Engaging with and continuing to build new relationships is a key priority for building and increasing demand for corn. Earlier this month, members of the Feed, Food and Industrial Action Team (FFIAT) traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with representatives from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service; USDA Rural Development, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA).
“Having conversations with government entities like the Department of Energy is a great way for us to start the conversation and help educate the agency on the uses of corn, annual carryout and the value of corn as a feedstock,” said FFIAT Chair and Nebraska farmer Dan Wesley. “There are a lot of potential opportunities where we could work together with these agencies and engaging in conversation and opening the dialogue was a great first step.”
These meetings served as an avenue for sharing mutual priorities and next steps for the Feed, Food and Industrial Action Team to consider as they seek to identify and foster new corn and corn-based product demand within the bio-based products industry. FFIAT members Dan Wesley, Terry Smith and Mike Berget attended the meetings. NCGA Market Development Director Sarah McKay and Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager Sarah Doese as well as BioCognito’s Nathan Danielson.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
