Wednesday January 4 Ag News

Smith Selected to Serve on Committee on House Administration

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) announced today he has been named by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to the Committee on House Administration for the 115th Congress.  The Committee’s principal functions include oversight of daily operations of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as federal elections.   

“The focus of the Committee on House Administration is to make government work for the people,” Smith said.  “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on this important panel to ensure efficient and responsible operations in the House and help preserve the integrity of our election system.”

Committee on House Administration Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS) said, “I am so honored to welcome Rep. Adrian Smith as he begins his service on the Committee on House Administration.  This panel is charged with overseeing the operations of the House, and ensuring each Member has the tools they need to effectively communicate with their constituents.  Adrian’s contributions will be extremely important as our panel conducts needed oversight, acts as a resource for all of the new and returning Members, and provides training and education to Member and Committee offices.  Together, we will help ensure the House runs efficiently throughout the 115th Congress.”

Smith will also continue to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.



Ricketts Congratulates New Speaker of the Legislature
Today, Governor Pete Ricketts issued a congratulatory statement following the Legislature’s election of Senator Jim Scheer as their next Speaker.

“Congratulations to Senator Jim Scheer on his election as Speaker of the Legislature.  The gravity of the responsibility of what is before us this session is humbling.  We need to get to work balancing our budget, controlling spending, and delivering much-needed tax relief for the citizens of Nebraska.  I look forward to working with Speaker Scheer and our non-partisan Unicameral to grow Nebraska.”



Swedish Academy of Sciences Honors Cassman
The Swedish Academy of Sciences has named University of Nebraska-Lincoln agronomist Kenneth Cassman the recipient of the 2017 Bertebos Prize for promoting education and research in the food chain.

The Bertebos Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry and is sometimes referred to by scientists as Sweden's "Nobel Prize in Agriculture."

The academy cited Cassman, the emeritus Robert B. Daugherty Professor of Agronomy at Nebraska and fellow of the University of Nebraska system's Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, for his key role in developing the concept of ecological intensification of agriculture production. "His extensive scientific production has great importance for applications in agriculture," the citation stated.

The concept addresses how best to minimize the gap between the current crop yields on farms and the potential yield achievable by using the best-available technologies and knowledge, while minimizing negative environmental impacts. The Global Yield Gap Atlas that Cassman and his colleagues have developed provides robust estimates of untapped crop production potential on existing farmland based on current climate and available soil and water resources. Scientists believe maximizing yield is a key component of producing enough food to feed the world's population by 2050.

Cassman said the award validates the importance of conducting research on the dual goals of raising yields and reducing negative environmental impacts. Research currently tends to focus either on increasing productivity or on protecting the environment.

"Going forward we not only have to maintain or accelerate the rate of gain in yields on existing farmland, but we've got to substantially reduce the negative environmental impacts," Cassman said. "We've really just begun to start focusing on that challenge."

The Green Revolution of the last half century has quite successfully raised yields, Cassman said, but some gains may have come at the expense of water quality and wildlife biodiversity.

"It boils down in a very basic way to massively increasing yields on existing farmland, but doing that in a way that doesn't pollute, doesn't have negative impacts on wildlife, and also maintains affordable food prices," Cassman said. "And quite frankly we've not been very successful at that in the past."

Last month Cassman, who has conducted research on almost every major crop production system in the world, was named to the Clarivate Analytics "Highly Cited Researchers 2016" list. Researchers on the list have generated papers that are in the top 1 percent of most-cited works in their subject area and year of publication.

Cassman's most recent paper was published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He and his co-authors showed that maximizing cereal crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa would still fail to meet the region's skyrocketing grain demand by 2050.

The Bertebos Prize, established in 1996, is awarded every other year. It consists of a diploma and 300,000 Swedish kronor (about $32,600). The award winner also plans a two-day conference in Falkenberg, Sweden, the following year in collaboration with the academy and opens the conference with a plenary lecture.



Nebraska Farmers Union 103rd Annual State Convention Highlights
Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) held their 103rd annual state convention in Columbus at the Ramada River's Edge Convention Center December 9-10.  The convention theme was:  “Stewards of the Future”.  Attendance was good, the weather favorable, and participants enjoyed the recently remodeled hotel and convention center, location, program, and fellowship. 

NeFU Election Results:  
Delegates from their respective districts elected two NeFU Board of Directors.  Martin Kleinschmit of Hartington was re-elected to a three year term for NeFU District 7.  David Mohlman of Red Cloud was elected to his first three year term for NeFU District 3 to replace Gale Lush of Wilcox who retired after serving on the NeFU Board for 21 years.  The convention gave Gale a loud and well deserved round of applause for his outstanding service.

David Mohlman of Red Cloud and Lynn Belitz of Fullerton were elected to represent NeFU as delegates to the upcoming National Farmers Union Convention in San Diego, California March 5-8, 2017.  Katie Jantzen of Plymouth and Margo Hamilton of Lincoln were elected first and second alternates.

Margo Hamilton of Lincoln was re-elected from the membership and Paul Poppe of Scribner was re-elected from the Districts to serve on the NeFU Foundation Board of Directors.

President’s Award Winners.
The President’s Award is NeFU’s highest award, and is presented to individuals who provide outstanding service and leadership to family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities at the state or national levels.

“This year’s President’s Award winners are ten retiring public servants that have gone the extra mile on behalf of Nebraska’s family farmers, ranchers, and their rural communities.  It is appropriate that we shine the light on their accomplishments as their public service comes to a close.  Eight of our award winners have taken time away from their farm or ranch to serve the public, and nine are NeFU members.  This year’s award winners represent public service at its very best,” said NeFU President John Hansen.   This year’s President Award Winners are:
·         Ken Haar of Malcolm, State Senator LD21, eight years.
·         Al Davis of Hyannis, State Senator LD43, four years.
·         Dan Steinkruger of Lincoln, Executive Director of USDA NE State Farm Service Agency, eight years.
·         Maxine Moul, State Director of USDA Rural Development, eight years.
·         Susan Frazier, of Fairmont, Chair of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, eight years.
·         Fred Christensen of Lyons, Member of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, eight years.
·         Leo Hoehn of Scottsbluff, Member of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, eight years.
·         Linda Kleinschmit of Hartington, Member of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, four years.
·         Roy Stoltenberg of Cairo, Member of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, one year.
·         Bill Armbrust, Elkhorn, Past Member of USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, three years.

Friday Morning Highlights:
·         NeFU President reported on the NeFU and NeFU Foundation’s educational activities for the year.
·         Dwight Lane gave a report of activities from the Nebraska Rural Radio Association.
·         Gale Lush, President of NEBFARMPAC on the PAC activities in the last election cycle.  He reported that 24 of the 32 candidates endorsed had won, including 5 of 8 NeFU members.
·         Maxine Moul, State Director of USDA Rural Development reported on the many accomplishments of her agency that had dramatically improved the life of rural residents.  Her report was well received.
·         Dr. Jerry Hatfield, Laboratory Director of the USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, and Director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub was the noon luncheon keynote speaker. His presentation “Soil is the Foundation of Climate Resilient Agriculture” was warmly received by the convention and generated a many questions about soil building particulars.
·         Jeff Downing, General Manager of the Midwest Regional Agency also reported on the Nebraska and Kansas insurance sales at the noon lunch. He reported that the agency now has a total of 58 agents located in 44 communities, with 25 agents in 18 communities in Nebraska.

Friday Afternoon Highlights:
·         Larry Mitchell, Chief Administrator of the USDA GIPSA (Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyards Administration) reported on the activities of his department and the status of various proposed regulations designed to help make the ag marketplace more fair and level.
·         Dan Steinkruger, Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Administration reported on the status of farm and conservation programs.  He thanked NeFU for their active partnership. 
·         “The Challenges and Rewards of Public Service” panel discussion included current NE State FSA Committee members and one past member.  Chair Susan Frazier, Members Fred Christensen, Leo Hoehn, Linda Kleinschmit, Roy Stoltenberg, and past member Bill Armbrust all emphasized the importance of the State Committee and its many areas of responsibility, and the need for farmers to step up and serve on FSA County Committees. 
·         Dr. Richard Ferguson, UNS Department of Agronomy presented “Understanding the Potential for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Ag”.  His presentation generating a great deal of interest.

Tom Giessel, National Farmers Union Historian of Larned, Kansas was the keynote speaker for the Friday evening banquet.  Tom’s presentation noted that in order to organize, it was to first recognize that in order to help yourself, you must also be willing to help the other fellow.

Saturday Morning Highlights:
·         Jeremiah Picard and John Hansen gave the “Big Red Worms, LLC Project Update” on the unique NeFU vermicomposting program as it continues to grow and divert food waste from the landfill.
·         Del Ficke of Milford and Dryland Research Manager for Green Acres Cover Crops presented “Uncovering the Upside Potential and Uses for Cover Crops”.
·         “A Preview of the 2017 Legislative Session” panel discussion included LD22 Senator Paul Schumacher of Columbus, LD43 Senator Al Davis of Hyannis, LD Senator Ken Haar of Malcolm, and LD15 Senator-Elect Lynne Walz of Fremont.
·         Zack Clark, National Farmers Union Government Affairs Representative gave the Saturday noon luncheon speech on the status of the many issues impacting agriculture in Washington, DC.

NeFU delegates set policy.  NeFU delegates adopted the 2016-2017 NeFU policy Saturday afternoon along with six Special Orders of Business.  The new policy and the Special Orders of Business are posted on the NeFU website at:   www.nebraskafarmersunion.org.



2017 ISU Soil Health Conference to Focus on Environment, Farm Profitability

After a successful inaugural conference in 2016, the second annual Soil Health Conference will be held in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 16-17. This year’s event will consist of two full days of presentations on a wide variety of topics concerning soil health with invited guest speakers from around the country.

The theme for the 2017 Soil Health Conference is “Building Soil Health for Healthy Environment and Farm Profitability.” This theme is important given the current challenges farmers face with production and environmental issues, says Mahdi Al-Kaisi, professor and extension soil management specialist at Iowa State University and committee chair.

“The goal of this conference is to focus on management practices that influence soil health, sustain productivity and reduce agriculture’s  footprint on the environment,” said Al-Kaisi. “Experts from across the country will provide needed resources to help farmers and agronomists not only in Iowa, but across the Midwest.”

The 2017 Soil Health Conference plans to build upon the foundation laid by the 2016 conference, expanding to a more extensive two-day program.

Speakers and Topics
More than 33 speakers from academia, USDA, agriculture industry, farmers, students and the private sector will present throughout the two-day conference. Some of the topics included in this year’s event are economics of soil health, linkage between soil health and water quality, field indicators or observations for quick soil health field assessment and soil assessment tools. There also will be a panel of farmers with a history of adopting conservation systems who will share their experiences in making such systems work economically.

CCA Credits and Poster Presentation
Soil and water continuing education credits will once again be offered to Certified Crop Advisers and the research poster presentation and display will continue to be a part of the event.

To register for the 2017 Soil Health Conference, visit register.extension.iastate.edu/soilhealth/registration. By registering online before or on Feb. 1, individuals will receive an early registration fee of $175. After Feb. 1, a late registration fee of $210 will take effect. Student registration is $85. Those who wish to submit posters must submit abstracts by Friday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m. CST for consideration. More information on registration and poster submission guidelines can be found at register.extension.iastate.edu/soilhealth/call-for-posters.

For more details regarding the Soil Health Conference event or for more information about soil health, please contact Mahdi Al-Kaisi at 515-294-8304 or malkaisi@iastate.edu. For questions regarding registration, please contact Registration Services at registrations@iastate.edu or 515-294-6222.



AFBF Strongly Endorses Pruitt for EPA

The American Farm Bureau Federation has formally endorsed the nomination of Scott Pruitt as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. AFBF President Zippy Duvall called Pruitt, Oklahoma’s attorney general, “an ideal nominee” who “has profound respect for the laws written by Congress.”

Duvall today conveyed that endorsement in a letter to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.). In the letter, Duvall cited Pruitt’s contesting of the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule when he defended “the bipartisan view of Congress that the agency has illegally overstepped its bounds and ignored the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The letter also referenced Pruitt’s work to defend Congress regarding the Clean Power Plan and cap-and-trade provisions, in which the nominee soundly took the view “that Congress has not authorized the sweeping attempt by EPA to coerce action by the states.”

“In recent years, farmers and ranchers have suffered under burdensome, unnecessary and, too often, unlawful federal regulations promulgated by the EPA,” Duvall said. “We desperately need an administrator who understands the challenges our farmers and ranchers face in producing safe, wholesome and affordable food for our nation and the world.”

Duvall said Farm Bureau’s support for Pruitt is based on the nominee’s “respect for the law” and his understanding of the need for an agency to “live within the statutory programs Congress has authorized.”

“Scott Pruitt will restore respect for the law and enforce it fairly,” Duvall said. “He understands how and when federal power should be exercised. We support him because he has demonstrated a keen understanding of the devastating economic implications of federal overreach. Scott Pruitt will put the EPA back on track and ensure that federal decisions are based on sound science, not politics. He will produce a fair regulatory environment that respects the rule of law.”



Lenders Expect Financial Stress to Worsen for Farmers

According to a recent study of lenders, financial stress on farmers is expected to continue for some time.

"Our research indicates a continued deterioration in agricultural credit conditions," said Allen Featherstone, head of the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics.

The 2016 Fall Agricultural Lender Survey by the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics and the University of Georgia studies the expectations of lenders in regard to interest rates, spread over cost of funds, farm-loan volume, nonperforming loans and land values as indicators of the overall health of the farm finance sector.

According to the twice-a-year study, more than 50 percent of land values are decreasing within the areas covered by participating lenders. These values are set to continue to decrease over the short- and long term and are affecting credit limits for landowners and producers. Non-performing loans are also on the rise for all loan types, and expectations show the number of these loans will continue to increase in this stressed financial market.

The survey indicates the decreased liquidity in production operations has increased demand for farm loans and, in particular, operating loans in attempts to bridge the gap of the current fiscal downturn. Making matters worse, interest rates on those loans are expected to increase and continue to rise over time.

These problems aren't isolated to just one crop. They are spreading into every aspect of farming. "Both the livestock sectors and the crop sectors are struggling meeting cash-flow issues," said Featherstone.

Producers and lenders across the state can gain deeper insight into these issues by attending a program offered by the Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics, "Top 10 Considerations to Navigate a Struggling Farm Economy." The seminar will be offered at six locations across the state in January and February.



American Drivers Surpass 500 Million Miles on E15

Growth Energy announced today that the most tested fuel in history, E15, has reached a remarkable milestone. Based on sales and consumption data reported over the past 12 months by major gasoline retailers, drivers across the United States have more than 500 million miles driven on E15, highlighting the fuel’s performance, safety, and value for American consumers.

“Ethanol is already in 97 percent of the gasoline sold in the United States, so drivers are accustomed to the better value and higher performance of fuel blended with ethanol,” said Emily Skor, Growth Energy CEO. “Now drivers are finding out that E15, which contains 15 percent ethanol, is an even better choice for their wallets, their engines, and the environment. That’s why more than 400 stations across 28 states are selling E15, and demand continues to grow.”

E15 works for any vehicle 2001 and newer and is the most tested fuel to date. In fact, the Department of Energy tested 86 vehicles up to 120,000 miles each using E15 without a single problem. Additionally, automakers approve E15 for use in nearly three-quarters of new cars and the Environmental Protection Agency approves its use in 9 out of 10 cars on the road today.



Fertilizers Close Year With a Bang

The collapse in fertilizer prices since 2014 should put an extra jingle in farm budgets next season. According to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of December, all prices closed 2016 with double-digit reductions year-over-year. This marks the second year in a row of retail price declines for all major nutrients monitored by DTN.

At year-end 2016, urea was 12% cheaper than a year earlier, DAP 13% less expensive, MAP 17% lower and potash 19% less expensive. UAN32 was 20% lower while both anhydrous and UAN28 were 21% less expensive and 10-34-0 was 23% lower compared to a year prior.

The two-year price corrections are even more impressive. Compared to the last week of December 2014, fertilizer price adjustments ranged from a discount of 24% on DAP to 37% on urea.

DAP averaged $431/ton at year-end 2016, MAP $443/ton, 10-34-0 $437/ton, UAN28 $217/ton and UAN32 $254/ton. Potash averaged $321/ton, urea $336/ton and anhydrous $466/ton. (In contrast, DTN's national average price for anhydrous at the same time in 2014 was $706/ton.)

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price at year-end 2016 was $0.37/lb.N, anhydrous $0.28/lb.N, UAN28 $0.39/lb.N and UAN32 $0.40/lb.N.



EPA’s Worker Protection Rule Takes Effect, Despite Petition by AFBF, NASDA

EPA has moved ahead with the Jan. 1 start date of its worker protection safety rule, despite a request for a delay from the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

According to the joint petition from AFBF and NASDA to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, the WPS rule was issued in violation of federal law. The proposal, Farm Bureau and NASDA told McCarthy on Dec. 21, “fails to advance the purpose of furthering the safety of farmworkers.” The rule’s rapidly approaching implementation also posed “a serious problem for administration of the rule’s requirements” by state departments of agriculture as well as farmers and ranchers who must comply with its terms.

The petition from AFBF and NASDA claimed EPA did not meet the law’s requirements when it failed to provide congressional agriculture committees a final copy of the regulations along with the copy sent to the agriculture secretary. The EPA has acknowledged that omission in responses to questions from Congress.

“EPA’s failure to meet its statutory obligations deprived Congress of its lawful expectation of examining the regulation before its promulgation,” the petition states.

The groups also claimed that the rule’s “designated representative” provision exceeds the scope of the WPS rule by depriving farmers of reasonable expectation of privacy for confidential business information. The groups said that the rule subjects farmers to potential harassment and public criticisms for lawful use of EPA-approved pesticides. In spite of the groups identifying problems related to equity and implementation of the WPS rule, EPA has not addressed the problems.

The petition also asserted that the EPA has failed to finalize and deliver to state lead agencies the enforcement guidance, educational material and training resources needed to effectively implement the rule and assist farmers and ranchers with compliance efforts.

“At this time, even if all of the compliance and enforcement materials were completed and distributed to all the appropriate state enforcement agencies, there is simply not enough time for the (state lead agencies) and the regulated community to successfully implement the provisions scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2017,” the petition stated. “In short, EPA has failed to develop and deliver the necessary resources for states to train the regulated community on the new requirements, and the agency has failed to comply with its own WPS Implementation Timeline.”



Beef Prices Finished the Year With a Bang
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Prices finished 2016 with a bang!  Fed cattle prices increased to $118 per cwt. during the last week of the year.  That was the highest weekly average fed cattle price since early August.  It also represented a 20 percent increase since mid-October when the bottom for the year was set at $98 per cwt.

Beef also got in on the act with the Choice beef cutout trading the last day of the year at $203 per cwt.  The weekly average Choice cutout was the largest since mid-July and was up 12 percent since the lows of the year in mid-October.  Six of the 7 primal cuts finished the year on an uptrend, with only the rib declining.  Live-to-cutout spreads continued to be historically large, up almost $100 per head compared to the last year of 2015.  They have declined since October as fed cattle prices have increased.

The start of a new year always brings some retrospectives on the past year and predictions.  In this vein, I thought it was worth exploring some longer term changes in the feeder market by examining the evolution in feeder cattle demand.  Cattle Buyers Weekly is a very good newsletter published weekly by Steve Kay.  For many years he has done a list of the top 30 feeders in the U.S.  While there have been plenty of changes in feeders over time I was interested in the types of cattle desired.  The list includes the self-identified type of preferred cattle by each feeder.  The 1999 and 2016 top feeder lists contain some very interesting changes over the years in feeder cattle preference.

The one-time feeding capacity of feeders preferring English and English-Cross cattle increased 2.1 million to just over 3 million from 1999 to 2016.  Perhaps related, the number capacity identifying high grading cattle increased from about 369,000 to about 430,000 head.  Feeders preferring Holsteins increased from about 175,000 to about 660,000 over the period.  Some of the descriptors of the cattle have changed over time.  My favorite cattle descriptor was termed "profitable" although "cheap" was a close second.  I suspect there is a universal desire for those types of cattle and likely the search went on for a while in the past couple of years.  In 1999 the terms commercial, yearlings, No. 1, Okie, and Northern Steers were used much more often and for more cattle than in 2016.  I think this list of cattle preferences represents an interesting view of changing cattle markets and demand over the years.



Livestock Industry Lays Out Federal Lands Priorities for Trump Administration

The Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association issued federal land management priorities for the new administration to bring responsible management and economic viability back to the Western landscape.

“Ranchers and other multiple-use interests in the West have been subjected to an almost wholesale shift in federal land management policy under the Obama administration,” said Dave Eliason, PLC president. “While the Bureau of Land Management has a clear directive to manage BLM lands for multiple use and sustained yield, instead focus has shifted toward ‘conservation’ without responsible management. The priorities laid out by the associations are necessary to restore balance to federal land management and set an agenda that will ensure that ranchers can continue their tradition of stewardship well into the future.”

Within the first 100 days in office, the associations are calling on the administration to bring an immediate halt to the Sage Grouse Resource Management Plans, repeal the sprawling monument designations made through abuse of the Antiquities Act, address the critical habitat designations imposing stifling restrictions on landowners, and immediately withdraw EPA's "waters of the United States" rule and the Bureau of Land Management's planning 2.0 rule.

Long-term, attention must be paid to the National Environmental Policy Act, as reform is necessary to streamline and improve the process. Additionally, the incoming administration must take the steps necessary, in conjunction with Congress, to reauthorize and reform the Endangered Species Act.  It is time to restore some balance to this failing law. Recovery plans must be structured for achievable on-the-ground results - not intangibles like climate change; prioritization must be on recovery, not simply the "listing rate," and resources must be directed toward delisting of those species that have been successfully recovered. Further, work must be done to address the exploding population of wild horses and burros. The unchecked population growth is not only exponential government waste; it is most likely the greatest example of inhumanity toward livestock; standing idly by while populations starve due to expansion well beyond range-carrying capacity.

“Ranchers that operate on federal lands protect water sources used by livestock and wildlife, maintain fence lines, reduce spread of invasive weeds like cheatgrass and medusahead, and decrease the fuel loads that lead to catastrophic wildfire,” said Tracy Brunner, NCBA President. “Despite these contributions, beneficiaries of our work continue to attack responsible grazing, essentially biting the hand that feeds them. It is time these groups – whether they be wildlife advocates, environmental organizations, or recreational interests like hikers and sportsmen – put politics aside and appreciate the hard work required to provide them with the quality outdoor experiences they all cherish.”

PLC, NCBA, the American Sheep Industry, and the Association of National Grasslands as well as the associated western affiliates, urge the incoming administration to reevaluate the flawed policies driven by radical special-interest groups and take advantage of the tremendous benefits and opportunities available through restoration and enhancement of responsible grazing on federal lands.



Only a Few Days Remain! Apply for the NCGA 2018 Corn Board Today

The National Corn Growers Association Nominating Committee reminds members it will be accepting applications for the 2018 Corn Board through this Friday. Through the Corn Board, members can become an integral part of the organization's leadership.  Click here for the application, which provides complete information on requirements, responsibilities and deadlines.

"I have had the privilege of working with so many talented, dedicated volunteers who step forward to lead this organization during my years on the Corn Board," said NCGA Chairman and Nominating Committee Chair Chip Bowling. "Their willingness to step forward as volunteer leaders plays a crucial role in building NCGA's future successes. As a true grassroots organization, we rely upon farmers to volunteer to lead, helping to shape policy and drive efforts. Serving on the Corn Board empowers farmers to play a proactive role in determining the collective future of our industry."

The NCGA Corn Board represents the organization on all matters while directing both policy and supervising day-to-day operations.  Board members serve the organization in a variety of ways.  They represent the federation of state organizations, supervise the affairs and activities of NCGA in partnership with the chief executive officer and implement NCGA policy established by the Corn Congress. Members also act as spokespeople for the NCGA and enhance the organization's public standing on all organizational and policy issues.

Applications are due Friday, January 6. Nominated candidates will be introduced at the March 2017 Corn Congress meeting, held in conjunction with the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Corn Board members will be elected at the July 2017 Corn Congress in Washington, D.C., and the new terms begin Oct. 1.

For more information, growers may contact Kathy Baker at NCGA's St. Louis office at (636) 733-9004.