Cobcast: Inside the Grind with the National Corn Growers Association

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...

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 wi...

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 experience...

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...

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 d...

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 applicat...

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 Nation...

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...

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, o...

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...

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...

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 Con...

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...

After a long day in the field, there's no reward like a tender juicy corn-fed cut of steak. And it's made all the sweeter by the fact that the US beef industry is one of the largest consumers of American corn. So, in this episode, we're going to talk to two beef industry leaders, Collin Woodall from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Nicole Erceg from Certified Angus Beef, about how cor...

The Field of Dreams is an iconic movie for baseball fans and corn growers alike, and the image of an idyllic baseball diamond set amongst the Iowa corn stalks has endured now for decades. But this summer, the NCGA had the opportunity to be part of Major League Baseball’s plan to bring baseball back to that field in Dyersville. And on this episode, we’ll relive the event with Ron Kittle, former Whi...

The Next Generation Fuels Act is poised to reinforce the market for American ethanol, and it’s been introduced in Congress with bipartisan support. And in this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who was honored with the NCGA President’s Award this year for her support as sponsor of the Next Generation Fuels Act. She’ll outline the specifics of the bill, sh...

Between a couple of recent high-profile court cases and all the hype surrounding electric vehicles, stakeholders in the corn and ethanol industry are looking for a little reassurance right now. But the reality of the transportation energy puzzle is a little more complex than what you’ve heard on the news. So in this episode, we’re joined by John Eichberger, executive director of the Fuels Institut...

In today’s world, farmers face growing consumer expectations, a need for economic resilience and the very real pressures of global climate change.  And they’re meeting these challenges head-on with science-driven practices that prove that sustainability is more than a buzzword in the agriculture industry. In this episode, Nebraska farmer and NCGA board member Brandon Hunnicutt outlines NCGA’s new...

With a grain content at least 51 percent corn, bourbon is a drink that’s near and dear to every grower’s heart. But in the heart of bourbon country, there’s a really neat partnership taking root between the Kentucky Corn Growers Association and the producers of Yellow Banks bourbon, who source their corn from local growers and donate a portion of their profits to support corn research. In this epi...

Bourbon is a uniquely American beverage. Not only is its heritage deeply rooted in early Appalachian history, but up to two-and-a-half pounds of corn go into every bottle that’s distilled. So in this episode of the podcast, we’re going on the road with Jon as he pays a visit to the Frazier Kentucky History Museum in Louisville. There, in the midst of the exhibit on bourbon, we’ll learn about the u...

Two and a half million Americans are getting their COVID-19 vaccine every day. And as America takes this critical step to beating the virus and re-opening the economy, it’s more important than ever that rural America does NOT get left behind. So the NCGA has joined a nationwide effort to support that process, the COVID-19 Community Corps. Together with other founding members, NCGA will promote the...

With planting season upon us, we continue our focus on agronomy for the month of March. In this episode, we catch up with Brett Begemann, the Chief Operating Officer at Bayer Crop Science. He shares details about the new inputs they’ve got in their technology pipeline, what that means for the future of farming and how their role in the ag industry is evolving. We also catch a bit of the March Madn...

It’s that time of year when planting is on the front burner again. And so here at the NCGA, we’re digging in on the topic of agronomy this month, talking to the leaders of some of the world’s foremost providers of agriculture inputs. In this episode, Jon catches up with Tim Glenn, the Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Corteva Agriscience, about how they’ve navigated the roll...

The U.S. pork herd consumed 900 million bushels of corn in 2019. Not only does that make the pork industry a key customer segment for NCGA’s growers, but many of the same trade and sustainability issues that we grapple with in corn impact them as well. So in this episode, NCGA CEO Jon Doggett chats with Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board, to review some of the cooperative efforts the two gr...

After a 2020 calendar year in which it seems like we were always asking, "What next?", we take a look at what the future holds for America's corn industry with the President of the NCGA, John Linder. Linder is a fifth-generation farmer from the little town of Edison, Ohio. Prior to his elevation to the role of President, John served as the Corn Board liaison to the Market Access Action Team, on th...