Liquid fuels summit offered strong programs and informed attendees 

By Chris Cherry, President, Indiana Corn Growers Association 

In early May, I had the pleasure of being one of the many speakers at the High Performance Low Carbon Liquid Fuels Summit at the Colts complex in Indianapolis. This is such a great event for retailers and industry partners to showcase Indiana, ethanol and biofuels. 

Indiana Corn Growers Association, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, and Indiana Soybean Alliance staff did a phenomenal job in putting this event together with industry partners attending from all across the country. I feel fortunate to be able to attend this for a second consecutive year. 

Not only were the speakers and panels impressive and informative, but all of the attendees were, too. Those in the crowd showcased a wide range of talent within the biofuels industry. We had many good discussions in addition to the stage presentations. 

We learned during the Summit that ethanol and renewable fuels, in general, face many challenges – just like most of us trying to plant a crop this spring. 

On our farm, we finished planting on May 12, and we were fortunate to finish corn and soybeans on the same day. Although we’re able to plant some soybeans in April, but the majority of our crop went in the ground in early May. We will continue to spray wheat (for the last time), spray corn and get ready to side-dress nitrogen. 

The wheat is looking pretty good and should come off earlier than usual again. We’re hoping for strong yields because wheat, like corn and soybeans, has taken a big hit in the markets. 

These hits in the markets are why we need reliable support for renewable fuels like ethanol. 

We were disappointed that the ethanol tax incentive bill got cut by the Indiana General Assembly when the April forecasts came out. But we should all be proud of the efforts and support that this bill had in the Statehouse for this session. We will continue to work to keep ethanol moving forward. 

Ethanol and biofuels are still a cleaner burning, renewable energy source, and we will get this done. 

ICGA recognizes the value of the corn checkoff programs in Indiana. The Indiana Corn Marketing Council was created by state law in 2007. In that time, the checkoff has worked to make our corn crop more valuable by encouraging investment in the ethanol industry and finding new export markets. The checkoff program has plans to do more. To assist with their goals of helping all Indiana corn farmers, ICGA is looking into ways to update the state’s corn checkoff law. This effort will require input from you. 

As you know, ICGA is a membership organization that serves as the policy voice for Indiana’s corn farmers. The law strictly prohibits the use of checkoff dollars for policy work. That means we must rely on membership dollars and corporate contributions to ensure farmer voices are heard at the statehouse and in Washington, D.C.  

Please consider becoming a member. Joining is easy, contact ICGA Industry Affairs Manager Khyla Goodman at kgoodman@incorn.org for details.