Corn Growers On Display In Nation’s Capital

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)–Missouri corn farmers joined growers across the nation today to launch a summer educational campaign designed to bring the message of modern family farmers to Washington, D.C. The kick off marks the third year members of the Corn Farmers Coalition have reached out to policymakers, opinion leaders and consumers inside the Beltway to showcase the corn industry and its positive contributions to the U.S. economy.

“As corn growers, we need to keep sharing our stories and experiences with the people making decisions that impact our daily lives,” says Billy Thiel, Missouri Corn Merchandising Council (MCMC) chairman from Marshall, Mo., and one of the farmers featured in the campaign. “We want people to better understand how advancements in today’s farming practices are helping corn growers produce a safe, abundant crop for families all over the world.”

The Corn Farmers Coalition’s newest advertising campaign displays prominent facts about the corn industry in Capitol Hill publications, radio, online and the Metro and Reagan National Airport. Designed to provide information on productivity and environmental advancements, the popular initiative showcasing corn farmers and their families will continue until Congress recesses in August.

Corn growers will also meet with members of Congress, environmental groups and others to discuss modern advancements in the corn industry. The main topics center on how U.S. farmers are using the latest technology to expand corn production capabilities, preserve the land and provide a strong economic baseline in a struggling economy.

“The science and technology corn farmers are using today help meet the needs of a growing population,” Thiel says. “When I first started farming in 1974, if we harvested 125 bushels of corn per acre it was considered an excellent crop. Today, 200 bushels per acre is more the norm than the exception. Compared to how my father farmed, we are growing more corn on fewer acres using less water and nutrients. These are some of the great success stories we need to be sharing.”

MCMC joined 13 other corn associations and the National Corn Growers Association to establish the Corn Farmers Coalition. To view this year’s Corn Farmers Coalition ads, or learn more, visit www.cornfarmerscoalition.org For more information on Missouri’s corn crop and the farmers who produce it, click on www.mocorn.org.