From the Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. As we all eagerly await drier weather and the opportunity to begin spring planting, the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) and the Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. (MCGA) wishes each of you a safe and successful planting season!
Before you head out into the fields, we hope you will take a few minutes to read about the nine outstanding students selected to receive this year’s MCGA scholarships and to learn about the 2011 changes to the increasingly popular National Corn Yield Contest.
MCGA scholarship winners The MCGA is proud to announce the recipients of its 2011 scholarship award program. The MCGA scholarship committee consisted of board members Steve Errer, chair of the MCGA scholarship committee and a corn grower from Filion; Tom Durand, a corn grower from Croswell; and Scott Lonier, MCGA vice president and a corn grower from Lansing.
“We received many scholarship applications and were very impressed by the high caliber of students applying,” said Errer. “Serving on the MCGA scholarship committee is very rewarding. We get the chance to meet the students who are the future of agriculture and this country. The only downside is deciding which ones will not receive scholarships.”
The MCGA awarded a total of $8,500 in scholarships this year. Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded MCGA scholarships for the 2011-12 school year:
High school seniors: Brooke Alexander, Carsonville; Katelyn Briolat, Ubly; Janelle Kirsch, Harbor Beach; and Lisa Volmering, Ruth
College students: Andrew Braun, Ovid; Katie Jo Gentner, Minden City; Katelyn Horning, Manchester; Tera Koebel, Three Oaks; and Katharine Thelen, St. Johns
“These students will be recognized at the MCGA annual meeting on February 7, 2012, which will hopefully encourage them to become more involved with the MCGA on a local, state and national level,” said Errer. “The MCGA board of directors looks at this scholarship program as a way to give back to our members while promoting higher education and leadership opportunities for young adults.”
Students in an accredited agricultural program are eligible for a one-year membership in the MCGA for $20. Grower and associate memberships in the MCGA are $60 for one year, $155 for three years or $500 for a lifetime.
By becoming a member of the MCGA, you automatically become a member of the National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA). For more information or if you would like to purchase a membership, please contact the MCGA office at 517-668-2676.
New rules for corn yield contest It is time again to sign up for the NCGA National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC). The NCYC gives MCGA members the chance to showcase their production skills, while competing with growers from across the country to see who can produce the highest-yielding crop.
“The National Corn Yield Contest is a great way for Michigan corn growers to test their corn production skills and knowledge by competing for the opportunity to win state and national recognition,” said Jeff Sandborn, MCGA president and a corn grower from Portland.
“The corn yield contest allows growers to see how their crops measure up against their neighbors here in Michigan, as well as growers from other states.”
The contest, which continues to grow in popularity, will be implementing several new changes in 2011 to facilitate the increasingly large number of entries. This year, entry deadlines have been moved up and early entries will be due by June 15, while late entries will be due July 15.
Additionally, this year’s NCYC will consolidate two categories, which reduces the total number from eight to six. To do this, NCGA has eliminated the separate categories for ridge-till entries in both the irrigated and non-irrigated categories. Those growers interested in competing with their ridge-till fields can still do so by entering into their respective conventional irrigated and non-irrigated categories, which will now encompass any type of tillage that disturbs the width of the row.
Winners at the state and national levels will be recognized at the 2012 Commodity Classic in Nashville, Tenn. They will also be acknowledged in the Corn Yield Guide and other publications, as well as at the MCGA annual meeting scheduled for Feb. 7, 2012.
Additionally, contestants have the chance to win prizes, trips or other awards from participating seed, chemical and crop protection companies who often sponsor farmers who use their products.
“The chance to enter the contest is just one of the benefits of being an MCGA member,” said Sandborn. “In addition to having the opportunity to make their voices heard on important legislative issues and policies at the state and federal level, members are also entitled to free admission to the MCGA annual meeting and Ethanol Night at the Races, reduced entry fees for our two golf outings and drastically lower registration costs for Commodity Classic.
“All of these opportunities give growers a return above and beyond the actual cost of membership.”
Growers who are members and have their NCYC entry forms postmarked by June 15, the early registration deadline, pay just $80 to participate in the contest. Entries postmarked between June 16 and the final deadline of July 15 will be charged a $110 registration fee.
In some cases, entrants can participate with little or no cost to themselves as seed, chemical and crop protection companies may pay for the entry fee and/or membership dues.
Entrants may also contact the NCGA at 636-733-9004 for a list of participating companies. For more information on becoming a MCGA member, the NCYC contest or to obtain an entry form, contact the MCGA.
More events to come Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:
Ag Expo – Michigan State University, July 19-21
Thumb Area Golf Outing – Bird Creek Golf Club, Port Austin, Aug. 10
Central Michigan Golf Outing – Centennial Acres, Sunfield, Aug. 17
Ethanol Night at the Races – Dixie Motor Speedway, Birch Run, Sept. 9
MCGA annual meeting – Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Feb. 7, 2012
As always, if you have any questions about upcoming events, would like to join the MCGA or if you have questions or suggestions for the CMPM or MCGA, please call the Michigan Corn office at 888-323-6601 or visit us online at www.micorn.org |
