Tell Congress: Farm Bill Now

Farm Families Return to Washington with Educational Program This Summer

The nation's top crop and the farm families who grow it will return to the U.S. capital this summer for the fourth year in a row as part of the Corn Farmers Coalition educational program that debuts June 1, at Union Station, an important venue for reaching policymakers inside "The Beltway."

"Nine of the largest corn crops in U.S. history have been grown in the last decade by family farmers," said Jay Lynch, a fifth-generation farmer from Humboldt, Iowa. "Corn is incredibly versatile, and our ability to grow it so successfully has made huge contributions to our economy and balance of trade. When people hear of this increased productivity in conjunction with the rapid environmental improvements coming from our family farmers, it gives them an important perspective on this critical job."

Corn farmers from 14 states and the National Corn Growers Association are supporting the Corn Farmers Coalition program to introduce a foundation of facts seen as essential to decision making, rather than directly influencing legislation and regulation.

For the whole story, click here.

2012 Yield Contest Online Entry Now Available

NCGA opened online entry for the 2012 National Corn Yield Contest this week.  This format allows farmers to quickly and easily submit all necessary entry forms while taking advantage of the special early entry discount available until June 15.  With fees reduced to $80 until that time, NCGA reminds growers that a small time investment now saves money later this summer.

"The online entry option makes taking advantage of the early entry discount easier than ever," said NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team Chair Dean Taylor. "We have seen many consecutive years of significant contest growth.  With favorable conditions across much of the country, I encourage members to take advantage of the discount, use the easy online form and become a part of the contest.  Also, I encourage non-members to explore the many benefits that NCGA members enjoy and consider joining both the association and entering the contest."

To enter today using the online form, click here.  For access to additional contest information, rules and forms, click here.  

For the whole story, click here.

Indiana Corn Marketing Council Welcomes 2012 CUTC Attendees, Offers Great Gift

With the 2012 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference rapidly approaching, NCGA's Off the Cob podcast series spoke with Indiana Corn Marketing Council Secretary Gary Lamie, one of the event's platinum sponsors.  Lamie welcomed attendees to his home state and invited them to attend the Amazing Maize exhibit at the Indiana State Museum. 

"Those of us on the boards of the Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Corn Marketing Council are very proud to have the CUTC here in our home state," said Lamie. "We are really looking forward to attending the event."

Opening June 4, the conference is quickly approaching, and many attendees are gearing up for the array of educational and networking opportunities that it offers.

To listen to the full interview, click here.

For the whole story, click here.

Improved Website Promotes National Agricultural Genotyping Center

NCGA proudly launched a redesigned version of the National Agricultural Genotyping Center website earlier this week.  The site, which features more intuitive navigation and a more pleasing visual layout, offers an abundance of information on the project, the partners involved in the center and many resources for those interested in its work.

"We believe strongly in the mission of the National Agricultural Genotyping Center and hope to promote the concept, its benefits and to better explain the reason for its creation through the site," said NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team Chair DeVonna Zeug.  "In furthering the science behind improved corn varieties in a way that is available to a larger pool of researchers, NCGA ensures that the most innovative, effective solutions reach farmers' fields in an efficient, responsible manner."

The website clearly defines NAGC's mission, to which Zeug referred, as translating scientific discoveries into solutions for production agriculture, food safety, bioenergy and national security.  The idea for the center came about in response to a growing need for high-throughput genotyping services within U.S. agricultural research, food production and safety testing.

For the whole story, click here.

Atrazine Lawsuit Settlement Affirms Safety of the Herbicide

The settlement of a lawsuit against Syngenta related to the herbicide Atrazine ensures that corn farmers who depend on the important product continue to farm efficiently and safely, the National Corn Growers Association said.  While NCGA is concerned about the longer term impacts of unmerited class-action lawsuits against agricultural production, it is important that this case was resolved with an acknowledgement of the safety of atrazine.

"We're relieved that a settlement has been reached that will allow our farmer members to use this proven and safe tool on their farms," said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer. "Atrazine safety has been verified by thousands of studies and numerous reviews by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and we're happy to have this nuisance lawsuit behind us so our growers can move forward and do what they do best - help feed and fuel the world, sustainably."

According to the settlement, the scientific evidence continues to make it clear that no one ever has or ever could be exposed to enough atrazine in water to affect their health when the product is used according to its label. The plaintiffs acknowledge that they have not commissioned and are not aware of any new scientific studies relating to the safety of atrazine. In addition, Syngenta reports that the cost of the settlement to the company is $105 million. According to local news, lawyers for the plaintiffs are expected to receive $35 million of this settlement.

Report Finds Biotechnology Benefits Environment, Economies

Both the farmers and citizens of countries using biotechnology reap considerable economic and environmental benefits, according to a study released this week by PG Economics Limited.  Spanning 15 years, the report documents important gains in production, improved incomes and reduced risk for farmers.

"The environment in user countries is benefiting from farmers using more benign herbicides or replacing insecticide use with insect-resistant GM crops," said Graham Brookes, one of the study's authors. "The reduction in pesticide spraying and the switch to no till cropping systems is also resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of these benefits are found in developing countries."

Looking at the farm-level impact on socio-economic and environmental factors beginning in 1996, the year in which crop varieties developed through biotechnology became commercially available, the researchers found that use of this technology consistently produced benefits for farmers, including those in developing nations.

For the whole story, click here.

For the full report, click here.

Corn Planting Nears Completion

The 2012 planting season is almost over, with 96 percent of U.S. corn acres already planted, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released late Monday.  In addition, the report indicated that the crop appears to be progressing well with 76 percent of corn acres emerged and 77 percent of the crop in good to excellent condition.

 "This year, it seems that every week that passes brings additional indicators that, if the corn crop stays on course, we will see an unparalleled harvest this fall," said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer.  "Farmers persevered through difficult weather conditions for two years.  This year, we hope that the weather will provide us with the opportunity to provide an abundance of corn for food, feed, fuel and fiber that will exceed even the growing global demand."

For today's full crop progress report, click here.

For the whole story, click here.

OUR VIEW

Our View: A Winning Ethanol Program

By Garry Niemeyer, President, National Corn Growers Association

In late 2010, with our support, NASCAR announced it was switching to a 15 percent ethanol blend in all races starting with the 2011 season. We at the National Corn Growers Association and our allies in the ethanol industry saw a tremendous opportunity to spotlight the importance of ethanol and the E15 blend. With the second year of racing well underway, it is clear that the American Ethanol NASCAR program has been highly successful.

Just consider that more than one quarter of the U.S. population - 80 million people - are NASCAR fans. The American Ethanol partnership is the first program we've been involved in with our state affiliates that has a reach of this magnitude.

Each week, NASCAR fans are exposed to positive ethanol promotions: American Ethanol fuel for every race, American Ethanol on every green flag and fuel port and American Ethanol in the winner's circle. American Ethanol drivers and cars on the track, in-car cameras and "fast facts" on television, and high profile at-track promotions serve to round out the promotions.

For the full article, click here.

FIELD NOTES

In the following articles, the National Corn Growers Association continues the second season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.

Hancock Reports on Kentucky's Hot, Dry May

Today, Field Notes checks in with Sam Hancock, an eighth-generation farmer in Fulton, Ky., who was featured in the first season of the series.  While he was optimistic during the first interview of the season due to favorable weather conditions in April that allowed for early planting, a hot, dry May could damage his corn crop if his area does not see rain in the next week.

"We are in unusually bad shape for this time of year," Hancock explained. "May is usually our wettest month, but I think that we have only had two-tenths of an inch of rain so far. The corn is looking really rough, and our seed rep said that we only have about a week left to get rain on it until there will be damage done that cannot be repaired by later rains. There isn't much of a chance of that happening in the forecast, but we are really hoping."

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Field Notes meets with Billy Thiel, a farmer from Marshall, Mo., who was featured in last year's Corn Farmers Coalition campaign.  Through his work with this program, the National Corn Growers Association and the Missouri Corn Growers Association, Thiel gives back to the industry he loves through his efforts to educate legislators.

During the interview, Thiel's tractor hummed along through the fields planting soybeans.  The technology incorporated into his operation, including GPS auto-track and precision planting, allow him to minimize farm inputs.

To listen to the audio interview, click here.

Field Notes meets with Donna Jeschke, a grain farmer whose corn and soybean farm is typical of those in her area of Northern Illinois. Yet, while Jeschke's farm may be quite like those around it, her intense involvement in the state and national issues affecting agriculture makes her, personally, quite an extraordinary farmer.

Like many farms across the country, farming is a family affair for Jeschke.

"I farm together with my husband, and my brother and sister-in-law," Jeschke explained. "Their son, my nephew, is starting to get more involved in the farm. Our son is as well. While both boys do have full-time off farm jobs too, I really think that our nephew will be the one who takes it over some day."

To listen to the audio interview, click here.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers who have opened their farms, families and communities up this year and meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.