NCGA Membership Now Tops 40,000

Membership in the National Corn Growers Association now surpasses the 40,000 mark, the organization announced today, signaling deep and continued support for the 56-year-old national agriculture association. As of July 31, membership in NCGA stands at 40,157.

"We're thrilled at what this new milestone means and we salute the hard work of our membership recruiters, state and national staff, and all who have helped build this into such a respected and strong grassroots association," said NCGA President Pam Johnson, a farmer in Floyd, Iowa. "At a time when many associations struggle to maintain strong member numbers and there are so many pressing issues on the table, our growing membership means a louder voice in our nation's capital, standing up for corn farmers throughout our nation."

Johnson credits the rise to the importance of some seriously debated issues in Washington, especially the delayed farm bill and attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard for ethanol, which represents an important market for corn farmers. At the same time it fights for ethanol, with programs like American Ethanol Racing and Fuels America, NCGA involvement in other ag programs, such as the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, CommonGround and the new GMO Answers, help drive home how important feed-and-food issues are to its grower membership.

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Off the Cob Discusses Membership Milestone with GSAT Chair Hunnicutt

Off the Cob sat down this week with NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt, a farmer from Nebraska, to discuss why the association continues to grow.

"There are many reasons that NCGA continues to grow its membership," Hunnicutt explained. "First, we have a great stable of benefits, which is something that a lot of people look at when they consider joining an organization. More importantly, I think that we have a strong organization that is looking out for the best interests of America's corn farmers. Farmers realize that this is something that we need to be a part of. We realize that we don't have the resources some organizations do or that some of our opponents do, but we have something more important - we have the voices of America's corn farmers."

To listen to the full interview, click here.

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

Growers gathered in Minneapolis, Minn. this week for the first session of the NCGA Leadership Academy, co-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 27 years.

At the meeting, participants got up-close look at NCGA from President Pam Johnson, who is also a Leadership Academy alumnae. Fellow alumnus and NCGA First Vice President Elect Chip Bowling provided an insightful examination of the main issues facing the association, and the nation's corn farmers, today.

The farmers attending took part in media training and public speaking exercises as well as association management skill building. In addition, the class enjoyed a look at the future trends that will impact the industry and a comprehensive economic forecast given by futurist Bob Treadway.

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GMO Answers Begins New Dialogue about How Food is Grown

It's no secret: the biotechnology industry hasn't done the best job communicating about GMOs. That's about to change with GMO Answers, a new joint initiative by the agricultural and biotechnology companies that create genetically modified seeds, now endorsed by the National Corn Growers Association. The GMOAnswers.com website is a new resource committed to transparency about the use of GMOs in agriculture, research and data - all in one public place for the first time.

"As corn farmers, we recognize the important role biotechnology plays in providing healthy food choices for all," said NCGA President Johnson. "At the same time, we witness first-hand groundless attacks on biotechnology by extremists, and a deeper public interest in sincerely learning more about GMOs. GMO Answers goes a long way in helping today's families understand today's agriculture."

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The National Corn Growers Association has launched its third 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.

Today, Field Notes checks in with Missouri farmer Rob Korff to find out how about the condition of his corn crop. With the growing season well underway, Korff finds the corn to be in good condition but worries about how an early frost might impact its maturation.

"This year, we have had cooler temperatures and sporadic rains. Sometimes we have had more rain than others but, overall, the corn crop is in pretty good shape," Korff explained. "It is coming along about three to four weeks later than normal. This means we do have a potential for an early frost when we would still need some more heat units to finish the crop out, but we aren't in too bad a shape. Things are a lot better than they were last year."

Korff went on to explain precisely what farmers mean when they refer to heat units, a term commonly used by those in agriculture.

"Corn maturity moves along relative to the number of heat units," said Korff. "Heat units help describe how the conditions for growth are on a certain day. We need temperatures with an average mean of over 75 or 80 degrees to mature the corn crop. If the temperatures cool off, the corn development slows down. Right now, we need those heat units to mature the crop at the right time, before the winter gets here."

To listen to the full interview with Korff, 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.