Date: Tuesday, November 25
Location: AgriCenter, 14171 Carole Dr, Bloomington, IL
Open to all ICGA members
IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) members are invited to gather in Bloomington for our Annual Meeting - a day dedicated to celebrating accomplishments, discussing the future of Illinois agriculture, and hearing from leaders who are shaping the conversation in policy, ethanol, and food transparency.
The morning begins with breakfast at 7:30 AM, followed by the ICGA Business Session from 8–9:30 AM, where members will review the year’s progress and recognize ag leaders. The Reorganizational Meeting will follow from 9:30–9:45 AM.
At 10:00 AM, ICGA President will kick off the day’s programming with a welcome and introduction to our featured speakers:
- 10:15 AM – Steve Kelly, General Manager, One Earth Energy
- One Earth Energy operates a 100-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant that transforms Illinois corn into fuel-grade ethanol and distillers’ grains. Kelly will share insight into the company’s latest initiative — capturing and storing CO₂ byproduct from ethanol production — and what this means for the future of low-carbon fuel markets.
- 11:00 AM – Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity
- A nationally recognized food and agriculture thought leader, Arnot will present new research from the Center for Food Integrity on how consumer trust in food production is evolving. He’ll also discuss trending narratives in agriculture and how farmers can better connect with the public conversation.
Lunch will be served at 12:30 PM.
- 1:00 PM – Jonathan Coppess, University of Illinois
- Coppess, a professor of agricultural policy, will share analysis from the University of Illinois FarmDoc team, focusing on the regional inequities within farm bill programs, which states are most affected, and possible solutions being considered as Congress works toward a new bill.
The meeting will conclude around 1:30 PM with closing remarks.
