Farming is a Way of Life, Not a 'System'

National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson, a sixth-generation family farmer in Floyd, Iowa, sent the following response to ScientificAmerican.com after an article on corn farming by Jonathan Foley. 

By Pam Johnson

As a farmer, one of the many whom Jonathan Foley regards as "the hardest working people in America" and as "pillars of their communities," I would like to speak out about how today's corn farmers, their trade associations and others whom Foley has vilified have not only rethought the so-called "corn system," but are continually improving it. Thanks to technology in the tractor and on the field, and smart agronomic practices like conservation tillage, things are only getting better. Here are a few thoughts from my field:

Versatility. Foley talks about the versatility of corn, and he's right. It's now in thousands of products. While some people don't like that, it makes perfect sense that we can produce a grain every year that meets all these needs. Farming is not just about food. It provides the cotton and leather for clothing and the wood for housing and paper. And, yes, it provides field corn for fabrics and fuels as well as food and feed.

For the full response, click here.

Click here for Foley's original article. 

2012 Facts and Figures in New World of Corn

While U.S. corn farmers faced the worst drought in decades in 2012, they managed to produce the eighth largest crop on record (10.78 billion bushels), NCGA reports in its newest edition of the World of Corn, which is co-sponsored by Monsanto. This statistical look at the corn industry, both domestic and worldwide, features a wide array of information on corn production and usage along with insight into the many ways in which corn touches our lives every day.

"Corn is part of who we are as Americans," NCGA President Pam Johnson and Chief Executive Officer Rick Tolman note in the introduction. "From the first tall, leafy stalk domesticated by early Americans to the cutting-edge varieties that help our nation's most widely grown crop thrive today, corn feeds innovation and fuels our economy."

To explore the World of Corn online, click here.

For the whole story, click here.

Growers Break Records Again at 2013 Commodity Classic

Attendance records continue to be broken at Commodity Classic. This year, record attendance totaled 6,214, including a record number of 3,324 corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers. There were also 1,078 first-time non-exhibitor attendees, another record set.

"By the growth of attendance at Commodity Classic, it's clear that farmers are seeing the advantage of coming to this great show," said Classic Co-Chair Bob Worth. "The quality of the trade show and all of the educational opportunities makes attendees happy to come back year after year, and invite their neighbors and friends."

For the whole story, click here.

NCGA Praises Choice for EPA Administrator

National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson congratulated Gina McCarthy on her nomination as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as announced today by President Obama.

"We appreciated working with Assistant Administrator McCarthy over the past few years in her role as head of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, which was responsible for the approval of the E15 ethanol blend fuel option in 2012. We look forward to working closely with her and her team on ethanol and other issues that come before the agency."

Corn Yield Contest Now Offers Yield-Increasing Tips from Top Growers

NCGA released a video offering tops from perennial high-yield entrants of the National Corn Yield Contest during a breakfast at Commodity Classic honoring the state winners of the 2012 contest. The new video, which accompanies the traditional online NCYC Guide sponsored by BASF, John Deere and Dow Agrosciences, offers farmers across the country a chance to apply the tips learned through the contest to their own operations to improve their yields and their bottom line.

To view the video, click here.

For the whole story, click here.

Ethanol, Farm Bill Front-and-Center for Corn Growers

Delegates to the National Corn Growers Association's Corn Congress policy meeting and corn growers elsewhere during the 2013 Commodity Classic last week talked up the importance of defending the Renewable Fuel Standard and getting a smart and strong five-year farm bill passed this year after the numerous delays of 2012.

At a time when corn yields are still rising strong, the importance of protecting a growing market like ethanol is paramount to corn farmers. Despite the drought last year, for example, more corn growers than ever before had yields of 300 or higher on the National Corn Yield Contest, demonstrating that all markets - livestock feed, exports, and others as well as ethanol - will be important to the organization

For the whole story, click here.

U.S. Trade Pacts with Panama and Colombia Begin to Yield Benefits

Implementations of U.S. free trade agreements in Latin America contributed to an increase of U.S. exports to the region by 9.3 percent in 2012, lowering the U.S. trade deficit by 24.7 percent, according to an article in Latinvex, a Latin American business journal. Currently, the 11 Latin American countries involved in the two regional and three bilateral FTAs with the United States account for nearly 80 percent of the country's trade with this region.

"The National Corn Growers Association has a long history of promoting export growth by working collaboratively with the U.S. Grains Council," said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman, a corn farmer from Wisconsin. "On our end, we continually work to promote the trade policies that open markets for U.S. corn exports and support the strong agricultural exports which help our overall economy reduce its trade deficits. USGC makes the most of these opportunities by fostering export growth abroad. Here, we see again how effective this approach can be."

For the whole story, click here.

Scientists Offer Parents, School Officials Clarity on Sweetener Questions

As the debate over childhood nutrition gains prominence in national discourse, scientists are weighing in with the truth about high fructose corn syrup through a new report,What School Officials and Parents Should Know about High Fructose Corn Syrup.

The document compiles opinions from respected academics and medical professionals on a variety of common concerns about the sweetener, including perceived links between its consumption and obesity, diabetes and attention deficit disorder. While the experts address a broad array of topics, one common theme becomes clear: Sugar is nutritionally and metabolically the same, whether it comes from corn, cane or beet.

To view the report in its entirety, click here.

For the whole story, click here.