Celebrity dancing racer Helio Castroneves and former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace visited with Iowa corn growers and members of the media on Wednesday to promote the Iowa Corn Indy 250 on June 22 at the Iowa Speedway in Newton.
There was no dancing, but Helio did sing the praises of ethanol. “It’s great,” he says. “The IndyCar Series is the one that started 100 percent on ethanol and other series are following as well. I’m very proud to be part of this organization. And ethanol is the main sponsor, we’re here because it’s where they produce ethanol.”
Helio is a two-time Indy 500 winner, but he gained new celebrity as the current “Dancing with the Stars” champion, and he hopes that will also gain new fans for the IndyCar Series from the 22 million people who tuned in to that show. “The funny thing is now, before doing the show I was a driver that can dance, and now I am a dancer that can drive,” he joked.
Besides being former NASCAR champion, Wallace is also an ABC/ESPN commentator, and designer of Iowa Speedway. This will be the second year for the ethanol-fueled race at the new speedway. The premier Iowa Corn Indy 250 last year was the second-most watched IndyCar Series race after the Indianapolis 500. This is also the second year that the IndyCar Series will run on 100 percent fuel grade ethanol.
The Missouri Corn Growers Association is celebrating 30 years of success, and this past year was one of the most successful ever for the organization.
MCGA president Mike Geske, a producer from Matthews, outlined the many successes they were able to celebrate, from full funding of the state’s Ethanol Incentive Fund, to passage of WRDA on the national level, to the profitable price of corn.
In recognition for his support of renewable fuels, corn growers and the agriculture industry in general, Geske presented Missouri Governor Matt Blunt with this year’s President’s Award. This is the second year in a row that Governor Blunt received that award from the MCGA and the first time anyone has been a two-time recipient of the organization’s highest honor.
“With our support for renewable fuels and the leadership of the Missouri Corn Growers, our state has become a leader in ethanol production,” Blunt said.
The governor also told the growers that we should all be proud of the higher prices they are getting for their commodities these days. “We shouldn’t apologize that we have a good, fair price for corn and soybeans, that’s something we should relish,” he said.
It appears as though another extension of the 2002 Farm Bill is inevitable, since the current extension is set to expire in just a few short days and Congress is still stuck on working out funding for a new bill.
Even though key agriculture committee members from both houses and both parties expressed optimism last week that a compromise was in the works, virtually nothing was accomplished, and Congress is recessing this Friday for Easter, the day before the current extension expires. The latest word is that they are hoping for a compromise by mid-week so that staff can work over the recess on the details.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post editorialized on the farm bill Sunday, basically saying that because corn prices are high and net farm income is up, there is “no justification whatsoever for spending billions more on agriculture.” Here’s an excerpt:
“…in this flush time for farmers, House and Senate conferees are contemplating a farm bill that might cost $10 billion more over the next decade than the current law would have. The tentative $280 billion-plus price tag includes needed spending on nutrition and soil conservation programs — but also about $5 billion a year in cash transfers to corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and rice farmers over the next five years. So far, there are no meaningful limits on the amount each farm enterprise can receive. Thus, plenty of this federal largess will be showered on people much richer than the average American, who is struggling with higher food costs.”
There are about 20 comments so far on the editorial, many of which point out the importance of farm programs. This is another great opportunity to at least try to educate the general public.
The Renewable Fuels Association last week released the results of an economic analysis conducted by John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC, a global expert services consulting firm. The report focused on the impact of the U.S. ethanol industry in 2007.
The analysis determined that the “increase in economic activity resulting from ongoing production and construction of new capacity supported the creation of 238,541 jobs in all sectors of the economy during 2007. These include more than 46,000 jobs in America’s manufacturing sector — American jobs making ethanol from grain produced by American farmers.” The goods and services required to produce the estimated 6.5 billion gallons in 2007 added $47.6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product and raised household incomes by $12.3 billion.
Comments by President Bush this week that corn prices are affecting food prices required some explanation after the fact by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer.
During a speech this week at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008, Bush said, “Corn ethanol holds a lot of promise, but there’s a lot of challenges. If you’re a hog-raiser in the United States, you’re beginning to worry about the cost of corn to feed your animals. I’m beginning to hear complaints from our cattlemen about the high price of corn. The high price of corn is beginning to affect the price of food.”
Talking to Brownfield Network reporter Peter Shinn afterward, Schafer said there is no inconsistency between the President’s remarks about the impact of corn demand from the ethanol industry on food prices and the long-held USDA position that higher energy prices play a greater role in food price inflation.
“Well, I think the President stated an obvious fact that everybody knows today that food prices are being challenged by fuel prices,” Schafer said. “But really, this is a consistent administrative policy and direction, and I was pleased the President pointed out the fact that, though corn prices are under pressure right now, the pathway is to cellulosic ethanol.”
Schafer addressed WIREC on Tuesday and hosted a ministerial luncheon at the event Wednesday. WIREC 2008 featured representatives from over 100 countries with attendance estimated at seven to eight thousand. The event wrapped up Thursday.
“America has got to change its habits. We’ve got to get off oil.”
No kidding. About the time he was making that statement, crude oil on the New York mercantile exchange jumped nearly $4 on falling oil inventories, trading over $104 a barrel and setting a new all-time record. The expectation is that gas prices will reach $4 a gallon by Memorial Day now.
Bush renewed his support for ethanol produced by the nation’s farmers to help us change our habits and get off that high-priced oil.
“The vast majority of that ethanol is coming from corn, and that’s good,” he said. “That’s good if you’re a corn-grower. And it’s good if you’re worried about national security. I’d rather have our corn farmers growing energy than relying upon some nation overseas that may not like us. That’s how I view it.”
He did express concerns about corn ethanol, however, and stressed the need for cellulosic technology.
“The best thing to do is not to retreat from our commitment to alternative fuels, but to spend research and development money on alternatives to ethanol made from other materials — for example, cellulosic ethanol holds a lot of promise. I’m sure there are people in the industry here that will tell you how far the industry has come in a very quick period of time.”
As to changing habits, Bush noted, “I probably didn’t help today when I rode over in a 20-car motorcade.” Some things may never change!
NCGA President Ron Litterer got to share the stage with his counterparts in soybeans and wheat at the Commodity Classic in Nashville. They’re pictured as follows: John Hoffman, American Soybean Association, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, National Association of Wheat Growers.
The three took part in an annual discussion led by this year’s moderator John Phipps, U.S. Farm Report.
John starts out wondering how in the world these three guys got so lucky as to be President this year when we’ve got such fantastic market prices. It’s a lively discussion which I hope you’ll enjoy.
The announcement last week that scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have completed a working draft of the corn genome holds tremendous potential to meet society’s growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.
The accomplishment, which was announced at the 50th Annual Maize Genetics Conference, is the result of a $30 million project initiated in 2005 and funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of Washington University’s Genome Sequencing Center, says this is the first comprehensive glimpse at the blueprint for the corn plant. “Scientists now will be able to accurately and efficiently probe the corn genome to find ways to improve breeding and subsequently increase crop yields and resistance to drought and disease,” he said.
The draft covers about 95 percent of the corn genome, and scientists will spend the remaining year of the grant refining and finalizing the sequence. “Although it’s still missing a few bits, the draft genome sequence is empowering,” Wilson explains. “Virtually all the information is there, and while we may make some small modifications to the genetic sequence, we don’t expect major changes.”
According to plant biologist Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., chair of Washington University’s Department of Biology, “The genome will help unravel the basic biology of corn. That information can be used to look for genes that make corn more nutritious or more efficient for ethanol production, for example.”
The team working on the endeavor included scientists from Iowa State University, among them corn geneticist Dr. Patrick Schnable who has been working on corn genetics exclusively for well over 20 years. Brownfield Network’s Peter Shinn did an interview with Dr. Schnable you can read and listen to here.
This is an exciting development that opens up a whole new world of possibilities for feeding and fueling the world.
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said they are delighted and proud at the National Agri-Marketing Association announcement that NCGA CEO Rick Tolman has been named Agribusiness Leader of the Year. Here’s Rick at the NCGA booth at Commodity Classic.
The award honors outstanding leaders in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas who exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry.
“We congratulate Rick on this prestigious award,” said NCGA President Ron Litterer. “His commitment and dedication is apparent in the many accomplishments that benefit agriculture, especially in the areas of ethanol, trade, transportation, biotechnology, and farm policy.”
Noting Tolman’s efforts to dispel prevalent myths about corn ethanol, NCGA Chairman Ken McCauley said, “We couldn’t be more pleased. Rick is an outspoken champion for agriculture and this honor is well deserved.”
NCGA leaders and producers are at Commodity Classic, the combined tradeshow and convention of corn, soybean and wheat producers. “We are celebrating one or most successful Commodity Classic events yet,” said Bob Dickey, NCGA first vice president. “This is one more reason to celebrate.”
Tolman will receive the award April 17 at the 2008 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
Helio is a two-time Indy 500 winner, but he gained new celebrity as the current “Dancing with the Stars” champion, and he hopes that will also gain new fans for the IndyCar Series from the 22 million people who tuned in to that show. “The funny thing is now, before doing the show I was a driver that can dance, and now I am a dancer that can drive,” he joked.
The 
In recognition for his support of renewable fuels, corn growers and the agriculture industry in general, Geske presented Missouri Governor Matt Blunt with this year’s President’s Award. This is the second year in a row that Governor Blunt received that award from the MCGA and the first time anyone has been a two-time recipient of the organization’s highest honor.
Even though key agriculture committee members from both houses and both parties expressed optimism last week that a compromise was in the works, virtually nothing was accomplished, and Congress is recessing this Friday for Easter, the day before the current extension expires. The latest word is that they are hoping for a compromise by mid-week so that staff can work over the recess on the details.
When ethanol comes to town, things change.
The analysis determined that the “increase in economic activity resulting from ongoing production and construction of new capacity supported the creation of 238,541 jobs in all sectors of the economy during 2007. These include more than 46,000 jobs in America’s manufacturing sector — American jobs making ethanol from grain produced by American farmers.” The goods and services required to produce the estimated 6.5 billion gallons in 2007 added $47.6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product and raised household incomes by $12.3 billion.
Talking to Brownfield Network reporter Peter Shinn afterward, Schafer said there is no inconsistency between the President’s remarks about the impact of corn demand from the ethanol industry on food prices and the long-held USDA position that higher energy prices play a greater role in food price inflation.
No kidding. About the time he was making that statement, crude oil on the New York mercantile exchange jumped nearly $4 on falling oil inventories, trading over $104 a barrel and setting a new all-time record. The expectation is that gas prices will reach $4 a gallon by Memorial Day now. 
NCGA President Ron Litterer got to share the stage with his counterparts in soybeans and wheat at the Commodity Classic in Nashville. They’re pictured as follows: John Hoffman, American Soybean Association, Ron Litterer, NCGA and John Thaemert, National Association of Wheat Growers.
Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of Washington University’s Genome Sequencing Center, says this is the first comprehensive glimpse at the blueprint for the corn plant. “Scientists now will be able to accurately and efficiently probe the corn genome to find ways to improve breeding and subsequently increase crop yields and resistance to drought and disease,” he said. 
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said they are delighted and proud at the 