This fair season, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) hosted a virtual contest to give 4-H and FFA members an opportunity to showcase their show animals and the benefits of using corn in the feed ration.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into caring for livestock, and with many local, county and state fairs being canceled this year, we wanted to celebrate the hard work that goes into a fair season with this contest,” said NCGA Market Development Manager Michael Granché. “This was an opportunity to get the next generation of farmers and livestock producers to incorporate and learn about the benefits of a corn-fed diet.”
Three winners were selected based on social media engagement, photo quality and the post text. The first-place winner will win $300, second place will receive $200, and third place will get $100.
The following posts were the winners of the contest:
- First-Place: “Sheep love corn and find it very palatable. It covers their nutrient requirements for energy. However, you must acclimate them to corn slowly from a young age! #mycornfedbarn #babylambs”
- Second-Place: “Corn is a major energy feed fed to pigs. Pigs love to eat it. From eating corn, my pigs get so much energy we have to take them for walks. From birth to market, it’s all about the corn. #MyCornFedBarn”
- Third-Place: “Getting ready for the fair not only means growth from their mom's milk but good Nebraska corn. #MyCornFedBarn #FutureMilkingDoes”
To enter the contest, participants had to follow NCGA (@corngrowers) on Instagram, tag NCGA in the post and use the hashtag #MyCornFedBarn. Participants could enter a photo or video explaining why they use corn in their feed ration.
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.