Cobcast: Inside the Grind with the National Corn Growers Association
Big picture conversations about the future of agriculture with the National Corn Growers Association and its network of industry leaders. Join us every month as we explore new topics and advocate for America’s corn farmers. From the fields of the Corn Belt to the DC Beltway, we’ll make sure that the growers who feed and fuel America have a say in issues that are important to them. Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents nearly 40,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide and the interests of more than 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its affiliated state organizations work together to create and increase opportunities for corn growers, with a vision of sustainably feeding and fueling a growing world.
Episodes
Now entering its 60th year, the NCGA Corn Yield Contest is an institution in the agriculture world.
Growers from all across the country can compete against one another to see who can coax the most bushels per acre out of their ground, blending tried-and-true techniques with new and emerging practices to maximize their production.
Last year, NCGA launched a new pilot class for the contest, the first in its history to limit an input ...
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Since its adoption in 2005, no other piece of policy has changed the corn industry more than the Renewable Fuel Standard. Ethanol has become one of the most important markets for corn in that time.
But over the last couple of years, there are new developments that could be major boon for this crucial sector.
So in this episode, we're going to talk with a few ethanol experts to get their perspectives on how that market has developed...
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The suicide rate among among farmers is three and a half times higher than the general population. It’s a shocking statistic.
We’re losing good people, but we don’t have to.
From weather, to markets, to prices, to the issues that come with a family business, farmers face a number of stressors that are unique to their occupation. And in rural America, suicide rates increased 46% from 2000-2020, compared to 27.3% in metro areas, acco...
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March 28, 2023 • 29 mins
The Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and the sudden perception that there’s instability in the banking system, has a lot of us thinking back to 2008 and the financial crisis that spurred the Great Recession.
And, whether it’s the war in Ukraine, lingering supply-side issues from Covid-19 or high interest rates, we are all feeling the effects of the world economy a little more acutely this year.
So are we staring down another financial...
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February 6, 2023 • 27 mins
A major disruption to the market for U.S. corn is set to take effect in one year, as a decree by Mexico’s President would ban the import of GMO corn effective January 31, 2024.
Historically, Mexico is the number one market for U.S. corn, and so the NCGA has been active in pushing back, with strong support from the Biden administration in Washington.
The NCGA is urging the administration to hold the line and file a dispute settlemen...
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December 15, 2022 • 30 mins
When she is sworn in on January 3, 2023, Congresswoman-Elect Nikki Budzinski will be tasked with representing the interests of farmers in a vast swath of her home state of Illinois, all the way from Champaign to Springfield to just north of St. Louis.
It’s the heart of corn country, and she knows that agriculture will factor heavily in many of the issues she will have to address in Washington.
But Budzinski, a Democrat, also repres...
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November 16, 2022 • 39 mins
Inflationary costs—and rising interest rates—are hitting growers where it hurts worldwide.
Add to these worries the impact of the North American drought, transportation and logistics headaches, and other market uncertainties, and growers may feel like the high price of corn is the only good news they've heard in more than a year.
But what do you need to know to maintain your operation in this changing economic situation? What tools...
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September 28, 2022 • 28 mins
2022 has been another one of those years that throws a lot of curve balls at you.
But in the world of agriculture, you can’t just hit home runs all the time.
It might not get the headlines, but the real work gets done in the singles and doubles that you hit, and you’ve got to hit those reliably.
And so in this episode, we look back at some of the important wins for the industry that you might not have heard about, with outgoing NCG...
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August 2, 2022 • 29 mins
Over the last several years, tariffs and trade have been a major pain point for growers.
But this summer, the NCGA has helped bring home a huge win for America’s farmers in a recent International Trade Commission case involving proposed tariffs on imported Urea Ammonium Nitrate fertilizers.
So in this episode, we'll talk to Andy Jobman, a Nebraskan corn farmer, and Jared R. Wessel, an attorney with Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C...
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July 21, 2022 • 42 mins
The Farm Bill is an important piece of legislation that affects everything that is governed by the USDA. With Congress working to pass a new version for 2023, NCGA believed it was a topic worth discussing at this summer's Corn Congress in Washington, D.C.
Led by NCGA's VP of Public Policy, Brooke Appleton, this discussion panel, straight from the floor of Corn Congress, includes several experienced legislators and thought leaders i...
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The rising cost of food and fuel are everywhere right now.
From big headlines in the news to your own wallet, Americans are feeling the pinch of rising prices.
And in the corn industry, we're still leveraging a powerful tool to help take the edge off the financial pain we all feel each week: corn ethanol.
In this episode, we’re talking to Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, about how ethanol can help Americans wea...
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Farmers work in a business where the finances keep getting tighter and the stakes keep getting higher.
That kind of pressure takes a toll. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate in the agriculture industry is nearly 10 points above the national average, and about one in four farmers struggles with mental health issues.
But mental health doesn’t typically get talked about a...
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May 5, 2022 • 32 mins
The NCGA National Corn Yield Contest is an annual tradition that dates back to 1965.
But in that time, no one has had quite the sustained success as Charles City, Virginia’s David Hula, who has won the contest with record-setting yields on four separate occasions.
In this episode, we talk to David about his formula for success, which includes a combination of precisely-targeted fertilizer applications and a blend of strip-till and ...
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April 12, 2022 • 47 mins
150 years of experience, at the very highest levels of the agriculture industry, was on display at the Commodity Classic Executives Round Table a few weeks ago.
As leaders from the five Commodity Classic presenting organizations, these five executives have their fingers on the pulse of the agriculture world and the iissues that affect farmers.
Panel members included:
Jon Doggett, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association.
Stev...
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March 29, 2022 • 26 mins
The Mississippi River transports 60 percent of American corn and soybean exports to market. The massive barges that ply America’s waterways are more cost-effective than any other form of transportation, and also play a role in getting vital inputs to growers.
And yet, much of the infrastructure that makes this possible hasn’t been updated since the 1930’s… until now.
In this episode, we talk about a key win for the NCGA and other g...
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March 17, 2022 • 45 mins
Chip Flory is sometimes called the Voice of Rural America.
Host of the AgriTalk radio program and podcast, he brings ag news, policy updates and expert insights to a network of more than 135 radio stations across the U.S.
So in this episode, we flip the script on Chip, interviewing him at the National Corn Growers Association booth on the show floor at Commodity Classic.
Plus, we finally settle, once and for all, who’s the biggest ...
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February 18, 2022 • 29 mins
Heightened tensions in Eastern Europe have dominated the news lately, as Russia seems poised to invade Ukraine.
As a result of this and other global flashpoints, the unstable geopolitical climate is creating uncertainty in the world of agriculture, and growers are already feeling the effects.
So in this episode, we’re talking to Colonel Mark Purdy, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Aimpoint Research, about...
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January 26, 2022 • 38 mins
Last year was a mixed bag of news for the nation’s corn growers.
Corn prices climbed, but so did input costs. News about supply lines, infrastructure and politics came fast and heavy.
And 2022 is giving every indication of continuing on that chaotic, breakneck pace.
So in this episode, we check in with NCGA President Chris Edgington to hear how all these big national news stories have impacted his operation in Iowa, what lessons he...
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December 13, 2021 • 39 mins
Bipartisanship is how things get done in Washington, and what holds us together as Americans. So how’s that going in our nation’s capital?
“Things are not good, from a bipartisan perspective right now,” Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson from South Dakota tells us in this episode.
And Democrat Abigail Spanberger from Virginia agrees.
As members of the bipartisan “Problem Solvers’ Caucus,” these two Congresspeople have developed a reputa...
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October 27, 2021 • 20 mins
With harvest season winding down, NCGA members are observing another fall milestone—the induction of a new NCGA president, Chris Edgington.
Administratively speaking, NCGA’s “new year” began on October 1.
And, hailing from St. Ansgar, Iowa, Chris has been sworn in to lead the organization in the year ahead.
So in this episode, we’re going to get to know him a little bit better… his operation, what drives him to lead, and what he se...
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