We've all seen Grant Woods' famous "American Gothic" painting of the older farm couple, him with pitchfork in hand and her with the dour look--standing side by side in front of the small white farmhouse. That iconic image may have been accurate in its day (or not!), but today's farm couples and the family farms they operate are vastly different.
Today, farm women play a critical role in the success of a Nebraska family farm. They may work shoulder-to-shoulder with a husband or other family member on the farm--or they may be running the operation themselves. They also might have an off-the-farm job to help supplement income and insurance coverage--and in many cases, those jobs are related to agriculture.
And more and more young women are returning to Nebraska farms and ranches to raise their own families. Farm women are driving tractors and grain carts, helping deliver newborn calves, selling pivot irrigation systems, managing ag loan portfolios, and advocating on behalf of their family farms and agriculture. Nebraska farm women are continuing their family legacy--and bringing their special talents, passion and insight to their family farms and to the agricultural community.
International exports play a crucial role in supporting prices and
enhancing the value of Nebraska corn!
With more than 95% of the world’s population living outside
the United States and representing 75% of the world’s purchasing power, there
is huge market potential for Nebraska corn around the world. From raw grain—to
red meat—to ethanol, exports in all forms help support corn prices for Nebraska
corn farmers. And each value-added product plays a fundamental role in building
global demand.
Enhancing the profitability of Nebraska corn and value-added corn products
through market development is one of the cornerstones of the Nebraska Corn
Board. That’s why the Nebraska Corn Board has long standing relationships with
organizations such as the US Grains Council (USGC) and the US Meat Export
Federation (USMEF). With offices in key markets around the world, these
organizations work hard to help identify and develop export markets for
Nebraska corn. Their international directors are positioned as the ‘boots on
the ground’ force that helps recognize opportunity and identify challenges in
new and existing global markets.
“Even though most corn grown in Nebraska is used right here in our state for
livestock and ethanol—or shipped to dairies in California and feedlots in
Texas, we still have a lot at stake when it comes to exports,” said Alan
Tiemann, a farmer from Seward, the at-large director on the Nebraska Corn Board
and chairman of the U.S. Grains Council. “International exports in all forms
help use the U.S. corn supply and create demand that affects our corn prices
here at home.”
As the chairman of the USGC, Tiemann has a key role in helping the Council
identify new opportunities and priorities in a rapidly changing global market.
With the population projected to grow to 9 billion by 2050, USGC is working
hard to teach producers around the world how to use feed grains effectively and
manage their operations efficiently.
In February, Tiemann helped lead USGC’s 13th annual International
Marketing Conference where they highlighted the Council’s mission to
drive Excellence in Exports. One key topic of discussion at the
conference was ethanol exports. “Ethanol exports continue to be a big priority
to the Grains Council. As the number of vehicles increase worldwide,
international markets for ethanol are growing dramatically,” added Tiemann.
USGC is the market development arm for Nebraska corn and value-added corn products around the world, while USMEF is the market development arm working to increase our market share for red meat around the world. Both organizations have international directors that work around the globe to build demand, knock down trade barriers and serve our customers in the most critical overseas markets.
To hear more of Tiemann’s remarks on the USGC’s International Marketing
Conference, watch our video above. Additionally, to learn more about the
importance of exports to Nebraska corn farmers, watch our video, “Why
Exports Matter to Nebraska Corn Farmers.”
When you pull up to a fuel pump, you may notice that ethanol
blends are friendlier to your wallet, but the benefits of ethanol go beyond
your pocketbook. American Ethanol makes an important contribution to our
environment, public health, economy and agricultural industry.
Public Health &
Environment
Ethanol is a non-toxic, cleaner-burning octane booster that
combusts fuel more completely in the engine. Higher blends of ethanol dilute
the level of toxic additives in our fuel, which helps reduce pollution. This is
good for our health and the environment!
Oil companies use a combination of toxic carcinogens known
as BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene). These carcinogens don’t completely combust
in the engine. As a result, fine and ultrafine particulates leave the tailpipe
and enter the air we breathe. These particles are linked to serious health
problems including asthma, lung and brain cancer, and heart disease.
As technology becomes more efficient, farmers produce more
crops with less resources. This reduces our carbon footprint and our impact on
the environment.
Today
more energy is being produced from ethanol than is used to produce it, by
factors of 2 to 1 nationally and by 4 to 1 in the Midwest, according to the2015 Energy Balance
for the Corn-Ethanol Industrydone by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Office of the Chief Economist.
Economy &
Agriculture
A recent study
by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists reveals Nebraska’s value of
production for ethanol and dried distillers grain (DDGs) is approximately $5
billion annually.
Nebraskans grow and process their corn into ethanol within
the state, which keeps more money in the local economy. Nebraska ethanol production
results in a net positive of both ethanol and its co-products, which brings new
money into the state economy.
The ethanol industry creates a substantial annual impact on
the Nebraska labor market by supporting approximately 4,500 jobs with average annual
earnings (wages, salaries and benefits) of $72,000. The average earnings
include direct jobs in the ethanol industry as well as jobs throughout the
state, which are primarily created in rural Nebraska.
Additionally, the
increased use of ethanol helps reduce the need for agricultural subsidies — and
America’s energy dollars will go to domestic producers rather than members of
foreign oil cartels.
This post was submitted by the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The Nebraska Corn Board and
Nebraska Ethanol Board continue to work together to establish procedures and processes necessary to the
manufacturing and marketing of ethanol fuel.
This time of year, farmers are preparing and planning for planting their upcoming corn crop. They are carefully considering the weather, the soil moisture, the prices and the markets. Farmers around the world are doing the same thing.
Here is a video tour of preparing and planting around the world - obviously from different times of the year as the southern and northern hemispheres have different growing seasons. Notice the difference in landscape, machinery and technology!
Corn planting in Cambodia (Southeast Asia, click here for map):
Preparing for corn planting in Croatia (Eastern Europe, click here for map):
No-till planting in heavy residue in Brazil (South America, click here for map):
