Take time to celebrate successes while working on future problems 

By Chris Cherry, President of Indiana Corn Growers Association 

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to focus on the problems you need to work on instead of the problems you’ve solved. I think we’re all programmed to look at what needs to be done. But I think there’s some value in reflecting on a job well done. 

This has been a busy summer for ICGA, the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). We’re seeing positive results in new export markets and ethanol promotion and more. 

Doug McKalip, the chief agricultural negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), talked to U.S. corn farmers and others who were in Washington, D.C. for NCGA’s Corn Congress in July. McKalip had several victories to report. He said that the USTR cooperates closely with the USDA and ag commodity groups such as the NCGA and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). 

He added that exports of U.S. farm goods improve the bottom line for all farmers. McKalip reported that more than $21 billion in sales to overseas markets have been generated in the past three years. And he’s correct, exports do help improve the prices of our crops. 

Here in Indiana, ethanol is an important user of our corn. Indiana if fifth in the country in corn production at more than 1 billion bushels per year. More than 43 percent of Indiana’s annual crop – approximately 480 million bushels – is processed at an ethanol plant. Indiana is the sixth-largest ethanol producer in America generating more than 1.3 billion gallons per year. 

Ethanol saves motorists money at the pump, and ethanol increases bushel prices for farmers. It’s a win-win that was created through a lot of hard work between both checkoff and policy organizations. 

Taking a moment to remember our victories is important, but we all know there is more work to do. We know that a farm bill is long overdue. We want to see crop insurance protections, and we want conservation programs to be voluntary and incentives-based. We’re working for year-round sales of E15 and increased availability of higher blends of ethanol. We are pushing for improvements to the U.S. inland waterway system and for better rural infrastructure spending. 

These issues will, in time, also be resolved. However, we will not accomplish these alone. ICGA will continue to partner with other farm groups such as NCGA, the Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee and others to secure legislative victories. 

Our most important partner, though, is you. The more farmers who join our cause increase the likelihood of success. If you’re not an ICGA member, I encourage you to get in touch with ICGA Industry Affairs Outreach Manager Khyla Goodman at kgoodman@indianasoybean.com. Khyla can answer any questions you might have about our policy priorities, and she can explain the different options for becoming a member. 

Please consider joining ICGA. The work is important, and you’ll not regret being a part of the victories.