Corn Commentary

Twin Turkeys Sighted

Amazingly, two turkey farmers in different parts of the country have the exact same views about ethanol, using the exact same words in editorials to different newspapers.

The first appeared in the Harrisonburg Virginia “Daily News Record” on June 16, written by James L. Mason, a turkey farmer from Rockingham County. The second was “written” by Peter Rothfork of central Minnesota and appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on July 8.

Both start exactly the same way:
Over the past few months, a debate has begun about whether it’s a good idea for Congress to force America to turn over one-third of our nation’s corn into ethanol. It’s about time.

Instead of engaging in this debate, however, some who support the current policy have decided to make it personal, claiming that those who want to take a second look at ethanol are out to get the American farmer. In a nation that deeply respects farmers, those are fighting words — and I know them to be false. I believe we should rethink our ethanol policy, and I am a farmer.

They then add personal information about their individual operations. After that, the letters are nearly identical.

The Minnesota Corn Growers pointed out the similarities to Minnesota TV station wanting to cover the story. When confronted on camera by the reporter, Rothfork admitted that he “had help with the article by Sherrie Rosenblatt,” public relations vice president for the National Turkey Federation. He said the ideas and thoughts in the editorial are his own, “She helped me craft the words.”

“There are a couple of thing that set this apart from the usual ‘that’s just PR flaks doing their job’ scenario,” says Mark Hamerlinck, communications director for the Minnesota Corn Growers. “First, these are not simply letters to the editor that were generated by a letter writing campaign – in the case of the Star Tribune, this piece took up a third of their op-ed page. And, had the opinion piece been on another subject (say, the economic and security benefits of ethanol) you can bet they wouldn’t have touched it had they known it was published a month before in another paper under another name.” Hamerlinck gives the KARE11 television reporter credit for asking the turkey farmer about the obvious editorial similarities.

Corn and ethanol industry representatives are urged to keep an eye out for similar turkey sightings in their own areas and use their own ammunition to shoot back.

Pork Producers Point No Fingers

With feed costs representing 70 percent of the price of raising hogs, there is no doubt that pork producers are feeling the pinch of high grain prices. But, producers are recognizing the fact that it is more than just ethanol production driving up the prices.

“This is not specifically an ethanol problem,” said National Pork Producers Council president Bryan Black. “The world demand for grain, the total energy price crisis and shortages of grain across the world have led to this situation and we are not pointing the finger at any one particular one.”

The NPPC has created a brand new task force to look at new feed alternatives to help them deal with the rising cost of corn and soybean meal, which have been the primary source of feed for hogs. In addition, USDA’s move to free up some Conservation Reserve Program acreage to haying and grazing should help by increasing the amount of feed available to the livestock industry.