Farmers reasserted control of their industry by creating commodity checkoff programs 

By Scott Smith, President, Indiana Corn Growers Association 

When a fence needs mended, a tire needs changed or an implement needs repaired, farmers will often tackle those problems on their own. If the repair requires a little extra muscle or a specific expertise, we might invite a neighbor or friend to help. Ultimately, though, we understand that we are responsible for the future of our own industry. We know how to solve our own problems better than those who don’t live on the farm. 

In a way, that’s part of the story of today’s more modern, more cohesive, stronger agricultural economy. 

Around 40 to 50 years ago, the farm economy needed repaired. Government-imposed grain embargoes restricted or eliminated international trade. A lack of investment into ag companies slowed the progress of new technologies to farmers. Universities and research institutions were delayed from bringing vital information and new growing techniques to corn and soybean fields by out-of-date views of agriculture. 

These circumstances and more led to stagnant or declining bushels prices in the 1970s and 1980s. High interest rates made credit difficult to find. Farmers grew tired of serving as pawns in government-led trade negotiations and being subject to welfare-style government programs to make ends meet. 

Many farmers recognized the problems. They saw the systems were broken, and they decided to repair those challenges themselves. 

Under these circumstances, farmers several decades ago pulled their resources together to campaign for commodity checkoff programs. Under federal law, checkoff programs promote and provide research and information for a particular farm commodity without singling out specific farmers or brands. This means the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) promotes corn in all of its forms – including corn as feed, corn as food and corn as fuel. 

These programs are financed by farmers, led by farmers and designed to benefit both the farmers of today and future generations. 

In 2007, after years of debate in the Indiana General Assembly, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the Indiana Corn Market Development Act into law, and ICMC, the state’s corn checkoff program, was launched. ICMC has proven its worth to Hoosier corn growers many times since its creation. Here are a handful of accomplishments: 

• Expanding Indiana’s ethanol industry from six plants in 2007 to 15 today. 
• Creating environmental programs to help farmers adopt ecologically sound farming practices. 
• Investing in the Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center at Purdue University establishing the first field phenotyping facility of its kind in the United States. 

• Sponsoring the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Corn Utilization Technology Conference which brings together the value chain interested in developing new uses for corn. 

For all of the things that the checkoff provides to Indiana farmers, by law, it can’t do everything. The checkoff program cannot advocate for itself or anything else. The checkoff’s role is the research, inform and promote. That is where the Indiana Corn Growers Association steps in. As the policy organization that campaigns for the benefit of Hoosier farmers, ICGA supports the checkoff and its efforts. 

We believe that working in tandem, ICMC with ICGA, will benefit all Indiana farmers. 

We believe ICMC will continue to conduct research that will lead to more productive farms. ICMC will inform consumers and farmers of the benefits of corn-based products. And, ICMC will promote Indiana corn in all forms. 

At the same time, ICGA will continue to push for legislation that will provide year-round access to higher blends of ethanol. We will fight against trade barriers such as Mexico’s ban of biotech corn. Join our fight. Together we can do great things.