Growers
SAINT. LOUIS, Mo. The
National Com Growers Asso
ciation (NCGA) and the Na
tional Corn Development
Foundation (NCDF) elected a
new slate of com growers from
11 states to lead their organiza
tions through a historic transi
tion process beginning this fall.
When complete, this transi
tion will meld both organiza
tions into one. It will create a
new national com farmer or
ganization to help increase far
mers’ profitability and influ
ence within the com industry.
The new NCGA will also
enhance com farmer involve
ment and decision-making at
the grassroots level.
“The vote to merge NCGA
and NCDF is the catalyst for
greater profitability for the
com industry,” said Ryland Ut
laut, the incoming NCGA pre
sident. Utlaut farms 3,500
acres of com, soybeans and
wheat in Grand Pass, Mo. in
partnership with his brother.
He has a bachelor’s degree in
agricultural economics from
the University of Missouri at
Columbia and has been active
for more than 15 years in both
his state and national com
grower associations.
Utlaut previously served as
NCGA’s vice president and
worked as part of the special
study group committee that re
commended joining the NCGA
with the National Com Devel
opment Foundation (NCDF)
which collects checkoff funds
from state com boards for na
tional com research, educa
tional programs and demand
building efforts.
The new organization will
retain the National Com Grow
ers Association’s name, but
will differ significantly in or
ganized structure and opera
tions.
The decision to change the
NCGA follows recommenda
tions from two special study
groups comprised of corn
growers. Both groups explored
ways to improve the structure
and resources needed to in
crease the value of the U.S.
Elect New
com crop to $4O billon at the
farm gate by 2002.
“This move affirms grow
ers’ willingness to look toward
the future and take positive
steps to achieve their goals,”
said newly-elected NCGA
Chairman Wallile Hardie, a
com, soybeans and sugarbeet
farmer from Fairmount, N.D.
Hardie most recently held the
position of president of the for
mer NCGA and chaired one of
two groups of farmers recom
mending that the NCGA/
NCDF merge.
“Accomplishing our goals
requires a fast-acting, flexible
organization that can plan
strategically and react to the
many changes transforming
agriculture,” observed Hardie.
“Our new organization
should be a system for leader
ship without politics,” said UF
laut. As the newly elected pre
sident, Utlaut will help guide
the former NCGA through the
transition to the new organiza
tion.
“To reach a com crop with a
$4O billion value by 2002, we
must create an organization
that appeals to more com farm
ers while contributing to their
bottom lines , and providing
meaningful ways to take action
on issues that impact their busi
nesses, and do it without taking
up their valuable time!” Utlaut
said.
NCGA
• Vice President Roger Pine,
who farms 4,300 acres of com
and soybeans in Lawrence,
Kan. A member of one of the
farmer study groups recom
mending that national com far
mer organizations change, Pine
also will serve on the Transi
tion Team established to fin
alize the details needed to cre
ate the new National Com
Growers Association. Pine, an
active member of his state and
national organizations for 12
years, previously served as
chairman of the NCGA
Government Relations Com
mittee where he helped guide
the association through the re
cent legislative ethanol debate.
Leaders
• Chairman, Government
Relations Committee Jim
Czub, a farmer heavily in
volved in developing new com
markets through the NCGA
Market Development Commit
tee, was elected chairman of
the Government Relations
Committee. Czub farms 1,900_
acres of com and soybeans in
Schaghticoke, N.Y. He’s
farmed for 20 years and has
spent the last eight years work
ing actively for his state and
national com grower associa
tions.
• Chairman, Market Devel
opment Committee Lynn Jen
sen, who farms 3,700 acres of
com and soybeans in Lake
Preston, S.D. A farmer for 17
years, Jensen has been active in
his state and national com
growers associations for more
than seven years. Jensen was
among the group of farmers
who helped develop the pro
posals for creating the new na
tional com farmer organiza
tion.
• Chairman, Field Services
Committee Richard Peterson,
who has a farm partnership that
includes 1,200 acres of com
and soybeans in Mountain
Lake, Minn. Under the lead
ership of this veteran farmer
the NCGA recently reached a
new membership record of
29,999 com farmers.
• Chairman, Research and
Commercialization Committee
Tim Hume, a Walsh, Colo.,
farmer, will lead this commit
tee during the transition period.
Hume also served on one of the
study groups recommending
the NCGA/NCDF merger. A
six-year member of the former
NCGA, this young farmer cur
rently raises 2,500 acres of
com, wheat, sorghum and sun
flowers. Hume was also
appointed in August to a
Transition Team created to
work out the details of the mer
ger of NCGA and NCDF.
• Chairman, Public Rela
tions Committee Bob Fox, who
also 'participated in the two
groups recommending that the
NCGA and NCDF join, will
Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 11, 1997—Page 25
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(BdMEH fMJS MEW©
PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC , INC
chair the Public Relations
Committee of the former
NCGA during the transition
period. Fox has farmed for 15
years and currently grows 400
acres of com and soybeans and
has a seed dealership business
in Franklin, Minn.
• Secretary Vic Riddle will
serve as NCGA secretary dur
ing the transition period. This
Wapella, 111., farmer has 600
acres of com and soybeans and
has farmed for 27 years. Riddle
has been active in state and na
tional com organization work
for more than eight years.
• Treasurer Bill Bradley, an
Omaha, 111., farmer with 1,425
acres of com and soybeans,
will serve a consecutive term
as treasurer. Bradley’s been
farming for 21 years and also
has a seed dealership. Bradley
has been active in his state and
national com growers associa
tions for more than eight years.
• President Gene Fynboh,
who farms 1,250 acres of com
and soybeans in Brandon,
Minn. Fynboh, a veteran farm
er for the past 32 years, has
been an active member in his
state and national com growers
association for more than 14
years. In addition to his presi
dential duties, Fynboh will also
serve as chairman of the
Transition Team.
• Chairman of the Board
Lynn Laible, the former presi
dent of the NCDF, moves to
chairman of the board. Laible
has farmed for 31 years and has
750 acres of com, soybeans,
forage crops in Magnolia, 111.
Laible has actively participated
in state and national com grow
ers association work for more
than 10 years.
Corn Production
Down Locally
Mark Antle
Department of Agronomy
Penn State
According to the September
15, 1997 report from the
National Agricultural Statistics
Service, the 1997 com for grain
harvest is forecast to be 9.27
billion bushels, which is almost
identical to the 1996 harvest.
The national average com
yield is expected to be 125.2
bushels per acre, which is down
1.9 bushels per acre from the
1996 harvest. Producers are
expected to harvest around 74
million acres of com for grain
in 1997, which is up 1.2 percent
from 1996.
Unfortunately, the extreme
weather conditions during the
1997 growing season will pre-
NCDF
In 1997
• Vice President Lee Schaf
er, a 44-year veteran, raises
700 acres of com and soybeans
in Brightonl, lowa. Schafer,
who has betn active in state
and national com organizations
for more than 20 years, was
also appointed to the Transi
tion Team that will help create
the new national com farmer
organization.
• Secretary Phil Cunning
ham farms more than 3,000
acres of com and soybeans as
well as runs a beef and swine
operation in Prospect, Ohio.
Cunningham has farmed for
more than 40 years and has
been involved in state and na
tional com organizations for
more than 15 years.
• Treasurer Kevin Swanson,
a fourth-generation farmer
with a 2,500-acre com, soy
beans, and alfalfa operation
located in Overton, Neb. An
18-year member of his state
and national com organiza
tions, Swanson participated in
the study groups that recom
mended formation of the new
NCGA.
A Transition Team began
work in early September to
outline the processes and
guidelines needed to create the
new National Com Growers
Association. The team will also
develop and recommend by
laws to govern the new asso
ciation.
NCGA and NCDF boards of
directors appointed the team in
August and will vote on by
laws and recommendations
from the team at the December
board meeting. Upon adopting
by-laws, the former organiza
tions will combine and the new
National Com Growers Asso
ciation will begin its work.
vent producers in the Northeast
from matching the national
average yields. Pennsylvania
farmers are expected to average
85 bushels per acre, which is
down 34 bushels per acre from
the 1996 harvest. Maryland
producers are expected to aver
age 80 bushels per acre, which
is down 59 bushels from 1996
yields.
The drought conditions will
also be reflected in lower com
production in the region. Pen
nsylvania farmers are expected
to produce about 95.2 million
bushels of com about 32
million bushels less than last
year. The Maryland crop is
pegged at 36 million bushels
significantly down from the 64
million bushels harvested in
that state last year.