1976 Iowa state legislature passes law to allow an Iowa checkoff referendum.
1977 Iowa corn growers approve checkoff rate of 1/10¢ per bushel. Survey shows growers want the checkoff to develop new uses for corn, expand domestic markets, and build export markets.
1978 First Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) elected with Thurman Gaskill as chair. First ethanol fuel promotion at cooperatives in Peterson, Cumberland, Osage, Clarence and Fort Dodge. ICPB begins funding U.S. Grains Council (USGC) as Iowa’s export market development arm.
1979 ICPB joins U.S. Meat Export Federation to work toward increasing meat exports. First ICPB corn sweetener promotion test markets high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in Winterset, Osceola and Creston. 650 Iowa retail gas stations begin offering ethanol-blended fuel.
1980 Coca-Cola begins using HFCS as part of the sweetener in soft drinks. ICPB sponsors a food editors lunch at Salisbury House to promote HFCS use and puts up ethanol (gasohol) billboards across Iowa.
1981 Checkoff promotes corn sweetener use to health, food, medical, and institutional groups across Iowa and supports “Save Our Soil” environmental campaign. Checkoff renewal referendum wins 64% approval from Iowa’s corn growers. U.S. ethanol use passes the 100-million-bushel mark. Corn exports reach a record 2.4 billion bushels.
1982 ICPB funds analysis of the financial effect that grain embargoes have on Iowa producers. Crop Districts 7 and 9 produce enough corn to begin electing two ICPB directors.
1983 Drought creates aflatoxin problems, and ICPB provides Iowa’s growers with information on managing grain quality.
1984 HFCS Breakthrough Victory: ICPB work with bottlers and beverage corporations pays off as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo approve 100% use of HFCS in soft drinks. Following pesticides-in-food scare in Florida, ICPB defends corn from grain contamination challenges. Checkoff funds meat export research at Iowa State University.
1985 ICPB backs development of ISU’s Crop Utilization Center and “Wharton study” on the plight of agriculture. Referendum increases Iowa checkoff rate to 1/4¢ per bushel. Food, seed, and industrial use of corn passes the 1 billion-bushel mark.
1986 ICPB funds NCGA legal fight against Ontario Corn Growers’ effort to restrict U.S. corn exports to Canada and backs research into key trade questions, including the cost to U.S. agriculture of the EEC (now EU) agricultural system and subsidies. ICPB supports Iowa Agricultural Research and Policy Institute.
1987 ICPB funds completion of the USGC export forecasting project – the first research to create a model of long-term world corn demand and the basis for ongoing Demand Forecasts.
1988 Governor Branstad orders all Iowa state vehicles run on ethanol-blended fuel. ICPB begins advertising ethanol-blended fuel, and ethanol’s market share in Iowa reaches 31%. ICPB begins research into corn-based degradable plastics.
1989 ICPB begins funding research into polylactic acid (PLA) as a source of corn-based plastics. Checkoff sponsors corn quality contest and publishes Nutrient Content Manual, an early step toward providing value-added corn information. ICPB funds “Miracle of Corn” exhibit at Living History Farms and underwrites further aflatoxin research.
1990 Checkoff helps design and introduce new fuel pump labels that promote ethanol’s advantages at Iowa stations. ICPB publishes Quality Corn Inserts to help growers with grain quality management and helps underwrite production of Corn and Culture, an educational film series for high school and adult audiences. ICPB sponsors Soviet-U.S. farmer exchange, winning network media coverage.
1991 ICPB showcases E85 demonstration car as part of a national research project. Iowa growers defeat a proposal to increase the corn checkoff rate.
1992 Ethanol is designated as Iowa’s primary alternative fuel. Cargill urges ICPB to continue funding PLA research because of its commercial potential.
1993 United States exports its 50 billionth bushel of corn, and USGC recognizes the role of Iowa and other state checkoffs in this achievement. ICPB celebrates 15th anniversary of ethanol promotion with an ethanol-fueled city transit bus media tour across Iowa.
1994 U.S. fuel ethanol market uses over 500 million bushels of corn. ICPB begins funding research into nitrogen application.
1995 Iowa growers vote to increase the checkoff rate to 1/2¢ per bushel. ICPB begins funding corn genetics research through ISU’s Plant Transformation Center. Checkoff initiates the Ethanol Classic sprint car auto race to promote ethanol use in high-performance engines.
1996 ICPB investment in USMEF pays off, as the United States becomes a net meat exporter. Checkoff’s fuel tech. campaign begins publishing Fuel Tech Connection newsletter and sending fuel experts to meet one-on-one with auto mechanics to resolve ethanol questions. ICPB establishes Iowa’s first public E85 fueling station.
1997 ICPB funding supports first international value-enhanced grains conference and first Value-Enhanced Corn Quality Report to educate foreign buyers about value-added corn. ICPB establishes value-added corn processing technical assistance program and commercialization program to help Iowa growers develop value-added businesses. ICPB corn genetics research captures additional matching funds after Congress approves $290 million for plant genome research.
1998 Over 2,000 Iowa service stations, convenience stores, and farm coops sell ethanol-blended fuel. ICPB directors begin ongoing efforts to preserve export corn markets threatened by the biotech issue. ICPB funds USGC biotech education efforts that persuade Colombia and Egypt to continue importing U.S. corn, preserving a 240 mbu market. ICPB joins Iowa Quality Beef Initiative to support the state’s beef industry. Checkoff sponsors first Iowa-Mexico export summit.
1999 ICPB backs grain donation to Cuba to begin opening market and starts providing biotech information to Iowa growers. Checkoff begins funding polyols research to develop new uses for up to 600 mbu of corn. U.S. corn exports pass the 60 billion-bushel mark.
2000 Ethanol exceeds 50% market share in Iowa. ICPB begins ethanol education program through schools for Iowa teenage drivers. ICPB wins $600,000 Department of Energy grant to develop a market for corn-based isosorbide. ICPB begins sponsoring free “crop fairs” to bring new research and practical expertise to Iowa growers and sponsors second Iowa-Mexico export summit.
2001 Iowa-funded scientific research helps win the California ethanol waiver case, opening California to ethanol, a 240 million-bushel market. ICPB funds efforts to restore export customer confidence in U.S. corn after StarLink dispute, and Japan’s feed industry resumes purchases of U.S. corn. Checkoff organizes first Iowa harvest tour for Latin American corn buyers. The first two of a new generation of checkoff-supported, grower-owned ethanol plants begin operation.
2002 First commercial-scale PLA production plant comes online, using Iowa corn. Four grower-owned ethanol plants in Iowa start processing corn; five more plants are under development. ICPB begins funding research to commercialize e-diesel (ethanol-diesel blend). Checkoff organizes second Latin American buyers harvest tour of Iowa and sponsors third Iowa-Mexico export summit, expanding to include buyers from all of Latin America.