Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) have announced ways to improve the three largest corn-using sectors in the state: livestock feeding, ethanol and trade.

Most discussions between members of The National Corn Growers Association in 2008 and 2009 so far were about resolutions. ICGA president-elect Don Elsbernd said, “It was a year for making incremental adjustments instead of major policy changes.”

An example given in a recent press release, according to Elsbernd, is the policy supporting testing and certification of conversion kits that could be retrofitted onto cars to allow them to burn E85. “We want to make it easier for more consumers to drive flex fuel vehicles and buy E85 at the gas pump.”

Another resolution, and an Iowa response to President Obama’s budget, is to cut off farm program direct payments based on the level of gross sales. Elbsbernd said that gross sales are not a reliable measure of farmers’ profitability in the current climate of volatile grain prices and extremely high input costs.

Elbsbernd is proud of the farm leadership behind the ICGA and NCGA. “We have a system where the ideas an Iowa grower brings to our summer roundtable meetings can advance to the national policy level and become the official position of the entire National Corn Growers Association- that means real grassroots leadership at work in the halls of Congress.”

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