Check-in on the Checkoff: Finding Our CommonGround

By: Ralph Lents

Ralph Lents is a farmer from Menlo, Iowa, and currently serves as the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) President and on the Industrial Usage & U.S. Production Committee.

May is a busy time of year for farmers across the state. You rarely drive anywhere in rural Iowa without passing a planter on the road or in the field. As farmers, we know they are getting ready to plant their 2025 crop, but if you don’t come from a farming background, you may have questions about agricultural practices and how farmers are raising the food, fiber and fuel we all rely on. That’s why it is so important that we, as farmers, work to tell our stories, sharing the who, what and why behind farming. This is why the Iowa Corn Promotion Board invests in programs like CommonGround.  

CommonGround is a national, female farmer organization, striving to connect with consumers across the U.S. They share stories from their farms and serve as a bridge between urban consumers and agriculture. CommonGround volunteers are mothers, sisters, teachers and agricultural professionals, all with different experiences ranging from corn farming to beef production to soil management. They each have a story to tell and care about providing a safe, healthy product that they can feed to their families and yours. 

As we head into the summer months, CommonGround volunteers are gearing up for their 2025 Summer Road Trip where they will highlight how the food from their farms makes its way to your plate. They will travel across the state, sampling the Iowa Beef Industry’s Council’s Best Burger Contest and the Iowa Pork Producer Association’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest winners. They visit ice cream shops, bakeries, breweries and distilleries, allowing consumers to see how goods are made from Iowa agriculture products, and inviting you to cast votes for your favorite places. 

To learn more about CommonGround and follow along on the 2025 Summer Road Trip, you can follow CommonGround Iowa on Facebook and Instagram. A main directive of the Iowa Corn checkoff is to provide education about Iowa’s corn farmers and the over 4,000 products made from corn. By investing in CommonGround we are bridging the gap about our practices and the care farmers take to protect our soil, water and animals to provide quality products to live healthy lives.  

Thank you,

Ralph Lents

Iowa Corn Promotion Board President