American Ethanol Enhances Sponsorship of Richard Childress Racing with Driver Austin Dillon in 2013

American Ethanol announced its plans to enhance its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and driver Austin Dillon for the 2013 NASCAR® season. Dillon will race the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ at Michigan International Speedway on June 16 and will drive a RCR-fielded entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ at Eldora Speedway on July 24 with an American Ethanol paint scheme. The National Corn Growers Association is a proud partner in this effort.

"We want to show the people coast-to-coast there is a great alternative to imported oil and our association with NASCAR and RCR is doing that extremely well," said Jon Holzfaster, a Paxton, NE farmer and chairman of the National Corn Growers Association's NASCAR Advisory Committee. "Ethanol is also responsible for bringing a rural renaissance from Main Street to the family farm."

American Ethanol will be an associate sponsor of Dillon's No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Honey Nut Cheerios No. 33 car in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. This will kick off a season-long campaign in which Dillon plans to battle for the 2013 Driver's Title after earning Rookie-of-the-Year honors and finishing third in the final Driver's Championship Point Standings in 2012.

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Deliver Keynote Address at Commodity Classic

For the fourth straight year, farmers and other attendees to Commodity Classic will have the opportunity to welcome U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to the annual convention and trade show for corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers. The secretary will deliver a keynote address to an expected crowd of more than 6,000 during the event's General Session, to be held March 1 in Kissimmee, Fla.

"Secretary Vilsack has been a steadfast supporter of agriculture, and it is an honor to welcome him once again to Commodity Classic as he begins his second term," National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson said. "Agriculture will be facing many important topics over the next year including a new farm bill, expanded trade and the federal budget. We look forward to hearing the secretary's remarks on these and other issues."

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New 2012 National Corn Yield Contest Guide Available Online!

The National Corn Growers Association has released its 2012 National Corn Yield Contest Guide online, providing an online look at the winner profiles and yield boosting tips that will hit many farmers' mailboxes in the mid-February issue of The Progressive Farmer. With a personal message from NCGA President Pam Johnson and a look at the lessons contest winners took away from the 2012 drought, this edition of the annual publication provides the detailed contest information, insightful articles and exciting updates upon which farmers have come to rely.

This year, the format of the online edition has been updated to take advantage of interactive technology and provide a richer experience. Incorporating a search function and easy-share options, the 2012 online guide allows readers to customize their experience and delve more deeply into enhanced content.

To view the full guide, click here.

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Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

While trade talks between the United States and European Union have yet to begin, the National Corn Growers Association, along with many other agricultural trade associations and members of Congress, are working to ensure U.S. agricultural interests receive proper attention in any final agreement. For NCGA members, the most obvious challenge is approval of corn and corn products derived through biotechnology. The EU is a market that holds great potential, however, that potential is often overshadowed by delays in approvals and regulatory decisions dictated by political pressure and not science-based evaluations.

"Completing a comprehensive trade agreement with the European Union has gained national attention, and we want to reassure farmers that NCGA is raising the concerns of America's corn farmers with our trade negotiators," said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman. "Improving our country's trade ties with the EU can mean more jobs and economic opportunities here at home. We are encouraged that our negotiators want to take advantage of this historic opportunity to expand markets for U.S. farmers and ranchers and to tear down barriers which currently impede our agricultural exports."

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USGC Meeting Highlights United Effort Required to Sustain Export Market Development Programs

More than 200 delegates attended the U.S. Grains Council's 10th International Marketing Conference and 53rd Annual Membership Meeting in Charleston, S.C., last week. There, attendees, including leadership from the National Corn Growers Association, reviewed strategies and opportunities for competing in the rapidly changing global marketplace.

"Coordination is essential to best leveraging the checkoff dollars entrusted to us," said NCGA President Pam Johnson. "The programs run by NCGA and USGC complement one another in many ways with the Council engaging in valuable projects overseas to cultivate markets for U.S. corn while NCGA works back home to push for government policies and production strategies that benefit our farmers."

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