Five deserving young college students from all over the nation were awarded the first NCGA Academic Excellence in Agriculture scholarships, sponsored by BASF, at the Commodity Classic on Friday.
Ken McCauley, chairman of the NCGA, was pleased to announce and congratulate the recipients:
Jason Buss – University of Illinois
Lauren Schlosser – University of Missouri – Columbia
James Seitzer – University of Minnesota
Catherine (Catie) Simpson – Colorado State University
Josh Yoder – Ohio State University
Lauren, Jamie and Catie are pictured here with Adam Burnhams of BASF and Ken.
Catie, who is a graduate student at Colorado State University, spoke for the winners during a press conference. “I was extremely flattered and felt honored by the ag community when I heard I won the scholarship. As a graduate student, there aren’t a lot of scholarships that I’m eligible for. A lot of scholarships for grad students are not in ag. They are for areas of study like microbiology. This is near and dear to my heart to be recognized by BASF and NCGA with this scholarship. That’s (ag) where I came from and it makes me feel like I haven’t strayed too far from home.”
Ken says they received 80 applications for the five $1000 scholarships and they expect many more this year when the program continues with BASF’s sponsorship.
New Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer made his first appearance before corn, soybean and wheat growers at Commodity Classic on Friday.
Schafer talked about the farm bill of course and expressed optimism that we’re getting closer to an agreement. We can only hope!
You can listen to Secretary Schafer’s speech here:
USDA released a document (Word doc) “developed from Administration analysis of impacts to current USDA programs - in the absence of enactment of a new farm bill or an extension of the 2002 farm bill past March 15, 2008.”
Before attending Commodity Classic in Nashville, NCGA’s CEO Rick Tolman spoke to the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, FL. Like many of the speakers he dealt with the irresponsible reporting in the media about ethanol head on with plenty of facts and figures. In fact, I think Rick gave the most comprehensive look at the reality of this segment of the biofuels industry in terms that even a slow witted journalist can understand.
You can listen to Rick’s speech here:
Rick used some great graphics to help make his points.
I really liked this one showing how far we’ve come in this country at increasing the number of bushels grown per acre. It shows that in 1944 we got 2.8 billion bushels of corn off of 85 million acres while just last year we got 13.1 billion bushels off the same number of acres. His point being that we’re getting more efficient in corn production. He also pointed out that companies like Monsanto are projecting that we’ll double the number of bushels harvested per acre in the near future as technology continues to develop. At the same time the amount of inputs like chemicals and fertilizer is decreasing.
I especially love his analysis of water use for growing corn. It’s too bad that when people try to use that topic as a negative they neglect to mention that the majority of it is rain that falls on the ground regardless of what’s being grown on it. I’ve heard Rick speak many times and I think this is one of the best presentations I’ve heard him give. It’s worth a listen which is why I have it recorded for you
Registration is underway in Nashville at the Opryland Convention Center for the 2008 Commodity Classic. Some 4000 corn, soybean and wheat growers, industry representatives and partners are expected to attend the event, which just keeps getting bigger.
Today is meeting day for the different commodity groups and time for everyone to get oriented to this small city that is the Opryland. No need to work out here - just the walk from one end to another is exercise enough!
The farm bill - or lack thereof - is the main topic of discussion in the hallways here. And we can expect to hear more about that when Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer speaks on Friday during the general session.
Biofuels were in the spotlight last week at USDA’s 2008 Outlook Forum with the theme “Energizing Rural America in the Global Marketplace.”
The opening plenary session included Paul Schickler of DuPont/Pioneer Hi-Bred and Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association, who made up half the panel talking about biofuels and new technology increasing yields to meet the demand for both food and fuel.
“The rapid advances in productivity, technology and innovation are contributing to remarkable productivity increases,” said Schickler. “World production of corn (since 1991) has progressed right along with the rapid increase in consumption and the reason is that corn yields have increased over that same period by 30 percent.”
Schickler noted that in the last decade the world population has increased 13 percent, income has increased 35 percent, meat consumption has increased 25 percent, corn consumption is up 32 percent and soybean consumption is up 52 percent … but total global crop area harvested has only increased by four percent.
Dinneen said we need to make sure we are doing everything possible with biotechnology to develop new varieties to increase crop production. “We are going to get to 200 bushels per acre far sooner than anyone believes that we will,” he said.
“We will not have food security in this country unless and until we have energy security,” said Dinneen.
There was also a panel focusing specifically on sustainability of ethanol with presenters including Dr. Mark Stowers of POET and Rick Tolman of National Corn Growers Association. (The links will take you to their presentations.)
Next year’s logo for Commodity Classic will have four amigos, instead of just three.
Sorghum will join corn, soybeans and wheat for the 2009 Commodity Classic Feb. 26-28 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center on Lake Grapevine in Grapevine, Texas.
“We are very excited to take part in Commodity Classic in 2009,” said National Sorghum Producers President Dale Murden. “We recognize that farmers grow diverse crops and Commodity Classic gives producers the opportunity to network and learn about corn, soybeans, wheat, and now sorghum all at the same time.”
Meanwhile, information about this year’s Classic, coming up next week, is available at www.commodityclassic.com.
“Corn Fed” Shannon will join John Conlee, Joe Diffie, Carolina Rain and The Steeldrivers for an exclusive show at the Grand Ole Opry during the Evening of Entertainment wrapping up the 2008 Commodity Classic convention March 1 in Nashville, Tenn.
“This is a great lineup of talent for our private Evening of Entertainment,” said Commodity Classic co-chair and ASA Vice President Randy Mann.
Commodity Classic is the combined convention and trade show of the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers. It will be held Feb. 28-March 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort across from the Grand Ole Opry.
Missouri corn growers are reminding residents - and lawmakers - in the capital city of Jefferson that ethanol is helping the state’s economy.
According to a University of Missouri economic impact study, ethanol production in Missouri is expected to reach 350 million gallons annually by the end of 2008. This growth would create 5,613 jobs, generate $63 million in tax revenues and inject an estimated $726 million into the state’s economy.
Important information, but not quite the emotional punch as the billboards they did two years ago with state president Terry Hilgedick and a former king of Saudi Arabia. Caused a nice little stir and they got some good publicity out of it, not to mention the fact that it did help get the ethanol standard passed, which went into effect on January 1.
Increased ethanol production from corn has tightly linked the agriculture and energy sectors in an unprecedented fashion, according to researchers at Purdue University, who have developed a model that shows how economic policies may impact costs and production.
“We are living through a revolution in American agriculture,” said Wally Tyner, a Purdue professor of agricultural economics, who presented the results of his model last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston. Tyner said the prices of corn and crude oil, which prior to 2007 fluctuated almost independent of one another, have become more closely linked as the use of corn to make ethanol has grown.
According to Tyner, the fixed 51-cent per gallon subsidy paid to ethanol producers will become increasingly expensive for the federal government as oil prices and levels of ethanol production continue to rise.
Tyner analyzed four policy options - the current 51-cent fixed subsidy, the variable subsidy, no subsidy and a renewable fuel standard - at oil prices ranging from $40 per barrel to $120 per barrel. The renewable fuel standard contained in the 2007 Energy Act mandates that energy companies purchase 35 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022, with a maximum of 15 billion gallons coming from corn.
“Regardless of the policy, results become similar at high crude oil prices where the market dominates,” Tyner said. “At low oil prices, however, government policies have huge effects, and all the results are enormously different. The policy choices we make will be critical.”
The 13th annual National Ethanol Conference is coming up next week in Orlando and the theme of this year’s corn-fed event is “Policy & Marketing, Changing the Climate.”
The first panel of the opening general session on “How the Ethanol Industry is Changing the Climate, for the Better” features a look at today’s ethanol industry and its impact on the economy, environment and consumers with National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman and Bruce Scherr, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Informa Economics, Inc.
But neither of them can make corn look quite as good as Nashville recording artist and Iowa native Shannon Brown, who will be performing Tuesday evening at the Networking Reception. VeraSun Energy has partnered with Shannon to raise awareness of ethanol through her music. If you have not heard or seen the title track of her debut album “Corn Fed” you have been missing a real treat for the eyes and ears. You can watch that video on her website.
Lauren, Jamie and Catie are pictured here with Adam Burnhams of BASF and Ken. 
New Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer made his first appearance before corn, soybean and wheat growers at Commodity Classic on Friday. 
Before attending Commodity Classic in Nashville, NCGA’s CEO Rick Tolman spoke to the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, FL. Like many of the speakers he dealt with the irresponsible reporting in the media about ethanol head on with plenty of facts and figures. In fact, I think Rick gave the most comprehensive look at the reality of this segment of the biofuels industry in terms that even a slow witted journalist can understand.
we’re getting more efficient in corn production. He also pointed out that companies like Monsanto are projecting that we’ll double the number of bushels harvested per acre in the near future as technology continues to develop. At the same time the amount of inputs like chemicals and fertilizer is decreasing.
Registration is underway in Nashville at the Opryland Convention Center for the 2008 Commodity Classic. Some 4000 corn, soybean and wheat growers, industry representatives and partners are expected to attend the event, which just keeps getting bigger.
Biofuels were in the spotlight last week at USDA’s 2008 Outlook Forum with the theme “Energizing Rural America in the Global Marketplace.”
“The rapid advances in productivity, technology and innovation are contributing to remarkable productivity increases,” said Schickler. “World production of corn (since 1991) has progressed right along with the rapid increase in consumption and the reason is that corn yields have increased over that same period by 30 percent.”
Next year’s logo for Commodity Classic will have four amigos, instead of just three. 
As Ken commented on the 
Missouri corn growers are reminding residents - and lawmakers - in the capital city of Jefferson that ethanol is helping the state’s economy. 
Important information, but not quite the emotional punch as the billboards they did two years ago with state president Terry Hilgedick and a former king of Saudi Arabia. Caused a nice little stir and they got some good publicity out of it, not to mention the fact that it did help get the ethanol standard passed, which went into effect on January 1. 
“We are living through a revolution in American agriculture,” said Wally Tyner, a Purdue professor of agricultural economics, who presented the results of his model last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston. Tyner said the prices of corn and crude oil, which prior to 2007 fluctuated almost independent of one another, have become more closely linked as the use of corn to make ethanol has grown.
According to Tyner, the fixed 51-cent per gallon subsidy paid to ethanol producers will become increasingly expensive for the federal government as oil prices and levels of ethanol production continue to rise.
The