From the Michigan Corn Growers Assoc.

The Michigan Corn Offices hopes you are having a wonderful summer despite the unpredictable weather that’s hit the Midwest.

In this month’s update, we would like to highlight the Governor’s recent Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) board appointments, as well as share the details of some exciting summer events for corn farmers.

New members appointed to board

Each year, highly qualified corn farmers from across the state are chosen by the governor to serve on the CMPM board of directors. Since its origin in 1993, the CMPM, the state’s corn checkoff program, has allowed for one penny for every bushel of corn grown in Michigan and sold to come to the CMPM to use for funding research, education, promotion and new uses for corn.

After being nominated by their peers for consideration, Steve Lonier and Paul Wagner were recently appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to fill two open positions on the CMPM board.

Lonier is a fifth-generation farmer who currently farms nearly 3,000 acres of corn and soybeans with his brother, Scott, and his father, Jim, at Shady Lodge Farm, LLC. Steve, who has been farming for more than 30 years, has served on the Clinton County Ag-Land Preservation Board. The Lonier family, whose farm is Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP)-verified, have farmed in the Lansing area since 1876.

Wagner is also a fifth-generation farmer who currently farms nearly 900 acres of corn, soybeans, hay, wheat and oats and raises beef cattle in the Grawn area at A&P Farms. Paul, along with his brother, Adam, and father, Brent, work the family’s Centennial Farm, which was founded in 1903 and was MAEAP-verified in the fall of 2012.

Paul has been active in Farm Bureau since 1997 and served four years as District 9 State Younger Farmer representative as well as in an at-large Northwest County Farm Bureau board position. Paul also works part time as a crop consultant.

They will serve three-year terms, and their appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

“The board is looking forward to directing the CMPM throughout the next year, and having Steve and Paul’s expertise and input will enhance our impact,” said Mark Kies, CMPM president and a corn farmer from Allen.

“During the next year, the organization will continue working to improve and boost traditional markets, while also seeking out new and innovative uses for corn, which is why the work of the CMPM is so important to our industry and our state.”

Lenawee County Center for Excellence

The 2013 Center for Excellence Field Day is coming up on Aug. 21 with an array of concurring informational sessions. This annual event, hosted by the Lenawee Conservation District with sponsorship by the CMPM and other agricultural organizations, brings in agriculture-related speakers that provide the latest ag technology and information to producers.

This year’s event includes a morning session at Bakerlads Farm near Clayton, and an afternoon session at the Raymond & Stutzman Farm in Morenci. For more information, contact the Conservation District office at 517-263-7400, ext. 5.

Don’t forget there is still time to register for one of the Michigan Corn Growers Assoc. (MCGA) summer golf outings. The Thumb Area Golf Outing will take place Aug. 14 at Verona Hills Golf Club in Bad Axe.

Participants receive fun and refreshment in many forms during the outing, including 18 holes of golf with a cart, doughnuts and coffee, lunch, dinner, awards, chances to win door prizes and a day filled with fun and networking.

The registration cost is $60 for MCGA members and $100 for non-members. MCGA members should have received registration information in the mail in early 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.

National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) President Pam Johnson recently presented the group’s President’s Award to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during NCGA’s Corn Congress meeting in Washington, D.C. The President’s Award is given annually to a leader who has worked to advance issues important to corn growers and agriculture.

“Secretary Vilsack is a perfect recipient for the NCGA President’s Award,” Johnson said. “He has been a steadfast supporter and advocate for American agriculture and I am proud to call him a friend of corn. During his tenure we have seen him work tirelessly to promote agricultural exports, create a more vibrant rural economy and strengthen the role of farmers.”

Vilsack serves as the nation’s 30th secretary of agriculture. Jim Zook, executive director of the MCGA, said the recognition is fitting and a testament to Vilsack’s effective leadership and support of agriculture.