June 7, 2019 Corn Insider
ON THE HILL
Iowa Corn to Support E15 and Advocate for Ethanol, Trade Policy at Trump’s Ethanol Plant Visit
Tuesday, June 11, President Trump will make an appearance at the SIRE Ethanol plant in Council Bluffs where he will give remarks about the finalized E15 rule, which ICGA supports. Iowa Corn members and staff will be at the plant not only to thank the President and his team for support of E15, but also to ask the President to direct the EPA to stop granting unjustified refinery exemptions, continue pushing to get USMCA passed, explain the negative impacts of tariffs on farmers and describe the hardships faced by many due to flooding in recent months.
Iowa Corn Welcomes Finalized E15 Rule
Last week, on May 31, ICGA celebrated EPA’s release of a finalized rule that allows for the year-round sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15). The E15 rule is combined with an additional final rule to change requirements of the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) compliance system for the RFS. Iowa Corn thanks EPA for finalizing the rule and President Trump for following through with his promise on E15. This ruling has been a top priority for ICGA for a long time, and we are happy to have a rule that will benefit Iowa farmers and provide more demand for corn. Click here for the Iowa Corn’s press release.
Submit ICGA Member Survey by June 24th
We sent an email yesterday morning with additional details about our policy process and a link to this year’s member survey. As a member your voice is critical, so please take a few minutes to complete the survey. If you can’t find the email, you can click here to access the survey.
Iowa Corn Thankful to Elected Officials for Helping with Our Request
President Donald Trump signed the much-needed disaster relief bill yesterday, June 6, to assist farmers with crop losses from a variety of severe weather, including flooding, during the 2018 and 2019 calendar year. The bill passed the Senate two weeks ago and in the House of Representatives on Monday, June 3. The bill provides $3 billion to the Secretary of Agriculture in a lump sum for payments to farmers. As requested by ICGA, the crops covered will include on-farm stored commodities and crops prevented from planting in 2019. The Secretary can provide assistance in the form of block grants to state departments of agriculture and/or county FSA offices with guidance on how to spend the disaster dollars. ICGA is expecting these decisions to be made in the coming weeks.
Trump Threatens to Impose Five Percent Tariff on Mexican Goods Next Week
President Trump announced plans to impose a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods, starting Monday, June 10, until Mexico’s leaders act to limit illegal immigration into the United States. The plan intends to increase the tariff by 5 percent each month until reaching 25 percent on October 1. This news comes one day after Mexico and the U.S. took steps in their respective governments to begin the ratification process for USMCA. ICGA immediately sent a press release out, opposing the use of tariffs as a measure to resolve non-trade issues. Click here for the Iowa Corn’s press release. Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have spoken out and criticized the President for the 5 percent tariff while expressing concerns regarding the potential impact the USMCA ratification process. After a meeting on Wednesday afternoon between Vice President Pence and Mexican government officials, Pence said the Trump administration made some progress with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrand, but more work is needed. Talks are expected to continue Thursday. ICGA will continue to advocate for a positive resolution with Mexico without additional tariffs and the passage of USMCA. Click here for more information.
Other Happenings:
- On June 5, USDA released a proposed rule regarding the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that would exempt a number of genetically engineered plants from federal regulations. Click here for more information and to read the proposed rule.
- Imports and exports fell by more than 2 percent in April to bring the U.S. trade deficit to $50.8 billion. Read the Commerce Department’s report here.
- The United States will be represented by Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Dennis Shea at the G20 trade ministers meeting in Japan on June 8-9.
IN THE NEWS
June 21 Deadline for Funding to Address Gullies
Financial assistance for addressing ephemeral gullies on highly erodible land (HEL) is available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Priority will be given to applicants with fields that were selected for conservation compliance reviews in the past two years and received variances to address gully erosion. The application deadline is June 21. Click here for more information. ICGA is interested in how compliance reviews are being conducted. Email bgleason@iowacorn.org to share your experience with conservation compliance especially ephemeral gullies.
ICGA Director Featured on Channel 13 News on 2019 Planting Season
ICGA District 9 Director Roger Wuthrich was featured on WHO Channel 13 News on Tuesday on the flooding impacting crop farmers across the state. After spending days in the fields planting in April, hundreds of acres were ruined. Like many farmers across the state, his fields held on to inches, if not feet of water. Click here to read more.
Nominate Your Neighbors for the 2019 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards
The Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards recognize farmers who have made environmental stewardship a priority on their farms and have incorporated best management practices into their farming operations. Nominations are due June 15, and recipients will be recognized August 14 at the Iowa State Fair. Click here for the nomination form, list of previous awardees, and other information.
Secretary Naig Commends Federal Disaster Aid to Help Farmers Affected by Flooding
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued a statement in response to the announcement that the House passed the federal disaster aid bill on Tuesday this week. Thanking Governor Reynolds, Secretary Naig said this is a critical first step to recovery for Iowa farmers. He is committed to working with the affected landowners and agribusinesses as they clean up fields and damaged grain. Click here to see a breakdown of the $19.1 billion federal disaster aid package.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Searching for the Perfect Gift for Your Farmer?
Finding the perfect present is hard, but we’re here to make it easier. You may have seen these ICGA member signs across the state, and it's not too late to get one as a birthday gift or for any special occasion. A personalized farm sign is guaranteed to be the icing on the cake! Click here to download an order form and return completed forms to the ICGA office. If you have questions about ordering a sign, contact Emily Upchurch at eupchurch@iowacorn.org or 515-225-9242.
Disclaimer: The purpose of the Iowa Corn PAC is to support candidates for state and national public offices who support Iowa Corn Grower issues. No member dues nor checkoff dollars may be used to support the PAC. PAC money is voluntarily contributed by ICGA members and must be specified by the member for the PAC. Corporate contributions to a PAC are prohibited by law. Please send a check from a personal account. Any corporate contributions received will be deposited with the Iowa Corn Growers Association political education and administrative fund. Contributions are not tax deductible. No anonymous contributions or contributions in someone else’s name can be accepted. Contributions are voluntary and a member’s rights are not affected nor will a member be favored or disadvantaged by reason of the amount of the contribution or a decision not to contribute. The Iowa Corn Growers Association PAC must use its best effort to obtain name, address, occupation, and employer for all contributors over $200.
Straight from the Farm to a Dinner at the Fair
Iowa Corn alongside several partnership organization will be sponsoring the Iowa State fair Farm to Dinner on Friday, August 16th from noon to 2 p.m. in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. A number of Iowa Corn directors will be attending the event to communicate the importance and value of Iowa corn farmers to their everyday lives. If you know of a consumer interested in attending the event, click here to send them the information.
Bioreactor Field Day on June 11 near Albert City
Iowa Corn and several partners are hosting a field day on Tuesday, June 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Olie Leimer Farm near Albert City. Attendees will see a bioreactor being installed and learn how edge of field practices improve water quality. Supper is provided, so bring the whole family! Click here for more information.
Tile Inlet Protection Field Day on June 19 near Eldora
The Southfork Watershed Alliance is hosting a tile inlet protection field day on June 19 from 10 am to 1 pm near Eldora. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is the keynote speaker. Attendees will be able to view a blind inlet, field sock, and saturated buffer. Click here for more information.
One-Stop Cover Crop Shop on June 19 in Lenox
The Taylor Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring a cover crop shop on June 19 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Lenox community center. Come at any time during the shop to talk to local vendors about how to get started with cover crops including seed, grazing, planting, and cost share. Lunch will be provided from 11 am to 1 pm. Iowa Corn is a proud supporter of the Taylor County Water Quality Initiative Project. Click here for more information about the event.
SPOTLIGHT
Celebrate Turkey and Dairy Month This June!
June is National Dairy Month and what better way to celebrate than with ice cream or a cold glass of milk! Iowa ranks 12th in national dairy production and produces 505 million gallons of milk annually with 204,000 head of dairy cows right here in Iowa! Corn-fed dairy accounted for 19 million bushels of corn consumption by dairy cattle in the 2017/18 marketing year.
June is also National Turkey Lovers’ Month! Although turkeys are most popular for Thanksgiving in November, American’s enjoy the meat year-round. An estimated 36 million turkeys are consumed at Thanksgiving. However, two-thirds of the turkey produced annually is consumed during months outside of November. Iowa ranks 7th in U.S turkey production with roughly 130 turkey farms raising approximately 12 million turkeys each year. One turkey consumes roughly 1 bushel of corn in its lifetime with all of Iowa’ turkey’s consuming an average of 12 million bushels of corn each year.
Iowa Corn is proud to support our turkey and dairy producers and you should, too! Show your support for Iowa’s turkey and dairy industries this month by firing up the grill or enjoying a variety of dairy products. For more information on Iowa Corn’s livestock partners, click here.