While we’re celebrating World Trade Month, it just makes sense to also consider the infrastructure that makes growing exports possible.

Check out this interview between Jim Tarmann, IL Corn staff, and John Jenkinson.

Locks and dams continue to be a huge priority for IL Corn.  We’ve gotten some members of Congress to understand the investment needed, and we’ve freed up some dollars (by reallocating how Olmsted lock and dam renovations are funded) and created some new dollars (by increasing the user fee), but we still need to just break ground on one new lock and dam.

Without this very vital infrastructure, U.S. and Illinois competitiveness in the global marketplace will suffer.