The Michigan Corn Office hopes you are having a productive early summer despite the lack of cooperation from Mother Nature. The Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. (MCGA) and the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) would like to remind our grower friends that many upcoming summer events have been planned to provide opportunities for fun and fellowship, as well as to talk to people about what we do.
MCGA golf outings Dust off your golf clubs, move from the tractor to a golf cart and join the MCGA at one of our two upcoming golf outings. The Thumb Area Golf Outing will take place Aug. 14 at Verona Hills Golf Club in Bad Axe, while the Central Michigan Golf Outing will be Aug. 16 at Centennial Acres, Inc. in Sunfield.
Participants receive fun and refreshment in many forms during the outing, including 18 holes of golf with a cart, donuts and coffee, lunch, dinner, awards, chances to win door prizes and a day filled with fun and networking.
The deadline to receive the early registration discount for both outings is July 27. The cost to register before the deadline is $40 for MCGA members and $75 for non-members.
After July 27, the regular cost is $60 for MCGA members and $100 for non-members.
MCGA members should receive registration information in the mail the first week of July. Friends and supporters of the MCGA can find registration information online at www.micorn.org
Golfers may register on our website, by fax at 517-668-2670 or by mail. For more information on the outings or becoming an MCGA member, visit www.micorn.org or contact the MCGA at 888-323-6601.
Breakfast on the Farm events Though summer is a busy time for farmers, we hope you will take time to educate consumers by attending your local Breakfast on the Farm event. These provide tremendous opportunities for Michigan farmers to teach hundreds of visitors about life on the farm. Many of these visitors have never been to a farm and have no idea what goes into the products they enjoy. Hosting farms provide a hearty breakfast, and visitors appreciate what is on their plate in a whole new way.
When you attend your local Breakfast on the Farm event, you are connecting with consumers and showing them that agriculture is an irreplaceable part of our state.
The first two 2012 Breakfast on the Farm events took place June 16 in Kalamazoo County and June 23 in Lenawee County. The remaining events are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
July 21 hosted by Goma Dairy Farm, Marlette (Sanilac County) July 28 hosted by VanDrese Farms, Cornell (Delta County) Aug. 4 hosted by May Farms, Sparta (Kent County) Aug. 11 hosted Judge Dairy Farm, Shepherd (Isabella County) Aug. 25 hosted by Gingrich Meadows, LeRoy (Osceola County) Oct. 6 hosted by John Schaendorf Dairy, Allegan (Allegan County) To find out how you can help with your local event, visit www.breakfastonthefarm.com
Ag Expo coming up Come join us at the Ag Expo on the campus of Michigan State University, July 17-19.
The event will feature exhibits from commodity groups, MSU, equipment manufacturers and dealers, as well as many other groups involved in agriculture and agribusiness.
The Michigan Corn booth is located in Tent A and will feature corn-based bioproducts, including corn heat, plastics and clothing. The Ag Expo provides a great opportunity to show how your vital corn checkoff dollars are being used to help ensure a solid future for our industry through research and development of new uses and markets for corn.
Don’t forget to bring the kids along so they can learn more about corn, enjoy some freshly popped popcorn and meet Captain Cornelius, our corn-powered superhero. Captain Cornelius will be available each day to meet children and pose for pictures.
National Corn Yield Contest
The National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) would like to remind Michigan’s corn farmers that there is still time to showcase your corn-production skills in the National Corn Yield Contest. Entries are due by July 15. For more information, visit www.ncga.com/ncyc
NASCAR races include ethanol The MCGA partnered with American Ethanol and Growth Energy to provide Ethanol Awareness activities at Michigan International Speedway June 15-17.
The Ethanol Street team of volunteers distributed 3,000 green American Ethanol flags to fans staying at the speedway’s campgrounds.
Over the course of the weekend, NCGA President Garry Niemeyer joined MCGA staff in moving about the campgrounds handing out ethanol-related items to campers who were flying the flags, and talking to them about the benefits of ethanol and how important it is to our nation. Before the race, MCGA President Jeff Sandborn presented the American Ethanol Green Restart Award to NASCAR driver Joey Logano.
The American Ethanol No. 33 car, driven by Austin Dillon in the Sprint Cup’s Quicken Loans 400, featured the Michigan Corn logo prominently displayed next to the car’s number.
More events to come
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
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 |
