Editorials

Jul 11, 2024

Author: Harold Wolle

Corn growers nationwide are facing rising input costs and sinking corn prices. Severe weather is compounding it for some, including me. And I want you to know your associations have your back in Washington, D.C. Indeed, the National Corn Growers Association and state corn grower leaders are pushing Washington to act on priorities important to you that have long been bottlenecked.   As part of these efforts, hundreds of corn growers from across the United States will convene in Washington next week to advocate for our industry, meeting with staff and officials on Capitol Hill and across federal agencies. Among our specific asks: Support passage of a robust farm bill that addresses our priorities this year. The farm bill and USDA programs are critical to growers on every front—particularly when it comes to developing markets and managing risks.   Pledge support for the Next Generation Fuels Act and pass legislation providing consumers with year-round E15. We also need ethanol...

Jul 10, 2024

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

As I recently sat in my car in 90-plus degree weather, blocked by traffic caused by the NATO meeting in Washington, my mind kept moving from song to song.   One minute, I was hearing the 1981 hit “Under Pressure” and the next I was thinking about Diamond Rio’s 1991 country tune “Meet in the Middle.”   One could argue that these songs were buzzing in my head because of the pressure of being stuck in traffic for over an hour during a heat wave. But I am convinced it had more to do with the political climate in Washington, which is highly partisan and continues to present one unprecedented event after another.   As of this writing, we have 52 legislative days left before either chamber of Congress adjourns for the year and one presidential campaign is on shaky footing after the debates while the other still reels from legal issues. Overall, the city is quickly moving into campaign overdrive with the upcoming Republican Convention. Besides the Presidential rat race and the...

Jun 6, 2024

Key Issues: Farm Bill

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

It’s summertime in the nation’s capital, and members of Congress appear to be solar-powered.   After a long impasse, there has finally been some movement to reauthorize the farm bill. The House Committee on Agriculture recently passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act by a vote of 33-21.   Getting to this point has been a long haul. Corn grower leaders testified in front of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees throughout 2022 and 2023, sharing the National Corn Growers Association’s position on the legislation. Grower advocates also took part in roundtables and listening sessions across the country.   While the farm bill was initially due for reauthorization last year, it has already been extended once as Congress debated and voted on government funding bills and sorted through House leadership issues.   But now, thanks to the hard work of House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Penn.), as well as committee members from both parties, we have...

May 17, 2024

Key Issues: Ethanol

Author: Harold Wolle, NCGA President

Up before the sun rises and into bed long after it sets, farmers are the lifeblood of America. Their commitment to nurturing, cultivating and reaping their harvests sustains the way of life for millions of individuals they will never meet.   Where our nation is today and where we are headed is deeply rooted in the agricultural industry. Specifically, corn farmers are feeding and fueling America through their economic contributions and sustainability efforts.   Strengthening the Economy   As one of the largest sectors in American agriculture, and the world’s largest producer and exporter of corn, our nation’s farmers bolster the economy and help build strong communities. Driving job creation and paying $2.6 trillion in wages, farmers plant and maintain more than 250 million acres of farmland across the country.   The U.S. Department of Agriculture supports these farmers, rural America, and consumers, through programs and policies set in the farm bill. Through the upcoming...

May 8, 2024

Key Issues: Trade

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

It’s an evening we all remember in the Washington office of the National Corn Growers Association and is now a familiar war story that is brought up often at our gatherings.   On a cold February night in 2023 as staff settled into their homes after a day at the office, our communications director sent an email around: “Please be advised, Mexico plans to ban all genetically modified white corn imports beginning tomorrow.”   The news came after a months-long campaign by NCGA to stop Mexico’s president from banning imports of genetically modified corn into his country. That evening, Pres. Andrés Manuel López Obrador decided to push back, and the Reuters Mexico City Bureau had received word from the National Palace that the ban on white corn, often used for food-grade products, was imminent.   The ban on these products from a country that is our number one customer was an ominous development, particularly for states, like Nebraska, that export large quantities of white...

Apr 17, 2024

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

Plots have thickened. Majorities have shrunk. The knives are out. It’s April in Washington but you would be forgiven for thinking it’s the Ides of March.   Much like Julius Caesar, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is fighting to survive the many political plots against him. In the speaker’s case, the daggers are metaphorical but no less threatening to the established order.   As of this writing, there are reports that momentum is growing to oust the speaker because he promised to consider legislation containing military aid for Israel and Ukraine, a move prompted by Iran’s recent missile and drone attacks on the Jewish state, a key American ally.   Speaker Johnson, like his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, has struggled to maintain control over a divided GOP House with a narrow majority. The resignations in late March of Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) have shrunk that majority even more and made the speaker’s job many times harder.   Speaker Johnson has...

Mar 15, 2024

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

March is an important month in Washington. It’s the month that Cherry Blossoms bloom to the delight of city residents and tourists alike, and many outdoor activities, such as marathons, take off, shutting down city streets on the weekends.   This month is also a time when congressional and administration officials begin to unveil their plans for the year ahead. We saw the beginnings of this on March 7, when President Biden gave his State of the Union speech. The president released his proposed federal budget for FY 2025 several days later, even as Congress and the administration are at an impasse on parts of this fiscal year’s budget.   If the tone and tenor of the president’s address and the Republican response to that address are any indication of what we should expect in the year ahead, we should all fasten our seatbelts because it is going to be a bumpy ride.   The president, who has trailed in polls against his opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, gave nothing...

Feb 14, 2024

Key Issues: Farm Bill

Author: Brooke S. Appleton

This is the best February since last February. That’s because, like this time last year, my beloved Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Like millions of Americans, I was glued to the television during the recent game. While some members of my family love to talk and engage in Monday morning quarterbacking during football games (my Mom even paces), I tend to watch silently and intently, assessing every strategic move the Chiefs and their opponents make. Strategy is critical to winning; whether it’s football games or the work my team and I do every day on the political field that is the nation’s capital. Just as a coach looks at old plays of the opposing team, we look at all the potential plays that could be used by the various interests in Washington as we work to advance the policies that are important to corn growers.   And, boy, do we have our work cut out for us this year, as there are enough moving parts and unprecedented events to make even Andy Reid and Travis Kelce...

Jan 29, 2024

Key Issues: Ethanol

Author: Neil Caskey

Article Published by RealClear Energy January 29, 2024   The winter months are well underway, bringing cooler weather and the excitement of a new year. This time serves as a reminder of the goals we’ve set in 2023, and the effort we’ve given to see them through.   There is one goal, however, that still needs our attention in 2024: securing a cleaner future for our nation. To move us forward in this pursuit, Congress must add prioritizing renewable fuels like ethanol to its list of new year’s resolutions.   Ethanol, made from corn produced by farmers throughout America, is a commonsense solution to enhancing U.S. energy security, providing price stability at the gas pump and supporting a more sustainable future. In fact, an analysis from the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory finds this renewable fuel results in up to 52% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.   Today, nearly every gallon of gasoline in the U.S. contains at least 10% ethanol, and by...

Jan 11, 2024

Author: Harold Wolle

I love this time of year, as it’s filled with family gatherings, enjoying the time-honored Minnesota pastime of ice fishing and planning for the planting season ahead.   As president of the National Corn Growers Association, I am also thinking about the advocacy work that is needed to better enable you to plant, grow, harvest and sell your crops. With major agricultural legislation pending in Congress, we have a real opportunity this year to Shape the Future.   Here is just a sampling of what we plan to tackle over the next 12 months:   Advocating for reauthorization of the Farm Bill. We will work closely with policymakers to ensure that a Farm Bill that includes all the priorities of corn growers is passed this year. Ensuring future ethanol demand. We are working to increase demand for ethanol by securing congressional support for the Next Generation Fuels Act and advocating for the use of ethanol in sustainable aviation fuel. Promoting free, fair and open trade....