ILLINOIS CORN FARMERS AT CORN CONGRESS

Jul 12, 2011  |  Today's News

Illinois corn farmers are in Washington, DC, this week for their mid-year policy session dubbed, “Corn Congress.” Topping the priority issue list for the delegate body are ethanol and farm bill policy considerations.

In addition to the policy sessions, the Action Teams also meet during Corn Congress. Illinois farmers serve on each of the National Corn Growers Association Action Teams (AT). The AT’s include:

  • Production & Stewardship
  • Public Policy
  • Ethanol Committee
  • Research & Business Development
  • Grower Services
  • Trade Policy & Biotechnology

Specifically with regards to the Grower Services Action Team (GSAT), corn farmers discussed image and outreach programs underway by NCGA and its member states. Grower Services spent a lot of time talking about the Image campaign components including Corn Farmers Coalition, Common Ground and US Farmers and Ranchers Coalition. CFC is fully formed and in its third year and focused on the Hill audience while the others as just evolving and showing great promise to put a farmer face on the industry nationally.

Kent Kleinschmidt, a corn farmer from Tazewell County, sits on the GSAT. He says it’s great to see corn farmers featured in the Corn Farmers Coalition ad campaign in Washington.

“The Corn Farmers Coalition advertisements are a fantastic conversation starter when we’re in DC,” Kleinschmidt explained. “Nearly everyone we talk to has seen one or more of the ads. The messages and images are memorable, understandable, and believable. They should be believable because they’re based on the facts, not some overly-spun tactic thrown into the media by groups that would love to see corn farmers fail.”