Check-in on the Checkoff: Reflecting on a Year of Progress

By: Joe Roberts

Joe Roberts is a farmer from Belmond, Iowa, and serves as the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) President and on the Exports and The Grain Trade Committee. 

As August marks the end of my term as President of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve Iowa’s corn farmers. Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together to strengthen our industry. 

Through inbound and outbound trade missions, we strengthened relationships with global customers and expanded opportunities for Iowa corn exports. Wins like Vietnam’s decision to adopt E10 for its RON95 gasoline will create demand for an additional 225+ million gallons of ethanol per year, helping U.S. exports continue to increase exports of corn and corn products year over year. 

We also advanced research and innovation by sharing long-term Iowa cover crop research with more than 24,000 farmers. Additionally, we received over 80 applications for the second Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge sponsored by US Corn Farmers which sets out to invest in start-up and growth companies whose innovative technologies and business models create new uses for corn. 

Education about corn and the farmers that grow it remains a priority for ICPB. Through our sponsorship of the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol, Iowa Corn Day at the Iowa State Fair, the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series and support of high school athletics, we connected consumers with the value of corn and agriculture to our state. 

As a corn farmer, I know how important it is that our checkoff dollars are invested wisely. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as ICPB President. It has been an honor to represent Iowa’s corn farmers, and I’m excited to see our industry continue to grow and succeed.  

To learn more about how your checkoff investment is working for you, visit Iowacorn.org. 

Thank you, 

Joe Roberts 

Iowa Corn Promotion Board President