Farmers are more than double-timing it on the corn harvest this season. As of this past weekend, USDA reports that 69 percent of the crop was harvested, compared to 28 average for this time of year. Several corn belt states are running way, way ahead of normal, like Minnesota and Iowa, which normally have around 11-17% of the corn harvest …
Expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill
The National Corn Growers Association has joined with other agricultural organizations on the following joint statement on the expiration yesterday of the 2008 farm bill: The 2008 law governing many of our nation’s farm policies expired on Sunday, September 30th, and the 2012 Farm Bill needed to replace it is bottled up in Congress. While the Senate and the House …
“Fuels America” Campaign Launched
In the face of increasing calls to waive the nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard, biofuel industry stakeholders today announced a major new communications campaign to educate consumers and policy makers about the benefits of renewable fuel to America’s economy, energy security and environment. The new coalition – Fuels America – includes several agricultural organizations in addition to ethanol companies and groups …
Call from the Combine for Farm Bill Now
Congress is back in session for a couple of days this week, but all indications are that no action will be taken on a farm bill at this point before the current bill expires. Knowing how fluid the situation in Washington can be, that’s no reason to give up hope yet and National Corn Growers Association president Garry Niemeyer says …
NCGA’s Request for RFA Waiver Comment Period Extension Granted
In response to a request by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a 15 day extension of the comment period on the requests for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). NCGA filed for an extension on August 30, 2012 and applauded EPA’s decision. The waiver was requested so corn growers and other energy crop farmers …
Camera to Help Students in Ethanol Rocks Contest
An Iowa teacher will be able to give her students a leg up in the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Rocks video contest, thanks to an NCGA giveaway at the recent Farm Progress Show. Mediapolis High School ag instructor and FFA Advisor Alaina Holdgrafer picked up an NCGA backpack filled with goodies, including a Sony HandyCam and a lot of …
Join the Farm Bill Now Coalition Rally in DC
As Congress gets back to work this week, the Farm Bill Now Coalition is ramping up for a rally the morning of September 12, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. With 46 groups and growing, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Pam Johnson of Floyd, Iowa said the rally is building on the momentum of the past …
Farm Groups Urge Senate to Oppose Disaster Bill
A coalition of about a dozen agriculture groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Farmers Union, and the National Milk Producers Federation has urged Senate leaders to “refrain from supporting” any legislation resembling the House-passed disaster bill should it come up in the …
RFS Comments Start; Corn Growers Want More Time
Today kicked off the 30-day comment period to the EPA on the waiver request of the Renewable Fuels Standard. But the National Corn Growers Association is already asking for more time. NCGA President Garry Niemeyer sent a letter to the EPA requesting an additional 30 days of comments, citing harvest and the uncertainty of this year’s corn crop: “Across the …
Farm Bill Now Coalition at FPS
As the Farm Progress Show kicked off in Boone, Iowa, representatives from several of the more than 45 organizations that make up the Farm Bill Now coalition spoke out to urge Congress to finish work on new agricultural policy legislation as soon as possible. “Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in the American economy,” said National Corn Growers …