Category Archives: Corn

Shoot It Straight Video Contest

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VideoLights, Camera, Action! The Illinois Corn Growers Association is calling on all students to channel their “inner Spielberg” and create a video highlighting agriculture. All high school and college students are eligible to submit a short video (2 minutes or less) into the Shoot it Straight Video Contest.

Sponsors will be looking for a fresh, original and convincing approach that persuades the viewer of the positive impact agriculture has on the state of Illinois, the United States and the world. All types of videos are welcome; show us your serious newscaster side or make us laugh, just remember to be positive in tone and highlight agriculture (extra points for emphasis on corn!). Video should be in one of the following categories: ethanol and the environment, locks and dams and exports, farmer imaging, nutrients/regulations, or other.

Completed application must be received no later than 11:59 PM on August 5, 2013. For complete rules, click here.

Don’t delay, you won’t want to miss out on winning the $2000 grand prize!

Genscape Buy of LandViewer Ups Ag, Biofuels Info

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Genscape LogoProvider of energy information for commodity and financial markets Genscape has bought LandViewer to expand its technology footprint in the agriculture and biofuels industries. Genscape says, using NASA satellite data to get daily updates of corn vegetation progress, the LandViewer platform gives corn traders and buyers land use and crop progress information on a sub-regional level so they know where to source grain and how to set the best prices.

“The LandViewer platform opens a lot of doors for Genscape customers to make informed grain management decisions ahead of market movements. When you know the supply of corn you can set better prices, hedge investment risk and stay ahead of the competition,” says Robert Barton, Managing Director of Agriculture and Biofuels at Genscape.

To complement the LandViewer acquisition and to provide additional value to ethanol customers Genscape has also launched a unique QAP specifically for the ethanol industry. The new program offers a way for ethanol plants to create QAP-B RINs desired by Obligated Parties with a minimal impact on plant operations. Using their proven technology, the company can offer a cost-effective method to directly manage RIN generation compliance while eliminating the hassle of onsite auditing.

Also designed for traders, LandViewer uses a combination of historical data, national yield regressions and fundamental crop data to deliver highly accurate projections of crop yields on a national level to inform trading and investment strategies.

The LandViewer technology was developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center.

Corn Farmers Return to Nation’s Capital

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Pillar_4For the fifth year in a row, policymakers in our nation’s capital are learning about the U.S. family farmers who produce corn, our nation’s top crop, as part of the Corn Farmers Coalition program. Once again, the program, which is sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association and its state affiliates, showcases how innovative and high-tech corn farmers have become by introducing a foundation of facts about farmers and farming.

“This has always been a crucial time of year in Washington to make sure our lawmakers and those who influence them remember the importance of corn farming to our nation and our economy,” said Pam Johnson, NCGA president and a corn grower in Iowa. “Our state corn checkoff programs have seen the importance of this program each year for educating a very important audience about this essential crop and its high value.”

The Corn Farmers Coalition program launched June 1 with a major advertising presence in Washington that puts prominent facts about family farmers in front of thousands on Capitol Hill, starting with “station domination” at Union Station through the month of June. The large-format ads will travel to the Capitol South Metro station for July. In addition, online advertising will appear in publications such as Politico, Washington Post, the New York Times, Roll Call, National Journal, and Congressional Quarterly.

North and South American Corn Growers Unite

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As most agricultural eyes were on progress of the farm bill last week in Congress, some very prominent farmers were in another nation’s capitol below the equator signing a new agreement to create an alliance between North and South American corn growers.

maizeall-signLeaders of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), joined with maize producers of Argentina and Brazil (MAIZAR and ABRAMILHO) to form MAIZALL—The International Maize Alliance with the goal of addressing key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image. The MAIZALL alliance was launched as part of the MAIZAR 2013 Congress meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Food Security is a priority for every country,” said Pam Johnson, NCGA President. “Countries can be food secure without being self-sufficient by establishing relationships and building trust with exporting countries to be long-term, reliable suppliers of quality feed and food supplies.”

The primary focus of this new alliance is emphasize the need for better consumer understanding of production agriculture, including the benefits of biotechnology and advancing the global acceptance on the capacity to produce maize for feed, food and fuel. MAIZALL will also conduct outreach to governments and stakeholders on the need for trade-enabling biotechnology policies and regulatory procedures.

Read more from USGC and see a set of photos here.

Senate WRDA Passage Important to Corn Growers

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The Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) by a wide margin on Wednesday paving the way for upgrades to the inland waterways system important for farmers.

The National Corn Growers Association Chairman Garry Niemeyer says those inland waterways, in particular the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, are an important route for moving our corn to markets worldwide. “It’s been a long time, since 2007, since we’ve had a WRDA bill and back before 2000 they used to have a WRDA bill every other year,” Garry said in an interview today. “Now we just need the funding to get these project moving forward.”

Of specific interest to corn farmers, the bill contains provisions to remove the over-budget and long-delayed Olmsted lock and dam project from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF), the remainder of the cost to be paid 100 percent by general treasury revenue and not cost-shared 50-50 through the IWTF. This action will free up around $750 million to the IWTF to complete critical priority navigation projects. An increase in the threshold for major rehabilitation, from the current $14 million to $20 million, was approved.

The bill now goes to the House for approval and Garry says they are encouraging farmers to call their representatives in Congress to tell them how important this legislation is to them.

Garry also comments on the farm bill progress this week and corn planting progress in this interview: NCGA Chairman Garry Niemeyer

The Senate WRDA bill also contains an amendment, co-sponsored by Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, regarding on-farm fuel storage under the EPA Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures regulation. “That means there will be some relief for those farmers who have on-farm fuel storage, which is most of them,” Sen. Pryor told farm broadcasters meeting in Washington this week. “We think this is the right way to do it, we think it’s commonsense, think it’s a big win.”

Listen to or download Pryor’s comments at NAFB Washington Watch Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)

2013 NAFB Washington Watch Photo Album

Find more NAFB Washington Watch audio on AgNewsWire.com

Syngenta Builds on Garst® Seed Legacy

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Even as the Syngenta-owned Garst and Golden Harvest® brands are being launched under the revised Golden Harvest brand, Syngenta intends to uphold the quality, reliability and legacy that have become synonymous with the Garst brand and the Garst Seed Advisor.

“Roswell Garst’s commitment to customers – to be a trusted advisor in addition to a seed dealer – is the very essence of what the Syngenta Seed Advisor network embodies,” said Lori Thomas, customer marketing manager for the dealer channel commercial unit for Syngenta in North America. “Even though the Garst name won’t have the same market presence, the integrity, tradition and history of the company will continue to live on.” Thomas and her husband, Mike, were Garst Seed Advisors for 10 years.

golden-harvestFounded as Garst & Thomas Hi-Bred Corn Company in 1930, the Garst brand has a rich history of bringing many innovative corn solutions to market, from developing herbicide-tolerant hybrids, including the first IMI-corn, to offering European Corn Borer (Bt) control and herbicide tolerance together in one corn hybrid, to transcending borders and taking the new technology to farmers in other countries, including the former Soviet Union.

Since Syngenta acquired the Garst brand in 2004, the company has focused on building a diverse genetic portfolio, using the genetics from the Garst, Golden Harvest and NK® brand breeding programs and incorporating the market-leading line-up of Agrisure® traits. Earlier this year, Syngenta announced the decision to rebrand the existing Garst and Golden Harvest corn seed brands and launch a unified Golden Harvest brand stemmed from ongoing efforts to strengthen and grow the network of Syngenta Seed Advisors.

A new logo and numbering system for Golden Harvest hybrids will be in place for summer 2013 trials and the 2014 planting season. “The new logo brings elements from the Garst legacy as well as the Golden Harvest legacy,” Lori says, stressing that growers who have counted on Garst seed to maximize their yields will still have access to the same high-quality genetics under the Golden Harvest name through their Syngenta Seed Advisor.

Listen to or download my interview with Lori here: Interview with Lori Thomas

Cornbread Goodness

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Martha White Cornbread Contest WinnerMmm. Cornbread. How many ways can you make it or add it to a recipe? This lady obviously knows what she’s doing and it paid off.

Lorie R. of Buckatunna, Miss., was presented with the cast iron skillet crown as the grand prize winner of the 2013 Martha White ®/Lodge® Cast Iron National Cornbread Cook-Off for her original main dish recipe, Roasted Poblano Chicken Posole with Floating Corn Cake Islands . Her winning recipe earned her $5,000 cash and a 30-inch stainless steel gas range (a $3,250 value) from FiveStar® Professional Cooking Equipment, a division of Brown Stove Works, Incorporated.

Lorie’s grand prize winning dish features the addition of roasted poblano peppers, providing a distinctive twist to this hearty traditional Mexican soup. Crisp corn cakes, made from a batter of Martha White Buttermilk Cornbread Mix and whole kernel corn and cheese, float on top of each bowl of soup, creating a delicious combination of flavor and texture.

” Martha White and the National Cornbread Festival® are committed to preserving the celebration of Southern food,” said Linda Carman, Martha White baking expert. “We are so proud of all the winning recipes which help create special family moments any day of the week.”

The National Cornbread Cook-Off was held in conjunction with the National Cornbread Festival® in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Ten finalists recreated their original, main dish cornbread recipes made with Martha White Cornbread Mix in Lodge® Cast Iron cookware for the chance to win cash prizes. A panel of experts, including food writers and television personalities, took on the difficult task of selecting three winners after tasting all of the dishes.

An Earth Day Message

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print-emailGot an email today from an employee of GROWMARK with a great message that I wanted to share for Earth Day week.

I’m sure you’ve seen email signatures saying something like “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail!” This one is a little different.

Notice: It’s OK to print this e-mail.

Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees and corn starch. Growing and harvesting trees and corn provides jobs for millions of Americans. Working forests are good for the environment and provide clean air and water, wildlife habitat and carbon storage. Thanks to improved forest and agricultural management, we have more trees and corn in America today than we had 100 years ago.

I love it! Planning to add it to my email signatures in the future. How about you? Thanks GROWMARK!

Husker Food Connection Connects Urban and Rural

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IMG_7235The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN) collaborated with agriculture-related student organizations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to host the second annual, Husker Food Connection.

Husker Food Connection helps urban students better understand where their food comes from. The theme of the Husker Food Connection was, “Know what we grow: Discovering Nebraska Agriculture.”

Listen to Lukas Fricke, UNL freshman and animal science major, as he explains how he addresses consumer concerns about modern pork production.
Listen to Fricke explain

Participants learned about where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture in Nebraska while engaging in several activities. Students received a free lunch featuring beef, pork and turkey sandwiches along with ice cream — all products raised and made in Nebraska. During the event, approximately 2,000 lunches were served. The first 1,000 students to attend the event also received free t-shirts. Numerous students were eager to take a closer look at the piglets, chicks and Holstein calf. For many of them, this was their first experience with livestock.

Listen here to Bob Meduna, Southeast Extension Education, about helping students understand how what cattle eat impacts the final beef product.
Listen to Meduna explain

Willow Holoubek, A-FAN Organizational Director, said she is impressed with the eagerness of students to help their peers understand how their food is grown. “Having conversations about food production and making this connection is vitally important for the future. A-FAN applauds the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) students for their hard work in their efforts to connect farm to fork.”

Students Create Products From Corn and Soybeans

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Teams of Purdue University students who created fiber insulation from soybeans and a fireworks casing from corn won the top prizes in the annual Student Soybean and Corn Innovation Contests. The awards were announced at a reception March 20th, 2013 in Indianapolis.

1The competitions, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, teach students how to be innovative entrepreneurs with soybeans and corn. Both teams received a $20,000 prize for their work.

The winning soybean team produced Nature Loft, a soy protein fiber insulation that can be used in bedding, including sleeping bags; apparel such as hats, gloves and footwear; and other products such as headphones.

The winning corn team created Sky Maize, a biodegradable fireworks casing that is lighter and less expensive than what is now commercially available.2

Winning $10,000 the second-place soybean team developed water-soluble Double Eyelid Glue.

The second-place corn team also winning $10,000 created Fog-Away, an anti-fog glass and mirror cleansing solution.

BASF Spotlights Science Behind Successful Growers

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BASF Ag Products spotlighted a couple of very successful and innovative farmers during the Science Behind event prior to Commodity Classic this year. One of them is pretty familiar to us all but the other is a newer face on the farming scene.

basf-classic13-randyThe new kid on the block is Randy Dowdy of Georgia who just got into the farming business in 2006 and has already been a multiple National Corn Yield Contest winner on pretty marginal farm land that he bought as an investment. “University guy told me I had some of the poorest soil in the state,” Randy told us. “Now that same university professor told me that I had made him rethink corn production in Georgia.”

Randy brought a different perspective to farming in his area. “Having the ability to change and the willingness to change quite often separates a good farmer from an average farmer,” he says. That includes using multiple modes of action for herbicides to work against resistant weeds and fungicides are extremely important in the south. “We are in a disease haven,” Randy said, noting that he uses several different BASF products to help prevent disease in his crops, including Headline, Headline AMP and Priaxor.

Where most of the country suffered from drought last year, Randy had just the opposite in Georgia. “We had a lot of rain events but our biggest problem was lack of sunshine,” he said.

Listen to Randy being interviewed by a couple of reporters at the Science Behind BASF event: Randy Dowdy interview

basf-classic-13-kipThe more familiar face is that of Missouri rock star farmer Kip Cullers, who still holds the title of World Champion Soybean Grower.

Kip wrote the book on being able and willing to change farming practices to get better and better yields, but he still can’t control the weather, which hurt him bad last year. “It’s kind of heartbreaking when you work all year long and try and do everything right and Mother Nature just cuts the rain off and you’re done, but that’s farming!” Kip said.

That’s why Kip has been the poster child for BASF Headline to keep his crops under the least stress possible, even under stressful conditions like drought. And Kip uses Kixor technology to fight against resistant weeds. “I just hate weeds and once you let them go to seed you have to fight them for the next ten years,” he said. “I just want to have sterile ground.”

Listen to my interview with Kip here: Kip Cullers interview

Check out more photos from the Science Behind BASF here

Iowa – 4th Largest Corn Producer in the World

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irfa-northeyDid you know that if Iowa were a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of corn in the world? Iowa would be behind the number one corn producer, the U.S. followed by China, who has about the same number of acres in production but only 2/3 the production. Number three is Brazil, who with the drought is ahead of us in production (but keep in mind the country’s growing season is a head of ours) and Iowa would be number four. Iowa also produces more than the entire European Union – comprised of 27 countries.

And Iowa has a tiny footprint in comparison to America, U.S. and Brazil. Talk about growing more on less land!

Guess who told me this cool stuff. Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey who I had a chance to speak with during the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.

Iowa is the largest producer of corn-ethanol in the world with 41 plants producing between 3.5 and 4 billion gallons of fuel per year and the largest biodiesel producer in the U.S. This feat would, if Iowa converted to 100 percent biodiesel and ethanol, make the state entirely energy independent.

You’ll can learn some other cool Iowa facts in my interview with Bill: Iowa- 4th Largest Corn Producer in the World

View the IRFA Renewable Fuels Summit Photo Album.

ENOGEN: Profitable Hybrid for Corn Farmers

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Growers looking for a more profitable corn crop should consider planting ENOGEN corn. Ethanol producers looking for more gallons from a bushel of corn should look to farmers growing ENOGEN corn. I learned about the emerging corn trait designed specifically for ethanol production from Jeff Carver who is the ENOGEN Accounts Manager for Syngenta, when we spoke during the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.

irfa-13-carverCarver explained that the trait is expressed in the endosperm so it works really well in the ethanol production process. He said the competitiveness of the hybrid is great for the farmer as well. “It transcends value across both the ethanol plant and the direct payback to the farmer.”

So why is this trait unique? Carver said that one difference is that it is an end-use trait that is expressed in the endosperm. During the hydrolysis of the protein, it allows for a very rapid viscosity break. This allows the plant to reduce the amount of water used in the process. With that, based on market conditions, the plant can either push additional through-put through the plant or actually slow the plant down to produce more ethanol.

So in a “corn kernel” you’re actually producing more ethanol from the same bushel of corn. Carver also discussed the benefits of the trait for the production of dried distillers grains and corn oil.

The ENOGEN program is designed around ethanol production and there are trials currently underway. There are still a few acres left for growers interested in participating this spring. All growers who are interested in joining the current or next trial should contact Jeff now.

Listen to my interview with Jeff Carver here: ENOGEN Profitable Hybrid for Corn Farmers

View the IRFA Renewable Fuels Summit Photo Album.

Beck’s Hybrids Shares Positive Outlook for 2013

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classic-13-jamie-165-editedIf you you missed the Beck’s Hybrids booth during last week’s Commodity Classic, then you weren’t looking hard enough. They were the ones raffling off the beautiful 2012 Limited Edition Camero Panther for the charity We Care for Orphans. And when I spoke with Ashly Fischer, Marketing Associate & Show Coordinator for Beck’s Hybrids, they had almost met their goal of raising $100,000 for the charity.

Ashley also shared how excited they were to be at Commodity Classic and the products and servies they can provide for growers across the country, even in these trying times.

“This is our second year here at Commodity Classic and we are just absolutely thrilled to be a part of this. There is so many farmers that come. We want to be here to support the associations because that is our audience and our customers. We want to be here supporting.”

“One of the big questions out there is seed supply and it has been a big question since last fall. Beck’s Hybrid is in a great position. We are a family owned company. We are actually the largest family owned company and Sonny and Scott Beck planned for an unfortunate year and we have a great seed supply. We currently have record sales. We are up 15% in corn sales and right now we have some great products available.”

Listen to my interview with Ashley here: Interview with Ashley Fischer

2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Obama Picks for Energy and EPA

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nomineesPresident Obama announced his picks for Secretary of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency administrator on Monday. The President nominated MIT professor Ernest Moniz as energy secretary and EPA official Gina McCarthy as administrator for the agency.

While Moniz is a virtual unknown, McCarthy has served as EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation and her appointment is being well received by agricultural and biofuels organizations.

“We appreciated working with Assistant Administrator McCarthy over the past few years in her role as head of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, which was responsible for the approval of the E15 ethanol blend fuel option in 2012. We look forward to working closely with her and her team on ethanol and other issues that come before the agency,” said National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson.

gina-iowaRenewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen says McCarthy is “knowledgeable, willing to listen, and straight-forward. She knows the EPA inside and out and has typically approached challenges with a common-sense determination to resolve them in a timely manner.” Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis added that “McCarty has been a strong supporter of biofuels and we look forward to working with her to bring sustainable, clean, homegrown American fuels to the consumer.”

In September of 2009, McCarthy was one of two high-ranking EPA officials to visit farm operations and biofuel facilities in Iowa. She is pictured here during that visit with Margo Oge, director of the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality and Senator Chuck Grassley on the farm of Rick Kimberley. (Photo from Iowa Farm Bureau Flickr)

Commodity Classic Media Man

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2013 Commodity ClassicI don’t know what the final, final totals are but before it ended the 2013 Commodity Classic broke records that include 6,180 attendees, 3,024 of which are growers and 1,024 first time attendees. The high number of first time attendees was especially pleasing to Ken Colombini, Communications Director for the National Corn Growers Association. I sat down with him during Classic for a chat.

Ken says that these growers are coming here to learn how they can improve things back on the farm and find lots to talk about with each other. It is a great place to network with others in the business! Speaking of networking, the media room is a great place for the ag media to network with each other while they’re also utilizing the facilities to post their stories back to whatever media channels they are responsible for. Thanks to Dupont Crop Protection for being the sponsor of the Commodity Classic media room this year!

Listen to my interview with Ken here: Interview with Ken Colombini

2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

BASF Sponsors Corn Yield Contest

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classic-13-jamie-134-editedThe National Corn Growers Association and National Corn Yield Contest State Award Winners Breakfast was help this morning during the 2013 Commodity Classic.

The breakfast recognizes corn growers for their outstanding accomplishments during the past year. It also allows state winners to compare notes and pick up some tips of the trade. Check out the National Winners and State Winners.

Neil Bentley, Marketing Director for BASF’s US Crop Business, addressed attendees and shared how excited he was that BASF was a sponsor of the contest. In an interview with me he also explained some challenges growers across the country are facing and what BASF is doing to help hedge those challenges.

“BASF is really proud to be a sponsor fo the NCGA and the state yield contest winners. It’s really about bringing out the best of the best in terms of corn production. The growers face a lot of challenges out in the marketplace and we know that average doesn’t cut it, so BASF is really proud to be here and be a sponsor of this event to really celebrate those growers who are doing more than average each and every day.”

“Growers face volatility and that’s really a key standard issue within the US market, whether it is commodity volatility or weather volatility, these are really things that growers face each and every day and at BASF we are really trying to find the solutions that can help growers overcome these risks especially when it relates to yield in creating more than what the grower would have expected. Our mission at BASF is to help growers get the most from every acre. And each and every day we are spending more than $2 million in research and development to find these solutions to help growers get more and overcome these risks.”

You can find my interview with Neil here: Interview with Neil Bentley


BASF at 2013 Commodity Classic Photos

2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

BASF Awards 10 Scholarships at Classic

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BASF, in partnership with American Soybean Association (ASA), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) presented scholarships to 10 students during the 2013 Commodity Classic in Kissimmee, Fl.

classic13-scholars“BASF is committed to the future of agriculture and our students play a huge role in sustaining the livelihood of the industry,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Protection, BASF. “These students are passionate about agriculture, and we look forward to watching them grow into the leaders and advocates of our business.”

Mason Kiehl of Meadville, Missouri was chosen as the 2013-2014 ASA SOY scholarship recipient receiving $5,000. He is a senior at Meadville High School and will pursue a degree in agricultural systems management at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.

You can find Cindy’s interview with Mason and Steve Wellman, Chairman of ASA here: Interview with Mason & Steve

This year, the NCGA scholarship was renamed the William C. Berg Academic Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program, in memory of Ohio corn grower and NCGA colleague Bill Berg, a long-time member of the NCGA Grower Services Action Team and supporter of the scholarship program who passed away unexpectedly last year. The NCGA awarded scholarships of $1,000 each to the following students:

  • Emily Brundick of Argyle, Missouri
  • Kyle Parmley of Perry, Oklahoma
  • Nicholas Peterson of Clearlake, Minnesota
  • Sterling Schnepf of Granville, Iowa
  • Brent Sexton of Rockwell City, Iowa

Cindy interviewed the recipients and Les Imboden, Ohio Corn Growers Treasurer: Interview with NCGA Recipients

BASF and the NWF established a new scholarship fund this year to honor longtime wheat industry friend and BASF employee Jerry Minore by supporting students pursuing careers in agriculture. The four students who received these scholarships this year are:

  • John Rosman of Creston, Washington
  • Morgan Perez of Lind, Washington
  • Joshua C. Duling of Mupin, Oregon
  • Garrett Reiss of El Dorado, Kansas

You can find my interview with recipients and Dusty Tallman, VP of American Wheat Foundation here: Interview with NWF Recipients

BASF at 2013 Commodity Classic Photos
2013 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic Launches App

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comm-classic-appThe 18th Annual Commodity Classic has launched their first-ever mobile app for this year’s event in Kissimmee, Fl. The app will allow attendees to access information, receive messages and engage in social media from their smart phones and tablets. You can even make your own schedules, take notes, lookup session and event times and navigate with maps.

Visit www.commondityclassic.com/app to download it now or check out the App Store on your mobile device and search Commodity Classic. I just did and can’t wait to attend my first ever Commodity Classic. And the best part about it is it’s free!

In less than two weeks, soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum growers will be traveling to the far Southeast from across the county to take in the sights of Kissimmee, Fl. Producers will be educated about important agricultural issues, enlightened by new product rollouts and entertained by all the events coordinators have planned.

“The innovation you’ll witness and information you’ll gather at Commodity Classic will absolutely change the way you farm,” said Commodity Classic co-Chair Bob Worth. “Agriculture faces new challenges every year, and Commodity Classic’s educational sessions and opportunities to speak with other growers and industry leaders will arm attendees with the tools they need to overcome these challenges and increase the profitability of their farming operation.”

The 2013 Commodity Classic takes place February 28-March 2 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center and the Orlando World Center Marriott in Kissimmee, Fla., and is presented annually by the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and National Sorghum Producers.

Corn Yield Contest Sets New Record

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NCGA color logoFarmers participating in the National Corn Growers Association 2012 National Corn Yield Contest set a new record by submitting 75 entries that surpassed the 300 bushels-per-acre mark. Bucking trends and overcoming severe drought conditions, these entrants showed the incredible achievements that are possible in farming using advanced practices and state-of-the-art technology.

Despite higher average yields nationally among all farmers in 2011, only 10 entries achieved the 300 bushels-per-acre mark that year. Entries showing yields this high have not exceeded approximately 30 per year even under optimal weather conditions.

The National Corn Yield Contest is in its 48th year and remains NCGA’s most popular program for members. With 8,262 entries, the 2012 NCGA National Corn Yield Contest neared the participation record set last year of 8,425 entries.