July 2026 Corn Congress & FFA

We're so excited to have you joining us in Washington D.C. this week! We will link all relevant information below.

Staff & Board Overview:

Monday

Business Attire

Arrival & Check-in

Action team meetings

Action team dinners

Tuesday

Business Attire

Action team meetings

IL Corn dinner at Clyde's

Wednesday

Business Attire

Corn Congress Breakfast

Corn Congress

Congressional visits 12-5pm

Corn Fest reception 5-7pm

Thursday

Business Attire / Casual for travel

IL Corn breakfast w/ FFA

Congressional visits 9:00am-TBD

Departure

Capitol Visit Schedule:

This schedule is subject to change.

Wednesday, 7/15 noon-5:00, Thursday, 7/16 9:00-TBD

Notify Ashley at 309-310-0131 with questions or concerns

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WEDNESDAY'S SENATE MEETINGS HELD IN THE SENATE VISITOR'S CENTER:

You will enter through the Capitol building (not Russell, Dirksen, or Hart Senate Office Buildings). The quickest entrance is at the intersection of Delaware and Constitution Avenues, NW. You will walk to the Senate security hut located on the north side of the Capitol, go through security, check in at the Senate Appointment Desk and will be given directions to S-115

FFA Overview:

Monday

Business Casual Attire

Arrive in D.C.

Hotel check-in

Welcome & panel

D.C. monuments tour

Tuesday

Business Attire

Breakfast and Meet & Greet

Speakers

Nat. Museum of American History

IL Corn & FFA Dinner

Policy priorities & meet your team

Wednesday

Business Attire

Corn Congress breakfast

Congressional visits

Free-time in evening

Thursday

Business Attire / Casual for travel

Breakfast w/ IL Corn Directors

Capitol tour

Hotel check-out

Depart for airport @ 12:30

Depart @ 3:30

To learn more about our congressional visits and your role, please watch this short etiquette video.

IL Corn Priorities

Farm Bill

• Farm economy
• Conservation Programs
• Mandatory Base Acre Update
• Consolidation

45Z

To ensure farmers can fully participate and receive value for the

conservation practices they have adopted, the USDA framework must be incorporated into Treasury and DOE's 45Z implementation.

Ethanol

• Increase Ethanol Demand in Light-Duty Vehicles
• Year-Round E15 Passing in the Senate
• 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit
• Maritime
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Conservation

• Overcoming Barriers to Conservation Adoption
• Conservation and Crop Insurance
• Recognize risk reductions and mitigations
• Congressional Support for flexible and voluntary Conservation Programs

Farm Economy

• Input Costs Remain Stubbornly High
• Low Commodity Prices
• Policy Uncertainty Limits Demand Growth

Waterways

• FY 2027 Energy and Water Appropriations
• Water Resources Development Act 2026
• Improving the Delivery of Inland Waterways Infrastructure Projects

New Markets

• Maritime
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel
• New Uses & Biomanufacturing

Trade

• Importance of Exports
• Critical Imports
• Competitive Landscape

USMCA

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement supports

• $1.9T Total goods and services traded
• $60B+ ag exports
• 13M US jobs

PCM

Learn more about the PCM (precision conservation management) Program and their new booklet on the business case for conservation.

Senator & Reps. Info:

Find your representative & group here: