Who knew American corn had a face? That is exactly what the national Corn Farmers Coalition is striving to point out to those in Washington, D.C. – that corn has a face and it is that of the American Corn Farmer.
The Corn Farmers Coalition is a unique alliance that is education-focused and steers clear of specific policy issues. It is funded exclusively by farmers with corn checkoff dollars. It is the alliance of the National Corn Growers Association and 14 state corn associations representing tens of thousands of dues-paying farmers.
The coalition formed in 2008 to specifically educate policymakers in Washington about how tech-savvy, innovative farmers are growing more corn every year – for food, animal feed, ethanol and exports – while using fewer resources and protecting the environment.
This year's campaign will focus on technology in the field: iPads, GPS, auto-steer, field mapping and conservation tillage. The use of Unmanned Aerial Systems as a tool for scouting will be new this year to the technology angle as well.
Related: UAS: Big Benefits for Farming Operations
The campaign is set to launch in July and will be focused in Washington, D.C. For the sixth year in a row, policymakers in our nation's capital will be learning about the American family farmers who produce our nation's number one crop: corn.
Morgan Young of Young Ideas out of Boulder, Colo., gets the pleasure of driving across the Corn Belt photographing and videoing the faces that will represent American corn farmers in the capitol.
"Young Ideas first got involved with the Corn Farmers Coalition in 2008 when the CFC was created to combat negative images of the corn industry. We were asked to bid on the job and we got it," says Young. "It's been a great 6-year run and we're very proud to have helped the CFC turn perceptions of corn farmers around in the critical Washington, D.C., market where opinions are hard to change."