In The News

May 25, 2023

Author: Bryan Goodman

The U.S. Supreme Court today handed a huge win to landowners, including farmers, in a case involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s jurisdiction over Waters of the United States, often referred to as WOTUS.    The National Corn Growers Association applauded the decision. “This sensible ruling preserves protections for our nation’s valuable water resources while providing clarity to farmers and others about the process of determining federal jurisdiction over wetlands,” said NCGA President Tom Haag. “This is a great day for corn growers.”   In the decision, the court narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction by clearly rejecting the vague "significant nexus test," upending the Biden administration’s overreaching WOTUS rule.   A 5-4 majority on the court issued an opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, that significantly narrowed the definition of adjacent wetlands, saying that to be adjacent and therefore a WOTUS, the wetland must have a continuous...

May 24, 2023

Key Issues: Sustainability

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

Farmers adopting cover crops through Farmers for Soil Health can look forward to enhanced technical assistance. The recent $13.6 million grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation mark a significant step forward for farmers who plan to enroll in the program later this year. The grants, a key component of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $95 million Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities, will offer personal, on-the-ground technical support to farmers in 19 states.   Farmers for Soil Health is a collaboration between the National Corn Growers Association, National Pork Board and United Soybean Board with the goal to advance conservation practices to improve soil health across the U.S., including doubling cover crop acres in the U.S. to 30 million acres by 2030.   “U.S. farmers are dedicated to implementing sustainable practices that will not only feed and fuel a growing population but also protect our environment,” said Jack Cornell, director of sustainable...

May 22, 2023

Author: Dusty Weis

In honor of Mental Health Month, we talk with a former grower who uses his past struggles with suicide to help others today.   The suicide rate among farmers is three and a half times higher than the general population. It’s a shocking statistic.   We’re losing good people, but we don’t have to.   From weather to markets, to prices, to the issues that come with a family business, farmers face a number of stressors that are unique to their occupation. And in rural America, suicide rates increased 46% from 2000-2020, compared to 27.3% in metro areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   So one of the National Corn Growers Association action teams is working with partners across the industry to spread the message that saying something could mean everything. In this episode, two of those partners share their stories and their expertise.   Jeff Ditzenberger is a former grower from southern Wisconsin who uses his past struggles with suicide to help...

May 19, 2023

Author: Bryan Goodman

Nicole Hasheider has been selected as the vice president of Marketing and Communications at the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). She will begin her new role on Monday. NCGA CEO Neil Caskey said Hasheider will help deliver on his vision for the organization. “I am thrilled that Nicole is assuming this leadership role, which is critically important to fulfilling the mission of the organization,” Caskey said. “Her extensive marketing experience and strategic mind will take NCGA to new heights.”   Hasheider, who previously served as NCGA’s director of Crop Inputs and Investor Relations, will manage the organization’s marketing and communications functions, member services and relationships with checkoff and industry investor partners. “I am excited to take on this new role and elevate the influence of America’s corn farmers and NCGA,” Hasheider said. “Our farmers have an incredible story to tell, and I look forward to working with them to share that narrative.”   With a...

May 18, 2023

Key Issues: Trade

Author: Bryan Goodman

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a groundbreaking ceremony today marking the beginning of repairs to a lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River that is crucial to the shipment of corn and other commodities.   Lock and Dam 25, which is almost 50 miles North of St. Louis, has not been extensively repaired since it was constructed in the early part of the 20th century, but thanks to decades of advocacy, funding for the project was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when it passed in 2021. Now, thanks to that federal funding, updates to the structure have begun. The Illinois Corn Growers Association, which has been at the forefront of advocating for updates to Lock and Dam 25, praised the development. “The Illinois Corn Growers Association and the diverse partners brought together by Waterways Council Inc. have worked tirelessly to update our inland waterways infrastructure for nearly three decades,” said  ICGA President Matt Rush. “Our hope is this will...

May 17, 2023

Key Issues: Ethanol

Author: Sue Schulte

Testifying at a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing on vehicle emissions rules and electric vehicle transition, Kansas Corn Growers Association CEO Josh Roe said biofuels like ethanol should not be ignored as a climate solution.   Roe told the subcommittee the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed standards for new vehicles limit greater use of low carbon liquid fuels like ethanol to help reach climate goals. EPA’s focus on electric vehicles ignores a solution that is available to nearly every vehicle on the road today.   “The agricultural and liquid fuels industries stand ready to assist in reducing air pollution. Unfortunately, current, and proposed EPA rules prevent us from being part of the solution and adversely impact low income and rural citizens across the United States,” Roe stated. “While we believe electric vehicles will play a vital role in achieving these goals, other complementary alternatives, such as biofuels, have a key role to play but are being pushed...

May 15, 2023

Key Issues: Ethanol

Author: Bryan Goodman

Legislation was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives that would remove an outdated provision from the Renewable Fuels Standard that prevents corn ethanol from being categorized as an advanced biofuel. The legislation recognizes the progress made in cutting the carbon intensity of ethanol since the RFS was enacted.   The bill, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and original cosponsors Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) and Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), would also require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency use the more modern and accurate Argonne GREET model to assess the carbon reductions from biofuels under the RFS.   The National Corn Growers Association supports the legislation.   “We applaud Rep. Miller-Meeks and the original cosponsors for introducing legislation that recognizes the declining carbon intensity of today’s low-carbon ethanol and helps level the playing field,” said NCGA...

May 11, 2023

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

There’s still time to apply for the third class of the NCGA Women and Mentors Program to be held in St. Louis on June 22-23. In addition to networking with other women committed to their success, participants learn how to quiet their inner critic, explore what they can learn from another woman’s leadership journey, and develop an action plan for their own mentorship journey. Each participant will leave the retreat with an action plan and mentorship pairing to help each other reach their goals.   In this third year of the program, participation is expanding to include a state, national, and industry staff component—creating a support network and a place for these women to discuss issues they face as women in a male-dominated industry.   Members of the new class will be welcomed to an ongoing quarterly virtual leadership lunch and learning sessions already underway with the prior year’s participants.   Do you know of any women looking for the next step in their leadership...

May 10, 2023

Key Issues: Sustainability

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

This April, state and national corn staff came together in Omaha, Nebraska for a biannual meeting addressing water quality topics.   Focus during these discussions included WOTUS, Farm Bill Title II priorities and Climate-Smart Commodity Grants.   "It is so meaningful for the work I do to come together with other states and share our successes, challenges and new ideas regarding these important topics," said Rachael Whitehair, director of innovation and stewardship for the Nebraska Corn Board.   The group also toured Midwest Laboratories and Valmont Industries, where they gained a deeper understanding of precisely how they run relevant testing for farmers and how irrigation pivots are made, respectively.   Importantly, the meeting provides a forum to share lessons learned from state policy efforts and innovative agricultural nutrients and water quality efforts. States attending included: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska....

May 9, 2023

Key Issues: Ethanol

Author: Bryan Goodman

A leader with the National Corn Growers Association today expressed serious concerns to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials regarding the limitations of the agency’s proposed vehicle emissions standards and highlighted how the agency could take greater advantage of higher ethanol blends as it finalizes standards for cars and light trucks.   The testimony came during a public hearing to review EPA’s proposed Multi-Pollutant Emission Standards for model years 2027-2032. NCGA Chairman Chris Edgington expressed frustration that EPA has only looked at one solution, electric vehicles, for lowering greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions.   “Unfortunately, EPA’s proposed multi-pollutant standards consider only one solution,” he said. “EPA’s proposal limits the ability of clean, low-carbon ethanol to contribute greater emission reductions and support affordable options.”   Edgington encouraged EPA to address the serious limitations of its proposal and work with NCGA to...

May 5, 2023

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

A committee of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) grower leaders announced the finalists for the 2023 NCGA Scholarship Programs. Twelve students will be awarded scholarships for the fall 2023 semester. NCGA is proud to support these programs in partnership with BASF Corporation.   “NCGA works to build a strong future for corn farmers in all programs. These scholarships provide an important investment in building tomorrow’s ag industry leaders and problem-solvers,” said NCGA Member and Consumer Engagement Action Team Chair Dan Nerud. “Given the number of quality applicants and the breadth of their talents, I am excited to see how these students will help shape the industry and find solutions that keep farms strong well into the next generation.”   Learn more about the program winners below and read their full bios.   Graduate Student Scholarship Winners: Maxwell Harman, Michigan State University Autumn Mclaughlin, University of Tennessee   William C. Berg...

May 2, 2023

Key Issues: Farm Bill

Author: Bryan Goodman

Corn growers are championing several priorities as Congress debates reauthorization of the farm bill with crop insurance protection being the top focus, a leader of the National Corn Growers Association said today in testimony before the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade.   “We strongly oppose any efforts to restrict producer access to crop insurance products and oppose harmful program cuts that would negatively impact crop insurance products, their delivery, or the sound structure of the program,” said NCGA First Vice President Harold Wolle. During the hearing, which was held to elicit producer perspectives on the farm safety net, Wolle testified that NCGA supports increasing the affordability of crop insurance coverage. “Many corn growers purchase endorsement policies and higher levels of buy up coverage, but for others, the individual costs of purchasing coverage can discourage higher levels of coverage,” he said.     Wolle also...

May 1, 2023

Author: Stacey Stiens

59 years young and still growing!  The 2023 National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC) opens today . . . and together, entrants will contribute their expertise and innovation to create a pool of agronomic knowledge that has been almost six decades in the making.    This year, the contest has added a Nitrogen Management class. This new pilot class is open to the first 100 entries from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio or Wisconsin.   “We intend to keep the existing contest as it is for as many years as growers are interested in participating. But I do think there is this desire to keep building on the contest and exploring new opportunities,” said NCGA Director of Crop Inputs and Investor Relations Nicole Hasheider in a recent interview with NAFB. “So, this is very much a pilot year for the nitrogen management class, but we really do see this and hopefully some other categories down the line becoming permanent fixtures of the contest, and opening up...