced to obtain commercial drivers licenses for hauling their crop even short distances within state boundaries."

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Speaking of Science: Off the Cob Explores the New Genome Functionality Tool

NCGA's "Off the Cob" podcast series speaks with Dr. Jack Gardiner, the biologist selected to manage the NCGA-sponsored project developing software tools to be incorporated into the Maize Genetics and Genomics Database. In this position, Gardiner will work with software engineers and scientists to develop a tool that allows researchers to easily isolate and examine manageable data sets, thus decreasing the time and effort needed to utilize the massive amounts of genomic data on corn and produce results that will aid farmers.

"Not so long ago, when the National Corn Growers Association spearheaded the Maize Genome Sequencing initiative, a scientist spent 90 percent of his time conducting an experiment and 10 percent analyzing the results," said Gardiner. "Now, due to the complexity of the data, scientists spend about 10 percent of their time generating information and the remaining 90 percent sifting through that data and trying to make sense of it."

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To listen to this audio broadcast, click here. 

U.S. Grains Council Elects 2011/2012 Leadership

At the U.S. Grains Council's 51st Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in San Francisco last week, the Council delegate body elected its 2011/2012 leadership to serve on the Council's Board of Directors.

"We congratulate the new officers of the U.S. Grains Council and look forward to working with them to increase export opportunities for U.S. corn farmers," said National Corn Growers Association President Bart Schott. "NCGA and the Council have historically enjoyed a productive, successful relationship, and these new officers will help us continue this legacy. Through our work together, we can help ensure the U.S. corn industry has the opportunity to fully utilize its ability to provide food, feed, fuel and fiber to a growing global population."

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White House Council Established to Address Rural Policy

The new White House Rural Council, established by President Obama this summer, is the first entity of its kind to focus on policy initiatives for rural Americans. NCGA hopes that it will help residents in rural areas to see improved programs and services that provide the maximum benefit possible, thus creating vibrant communities that will help attract the next generation of farmers back to farming communities.

"Today, most farmers operate near rural communities suffering from above-average poverty rates and decreasing populations," said NCGA President Bart Schott. "We applaud this effort to bring opportunities back to our communities and revitalize the rural areas that have contributed so much to our country's heritage."

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Field Notes Provides On-Location Crop Assessments from Across the Country

NCGA's "Field Notes" podcast series this week visits with Maryland grower Chip Bowling, Kentucky grower Sam Hancock, Illinois grower Tom Martin and Minnesota grower DeVonna Zeug to get an on-the-ground assessment of the crop condition in comparison with the crop condition estimates released by the USDA in a report earlier this week.

Beginning in the east and heading westward, the farmers presented their views of the crop conditions personally witnessed over the past week. As the USDA does not include data on corn production in Maryland in this report, Bowling offered a glance into corn production on the Chesapeake Bay.

"We have seen many areas experiencing light, spotty rain in only small pockets," said Bowling. "While more rain could help our soy crop, the corn crop is already matured beyond that stage. If I were to guess, I would estimate my farm will yield about 120 bushels per acre."

To listen to the interview, click here.

For the entire report, click here.