Moving ethanol-related bill forward is our goal at state and federal levels 

By Chris Cherry, President, Indiana Corn Growers Association 

At this moment, I’m sitting in Louisville, Ky., preparing for the winter National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) meetings and Action Teams. As I look back on the past year, there is much to be thankful for and appreciative. 

I am on the NCGA’s Biofuels Action team. As a member of this action team, I represent the farmer members of Indiana as well as 18 other states that make up the NCGA. 

NCGA has six action teams made up of 16 members each, all with the same goal of finding new ways to “move the pile.” The other action teams are: 

• Production and Sustainability 

• Communication and Education 

• Research and New Uses 

• Risk Management 

• Trade, Transportation and Animal Ag 

These action teams are critical in doing the work within NCGA and in working with our state legislatures and the representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. 

In Biofuels, we spend much of our time working with industry partners that are finding ways to burn more ethanol, to make E15 more mainstream, and to find ways to bring sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) forward by using U.S. corn ethanol. 

Indiana is fortunate to have members of the ICGA board and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) board on each of these six action teams. It shows both Indiana’s commitment and the trust that NCGA has in having us work on these teams. 

One of the big wins that ICGA and NCGA had recently was the ruling that Mexico must adhere to its USMCA commitments. Mexico had banned the use of GMO corn in both feed and food uses. This went against the previous agreements that were signed. This ruling is a direct result of the grassroots work that has been done by your directors and the directors in NCGA. 

We thought year-round E15 was going to get passed in Congress by the end of the 2024, but it ultimately fell apart. We are hopeful that E15 and the Next Generations Fuels Act as well as a new farm bill get traction and completion in what will be a busy 2025. 

My grandma used to tease me over the phone with, “What are you doing, nothing?” This was always harmless, but it expressed her belief that if you weren’t driving a tractor or a combine, then you weren’t really doing anything. This was more of a generational thing, and it took me a few years to appreciate it. Now I certainly miss getting those phone calls. 

Today’s farmers work year around and don’t have too much down time. We move from one season to the next, and many have side businesses or off-farm income to support their farming “habit.” January is especially busy with farmer meetings, pre-pay dates, continuing education requirements as well as having grain to haul. 

Since it is January, and hauling grain is a priority, I just wanted to remind everyone of grain bin safety. Don’t ever get into a grain bin without someone there; and if you are inside the bin, utilize best practices so that no one gets hurt. I heard about an accident recently; and thankfully. the man is okay. Many times, these incidents don’t have a great end result. 

Thankfully the volunteer fire departments as well as other departments were quick to respond. Many of these departments have benefited from the support of our corn checkoff program providing tubes and training that lead to better results. For more information, reach out to staff or a board member.