Henry County Corn growers hope to boost area membership

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County?s Corn Growers organization is on the upswing.

That?s what corn growers Ken Helt, Ralph Sandeen, Marc Benson, John Fitzpatrick and Matt Fitzpatrick believe.

The five men are directors of the county unit with Helt also serving as president and John Fitzpatrick, secretary-treasurer.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the group hosted a banquet last month, something they are determined to make an annual event. ?The past several years, we haven?t had a banquet,? Helt said. ?We are trying to get more members.?

This year?s banquet, which was at the Union Block in Mt. Pleasant, drew about 50 people. ?We would have had a lot more if the flu bug hadn?t been going around. We had several people call in sick.?

There are approximately 65 members and associates of the county corn growers. Associates include agri-businesses like banks, grain elevators, implement dealers and friends of the industry.

Today?s county membership is down from the 70-80 members the organization had in its hey-day. ?You have to remember we had more farmers,? Benson said. ?Now, we are drawing from a smaller pool.?

Sandeen said one of the reasons for the banquet ?was an attempt to encourage people to get involved again and stir up enthusiasm.?

Statewide, the Iowa Corn Growers boast 7,500 members, and one of those members, Kurt Hora of Washington, is president of the National Corn Growers. The mission statement of the Iowa Corn Growers Association is ?creating opportunities for long term Iowa corn growers? profitability.?

Most Iowa counties have a chapter although Benson said ?some (county chapters) aren?t very active.?

Priority issues for the Iowa Corn Growers include the following:

? Biotechnology: Support for national biotech labeling law and regulations that won?t mislead consumers.

? Conservation: Implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

? Environment: Fight the Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) burdensome regulations on water quality.

? Ethanol: Retain the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and promote higher blends.

? Farm bill: Defend crop insurance and export promotion programs.

? Tax: Promote solid farm tax policy on section 179, bonus depreciation, capital gains and estate tax.

? Trade: Support for ag-friendly trade deals.

? Transportation: Secured funding for roads, bridges, and locks and dams.

Sandeen said the last item is particularly important to corn farmers in southeast Iowa. ?The lock system on the Mississippi River was built in the 1920s and is in need of updates.?

Benson agreed, noting that ?the most economical way to ship (corn) is on the river.?

Nationally, there are 40,000 members of the National Corn Growers Association. According to statistics, 300,000 farmers grow corn in the country. Fifteen percent of the corn grown in the United States is exported; 46 percent is used for feed; 29 percent for ethanol; and the remaining 10 percent for miscellaneous uses.

Any county corn grower desiring membership can contact any of the county directors. More information on the Iowa Corn Growers can be found at www.iowacorn.org.