The Iowa Corn Growers Association and the National Corn Growers Association, in partnership with the Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Nebraska Corn Growers Associations have launched the Corn Caucus Project.

The Corn Caucus Project's purpose is to keep corn growers informed and engaged in the 2012 presidential campaign. The primary goal of this program is to contact all campaigns to discuss corn (NCGA) policies and form a relationship with all campaigns, so that they consider and incorporate corn policy positions into their respective campaigns. 

"We are excited to once again be participating in the Corn Caucus Project," says Bruce Rohwer a farmer from Paullina and Iowa Corn's Political Action Committee Chair. "This program helps all of agriculture have a voice in the policy making process by getting involved in campaigns while they are here in Iowa."

A secondary goal of the project is to evaluate candidate positions on corn policy issues, and publicize these positions to our members, NCGA members, other ag groups, and the media prior to the Iowa Caucuses in February 2012.

Let candidates know what the positions and priorities of NCGA are

Activities include a policy survey for candidates, media tracking, communication with campaigns on NCGA positions and priorities, and corn grower involvement in campaigns including volunteering and attending candidate events. The Corn Caucus Project does not provide an endorsement of any candidate.

For more information please visit www.iowacorn.org/corncaucusproject.

Corn growers bring issues to Iowa's congressional Delegation

In other Iowa Corn Grower Association news, corn grower leaders took issues with them to Capitol Hill last week during part of the policy discussions during the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Congress.

"As the top corn producing state with senior legislative leaders, Iowa plays a very important part in not only state issues, but in federal policy efforts too," says Dean Taylor, Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) president and a corn grower from Prairie City. "This is an opportunity to sit down with our legislators and discuss issues from our own farms or from our neighbor's farms."

Iowa corn farmers met with representatives in Washington D.C.

Iowa corn farmers were able to meet personally with Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Tom Harkin, Congressman Bruce Braley, Congressman Dave Loebsack, Congressman Leonard Boswell and Congressman Tom Latham.

Hot topics discussed by each member of Iowa's Congressional Delegation included ethanol, free trade, river infrastructure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), corn sugar, and the upcoming farm bill. All Iowa legislators expressed their support for the corn industry and its importance to the country and state even at a time when the budget negotiations were taking top priority.

Discussed farm programs, ethanol policy, river problems, EPA

Farmers attending the meetings also discussed farm programs with the USDA chief of staff Krysta Harden. New this year, the ICGA hosted a student leadership group that attended not only the grassroots policy meeting and Capitol Hill visits, but they also toured agriculture in Maryland and Delaware.

Taylor cited the yearly the importance of Corn Congress as a way for corn growers to meet with other state leaders on projects that cross state lines and to maintain contact with leading agribusiness representatives. "We know about growing corn in Iowa and the policies that would be best for us. By going to meet with other groups we are able to voice our concerns and positions and build strength in numbers," says Taylor.