Corn growers in the Great Lakes State are realizing the value and importance of belonging to the Michigan Corn Growers Association. As a result, membership in the MCGA has increased to 830 members. Michigan also saw the second highest percentage growth in membership for January and February 2009, with an increase of 3.65%.

"We haven't seen membership levels like this in more than ten years," says Jody Pollok-Newsom, MCGA executive director. "It's really exciting to watch the association grow and create a larger voice for Michigan corn growers. As the grassroots membership organization, our strength truly comes from our members. With an increase in membership, we are able to go to Lansing and Washington, D.C. with a stronger voice and bring some of our ideas to fruition through the increased budget."

As a result of the increased membership numbers, the MCGA was able to provide additional benefits to members this year, including:
• A Guide to the 2008 Election newsletter
• A Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill brochure, including a Farm Bill calculator
• The first-ever MCGA Annual Report

"It was important for us to provide additional benefits to our members," says Pollok-Newsom. "Since we are so heavily focused on policy and legislation, we wanted our members to be aware of the candidate's positions on corn and agriculture during the election last fall. We also wanted farmers to be aware and well-educated on the new ACRE program. As farmers elect whether they want to participate in the program, we want to ensure they understand how it will affect their specific farming operation."

In addition to the new publications members received this year, the increase in membership also increased our voice through the National Corn Growers Association. "In the past, Michigan has only had four delegate seats for NCGA Corn Congress," says Tom Durand, MCGA president and corn grower from Croswell. "Thanks to our increase in membership, we now have five delegate seats, allowing our voice to become louder as we represent Michigan on the national level."