2013 Yield Contest Online Entry Now Available

The National Corn Growers Association has opened online entry for the 2013 National Corn Yield Contest. The online 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. "As planting season gets underway in many parts 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.

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CommonGround Brings Story of Farming to Homes across the Country

This week, CommonGround volunteers Kristin Reese and LaVelle Winsor took the story of American farming, their story, to people across the country through a series of interviews with blogs and television and radio stations. Answering questions on issues such as organic foods and biotechnology, Reese and Winsor opened the barn doors, offering themselves and their fellow CommonGround volunteers as a resource for consumers with questions about where their food comes from and how it is grown.

"It is natural for people who aren't involved in the raising or growing of their food to have questions about how that is done," said Reese, who farms in Ohio. "What I want to do, along with my fellow volunteers, is start a conversation with people who have these types of questions so that we can share and learn from one another. No one should have to fear their food, but if someone has concerns, we are there to share our experience as farmers."

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NCGA, ASA Host Forum on Grain and Oilseed Value Chain Collaboration

The National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association convened key industry stakeholders to continue a dialogue on ways to improve cooperation and communication on biotechnology and trade issues. The discussions highlighted a broad array of opportunities to establish improved, more transparent communication regarding issues that potentially threaten the development, production or delivery of products derived from modern crop biotechnology.

"We are encouraged that all parts of the biotech value chain are committed to cooperative discussions that ensure growers have the tools they need to deliver a reliable product that meets our customers' needs," said NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman.

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EPA Tier 3 Recommendations Push for Cleaner Air, Create Opportunity 

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the proposed "Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles: Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards" as an update to the Tier 2 fuel emission regulations released in 2000. These standards increase the level of stringency with which vehicle emissions are regulated with the goal of decreasing air pollution. While these more stringent regulations on sulfur, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter innately benefit Americans by providing cleaner air, they also represent an opportunity to increase the use of renewable, high-octane ethanol.

"While no one is sure at this point of every implication and ramification of the Tier 3 recommendations, farmers have always understood the importance of clean air, clean land and clean water," said NCGA Ethanol Committee Chair Chad Willis. "Ethanol offers a variety of benefits to America, from increasing the octane in fuel to helping reduce air pollution. We hope that, as we work toward a greener tomorrow, the renewable, sustainable nature of this domestically-produced fuel is not overlooked."

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NCGA, 25x'25 Help Producers Adapt to a Changing Climate

The 25x'25 Alliance, of which NCGA is a member, issued a report offering recommendations that will enable the U.S. agriculture and forestry sectors to meet the challenges posed by increasingly variable and unpredictable weather. Through this report, 25x'25 aims to help our nation's agriculture and forestry industries not only meet tomorrow's challenges, but also thrive in the midst of them.

"These are recommendations that mitigate risks posed by changes in our climate while strengthening production, cutting input costs and improving the quality of the land - even in the context of weather-related disasters like those experienced in 2011 and 2012," said Work Group Chairman, Steering Committee Member and NCGA Past President Fred Yoder. "This document offers producers, foresters and policy makers various pathways in the areas of research, production systems, risk management, decision tools and outreach for building a more resilient ag and forestry system."

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USGC Export Cargo Report Indicates Good US Corn Quality

The U.S. Grains Council, of which the National Corn Growers Association is a founding member, released the second annual USGC Corn Export Cargo Quality Report yesterday. Despite the severe drought in 2012 that reduced the projected size of the U.S. corn crop, testing indicated the 2012 crop was superior in quality across a number of key variables to the U.S. 2011 harvest, which was already a high quality crop.

"The National Corn Growers Association is extremely pleased with the findings of this report and, as farmers, we are pleased to be able to offer a quality crop," said NCGA President Pam Johnson. "As a founding member of USGC, NCGA supports efforts like this report because we understand the importance of sharing accurate, current information with our customers. U.S. corn farmers have a great story to tell. Despite enduring the worst drought in five decades, we have produced one of the ten largest corn crops on record and continued our commitment to improving the quality of the corn we grow."

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