From the Michigan Corn Growers Assoc.
The Michigan Corn office hopes you are all having a successful planting season. We want to remind you about two important corn-related contests – the National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC) and the second annual Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. (MCGA) Ethanol Night at the Races T-Shirt Design Contest.
The early deadline is fast approaching to sign up for the 2012 National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) NCYC. This 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 NCYC 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. The contest allows growers to see how their crops measure up against their neighbors here in Michigan, as well as growers from other states.
Early entries for growers interested in participating will be due by June 15, while late entries will be due by July 15.
Winners at the state and national levels will be recognized at the 2013 Commodity Classic in Kissimmee, Fla. They will also be acknowledged in the Corn Yield Contest Guide and other publications, as well as at the MCGA Annual Meeting scheduled for Feb. 5, 2013.
Additionally, contestants have the chance to win prizes, trips or other awards from participating seed, chemical and crop protection companies that often sponsor farmers who use their products. The chance to enter the contest is just one of the benefits of being a MCGA member. In addition to having the opportunity to make your 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. Membership in the MCGA is $60 for one year, $155 for three years or $500 for a lifetime. Students in an accredited agricultural program are eligible for a one-year membership in the MCGA for $20.
Growers who are members and have their NCYC entry forms postmarked by June 15 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 can 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 at 888-323-6601 or visit www.micorn.org
T-shirt contest celebrates Ethanol Night at the Races
Do you know a budding young artist looking for an opportunity to showcase their artwork? Someone who could use some extra money for their future? If so, then let them know the MCGA is looking for a creative, engine-revving design for its annual Ethanol Night at the Races T-shirt Design Contest.
The MCGA Ethanol Night at the Races event is an annual membership appreciation night for MCGA members and their families, held at Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run. Attendees enjoy a full night of great food, fellowship and racing, while celebrating Michigan’s $223 million ethanol industry and the benefits of the American-made fuel.
All Ethanol Night at the Races attendees receive a complimentary T-shirt – and this year it could feature your young artist’s design.
Membership in the MCGA is not required for participation and all interested artists who are Michigan residents and 21 years of age or younger are encouraged to enter. Designs must be racing-, ethanol- or field corn-related (not sweet corn) and must be no smaller than 6-by-8-inches and no larger than 12-by-14-inches. Entered designs must be hand-drawn or computer-generated and suitable for four-color screen printing onto a white T-shirt. Hurry! Participating artists may submit only one design and all entries must be received at the Michigan Corn office by 5 p.m. this Friday, June 8.
Jeff Sandborn, MCGA President, said the T-shirt Design Contest is a great way for young people to learn about corn and ethanol while being able to think creatively and use their talents. He encourages artists to visit www.micorn.org or utilize other resources to learn about Michigan’s corn and ethanol industries and incorporate that knowledge into their designs.
The winning design, selected by the MCGA board, will be printed onto more than 1,000 T-shirts that will be distributed at the Ethanol Night at the Races event on Sept. 8. The artist of the winning selection will receive a $150 VISA gift card, a free T-shirt with their design and two tickets to the racing event.
For more information on the contest, visit www.micorn.org or call 888-323-6601 to obtain the complete contest rules and official contest entry form.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events: •Ag Expo – Michigan State University, July 17-19 •Thumb Area Golf Outing – Verona Hills Golf Club, Bad Axe, Aug. 14 •Central Michigan Golf Outing – Centennial Acres, Sunfield, Aug. 16 •Ethanol Night at the Races – Dixie Motor Speedway, Birch Run, Sept. 8 •MCGA Annual Meeting – Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Feb. 5, 2013. |
