The opening session at today’s Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2010 focused on controlling what you can control. Steve Johnson, a farm and ag business specialist with Iowa State University, told the tent full of about 600 corn farmers that too many of their colleagues are too focused on the things they can’t control, whether it is politics, oil spills or …
Welcome to Wyffels Corn Strategies 2010
Hello from Malcom, Iowa, where I’m spending the day with the good folks from Wyffels Hybrids, who are putting on Corn Strategies 2010. This gathering is expected to draw about 600 corn farmers from throughout the area, especially Eastern Iowa, where they will get to see and hear more about this independent company… a company where you can still talk …
Corn Congressmen
Corn growers are in Washington, DC taking care of business. It’s the semi-annual Corn Congress. Corn farmers from across the country will gather in Washington the week of July 12 for a series of team and committee meetings, Capitol Hill visits with lawmakers and the semi-annual Corn Congress, where grower-leaders from 28 states will elect four new members of the …
New Research Shows BASF Headline Yield Advantage
A new research summary shows that BASF Headline® fungicide effectively controls a broad spectrum of corn and soybean diseases, provides Plant Health benefits, and maximizes crop yields. The Headline Fungicide Yield Research Summary demonstrates that the BASF fungicide provides corn growers approximately a 3 bu/A yield advantage over other available fungicides. “Growers are constantly weighing the practices and inputs they …
Atrazine Ban Would Cost Jobs
A University of Chicago economist says banning the herbicide Atrazine would add to the current unemployment level in the United States. According to University of Chicago economist Don L. Coursey, a ban on the herbicide atrazine would cost between 21,000 and 48,000 jobs from corn production losses alone. His findings were presented today at a National Press Club briefing sponsored …
USDA Planted Acres Report Lowers Corn
USDA’s new planted acreage report out this morning says corn acres are two percent higher than last year, but that is down a point from the March report with more acres are going to soybeans. Corn planted area for all purposes in 2010 is estimated at 87.9 million acres, up 2 percent from last year. Acreage is up in Illinois, …
Why Agriculture Needs Corn Ethanol to Survive
“If you really look at whose behind the ethanol industry, it’s the American agricultural industry,” said Steve McNich, CEO of Western Plains Energy based in Oakley, Kansas. “There’s no better example at working your way out of a market than the American farmers. The history of the American farmer is that if there is ever an opportunity to make money, …
Iowa Corn Growers Tour Indy Garages
One of the cool things to do at an Indy race is tour the garages where the technicians work on the engines in preparation of race day. The Iowa Corn Growers conducted multiple tours of the garages during race weekend for the Iowa Corn Indy 250. I followed one group and interviewed several grower participants. First up was Tim Recker, …
Iowa Corn President Had Exciting Father’s Day
The President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association is Don Elsbernd, pictured on the right, presenting the trophy for the Iowa Corn Indy 250 to Tony Kanaan. He had a big day on Father’s Day when he got to start the race by waving the green flag and saying the most famous words in motor racing. That’s when the adrenalin …
BASF Eco-Efficiency Model Shows Headline Benefits
The biggest news out of the recent BASF Agricultural Solutions Media Summit was the first Eco-Efficiency Analysis for corn in the Midwest, both with and without the fungicide Headline. The reason it was relevant is that it shows the potential for measuring sustainability. During a breakout session at the summit, BASF vice president for Crop Protection Marty Mascianica got into …