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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it will use existing authority to prevent drivers from losing access to lower-cost and lower-emission E15, a higher ethanol blend often marketed as Unleaded 88. IL Corn Growers Association and National Corn Growers Association, which have advocated for the move , praised the decision. “We appreciate Administrator Regan’s timely action to prevent a disruption in E15 availability,” said National Corn Growers Association President Tom Haag. “EPA’s action will help address fuel supply constraints and ensure drivers continue to have access to a lower-cost fuel choice that cuts emissions.” The fuel market conditions that warranted EPA taking the same successful step last year continue today, Haag noted, and he said corn growers are proud to contribute to an energy and environmental solution that saves consumers money at the pump. “IL Corn applauds the EPA in making this decision for consumers to have access to an affordable low-carbon fuel choice,” says Matt Rush ICGA President and Illinois farmer. “Rural Illinois is a key partner for tackling climate and energy issues and today’s decision further illustrates that farmers are here for long-term solutions at the pump.” Continued access to E15 during the summer months will help relieve ongoing fuel supply pressures. When EPA took similar action last year, drivers saved nearly a dollar per gallon in some locations and an average of 23 cents per gallon during the summer months, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. E15 continues to save consumers significantly at the pump today. Moreover, allowing uninterrupted E15 sales keeps a lower-emission fuel in the marketplace. In addition to being lower in carbon emissions, E15 has lower volatility than regular fuel, which is a 10% ethanol blend, and using E15 results in lower evaporative and exhaust emissions, important during the summer driving season.

Craft distilleries in Illinois will once again compete for top honors at a national whiskey tasting competition sponsored by IL Corn Marketing Board . The 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition is the fourth competition sponsored by state corn marketing associations. Craft spirits is a fast-growing U.S. industry – the number of craft distillers has increased 54% since the inaugural competition in 2016 -- and whiskey is its most popular product. Most distilleries that produce craft products are family-owned and rely on farmers for a reliable supply of corn to make the mash from which spirits are distilled. 

IL Corn Director of Public Policy Brad Stotler testified last week in Springfield before the Senate Revenue Committee on SB 1869, legislation sponsored by Sen. Pat Joyce to incentivize fuels with higher blends of ethanol in Illinois. During the subject matter committee hearing, IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) advocated for reducing the sales tax on fuels that have higher than 10 percent blends of ethanol. The legislation lowers the sales tax on E15 by 10 percent, mid-range blends by 20 percent; and extends the current 100 percent sales tax reduction on majority blend ethanol fuel known as E-85. The existing E-85 incentive is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2023. With the proposal, all three ethanol-blend tax incentives outlined in SB 1869 sunset on December 31, 2030. 

Representative Mary Miller cosponsored the “Agriculture Export Promotion Act of 2023” (H.R.648) this week, a bill that is a top priority for the IL Corn Growers Association. The bill supports increasing funding for the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program authorized in the Farm Bill. “Increasing access to foreign markets is hugely important for all Illinois farmers and increasing funding available to these export promotion programs is crucial to us. I am so grateful that my Congresswoman, Mary Miller, cosponsored the bill,” said Matt Rush, IL Corn Growers Association President and Fairfield, IL farmer. The bill calls for increased export promotion funding, representing an increase of only 16 hundredths of a percent of current Farm Bill authorizations. The MAP and FMD programs both invest federal dollars in market development activities that increase export opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products. First established in 1978, these programs have clearly demonstrated their effectiveness, returning over $24 to the US economy for every $1 of public funding. Both programs’ funding has not changed in about 20 years, while the global food and agriculture markets have become increasingly competitive. The programs are successful examples of public-private partnerships. Private investment from farmers, through their checkoff programs, is used to leverage the USDA contributions. As the value of USDA’s contributions has eroded over time, farmers’ and industry partners’ contributions are even more consequential. “FMD and MAP are programs that boost our checkoff dollars and help them achieve more than they could alone. Flat funding for many years has been impacting the level of programming we can provide. Increasing funds directed to these programs will help us continue building relationships and promoting U.S. corn, DDGS, ethanol, and meats with our international customers. Corn farmers really need the entire Illinois delegation to signal increased support for these critical programs,” said Rush. Companion legislation, S. 176, has also been introduced in the Senate and has received significant bipartisan support. Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin are cosponsors of the bill and helping to move the legislation forward in the Senate chamber.

Yesterday, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, lead by Chairman GT Thompson of Pennsylvania, held a hearing for the purpose of receiving testimony from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan. Regan is the first U.S. EPA Administrator that has testified before the House Ag Committee since 2016, according to Rep. Feenstra at 1 hour, 56 minutes in the hearing. Rep. Mary Miller shared some eye-opening comments about the use of farmland for solar farms in her district in Illinois.

Ava Splear Waterman, IL "Majoring in agriculture is important to me because I grew up around it. This upbringing instilled many values in me including the value of hard work, patience, dedication, passion, and the importance of family. In addition, many of the people I love most work in the industry. I strive to be an advocate for agriculture by educating individuals so that they can make informed decisions as consumers and have basic knowledge about the industry."

Precision Conservation Management (PCM) will be increasing conservation acres in Illinois through a partnership with PepsiCo extending through 2030, according to PCM Director Greg Goodwin. “PCM will work with PepsiCo to allocate some of that $216 million announced in late March to Illinois farmers willing to plant cover crops, reduce tillage, or apply nitrogen according to the Maximum Return to Nitrogen rate,” said Goodwin. Read more from PepsiCo’s announcement on March 21 here. The partnership focuses on three priority conservation practices; planting cover crops, reducing tillage, and changing nitrogen application rates and timing are the three pillars of PCM’s on-farm conservation work in Illinois, Kentucky, and Nebraska.