Nebraska Farm Family Featured in Exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

The Chris Flaming family from Elsie, Nebraska is now featured in the “AmericanEnterprise” exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC as part of the national Corn Farmers Coalition. The Corn Farmer Coalition—or CFC—is a collaboration of several corn states including Nebraska that was formed to restore the image of corn farming, especially among policy makers in Washington, DC.

For the past few years, the CFC has placed attention-getting advertising campaigns in Washington, DC to provide positive, fact-based messaging about corn farming. These campaigns have included large advertisements featuring photographs of family corn farmers, such as the Flaming family from Nebraska, and highlighted key statistics about farmers' environmental stewardship, innovation and international leadership in corn production. These ads were placed in the DC subway systems as well as in publications and on websites read by policy makers and their staff.  

“Our family was fortunate to be prominently featured in several of the CFC ads over the last few years,” said Chris Flaming, a corn farmer from Elsie, Nebraska. “It’s obvious that the campaign has done its job. It has been seen by millions of people, has won many industry awards, and most importantly, people remember seeing it.”

The CFC concept has not only been a high-profile and well-received campaign in the DC area, but was also a perfect fit for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History’s new “American Enterprise” exhibit, which prominently features agriculture. The general story of the exhibit examines how the United States moved from a small dependent nation to one of the world's most vibrant and trend-setting economies.  

To recognize the grand opening of the “American Enterprise” exhibit, and the CFC display featuring a photo of the Flaming Family, the Corn Farmers Coalition sponsored a Farmer-to-Table event at the Smithsonian. As a part of this event, Chris and Korene Flaming, along with many others farm couples from across the country, enjoyed dinner and conversation with media, policy makers and thought leaders from inside the Beltway. Guests represented a wide range of interests, including the chief agricultural trade negotiator for the U.S. and fellow Nebraskan, Darci Vetter, and a staffer from First Lady Michelle Obama's office.

“It was a great opportunity to help the guests put a face on agriculture and get first-hand answers to their questions,” said Korene Flaming, farm mom and teacher from Elise, Nebraska. “Some of their questions ranged from "How big is an acre?" to "Do you use GMOs—and are they safe?”  In the end, I think all of us were surprised that we shared many common goals. We all want safe food, improved wildlife habitat, lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced inputs.”

Chris also added, “It's important the reporters and policy makers get to meet farmers personally. It helps put a face on agriculture—and helps them better understand our commitment to growing food safely, efficiently and responsibly.”


The CFC display featuring the Flaming Family within the “American Enterprise” exhibit will be displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for 20 years.

Corn Farmers Return to Nation's Capital in Advertising, Educational Campaign

For the fifth year in a row, policymakers in our nation's capital are learning about the U.S. family farmers who produce corn, our nation's top crop, as part of the Corn Farmers Coalition program. Once again, the program, which is sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association and its state affiliates, showcases how innovative and high-tech corn farmers have become by introducing a foundation of facts about farmers and farming.

"This has always been a crucial time of year in Washington to make sure our lawmakers and those who influence them remember the importance of corn farming to our nation and our economy," said Pam Johnson, NCGA president and a corn grower in Iowa. "Our state corn checkoff programs have seen the importance of this program each year for educating a very important audience about this essential crop and its high value."

The Corn Farmers Coalition program launched June 1 with a major advertising presence in Washington that puts prominent facts about family farmers in front of thousands on Capitol Hill, starting with "station domination" at Union Station through the month of June. The large-format ads will travel to the Capitol South Metro station for July. In addition, online advertising will appear in publications such as Politico, Washington Post, the New York Times, Roll Call, National Journal, and Congressional Quarterly.

Among the facts presented in the campaign, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• America's corn farmers exported $7.6 billion worth of corn last year-one of the few U.S. products with a trade surplus.
• 95 percent of all corn farms in America are family owned, and family farmers grow 90 percent of America's corn.
• Thanks to advanced technology, last year corn farmers delivered the 8th largest crop - despite the worst drought since 1936.

This year, the campaign also features important messages from Field to Market, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture:

• America's corn farmers have cut soil erosion 67 percent by using innovative conservation methods.
• The energy used to grow a bushel of corn decreased 43 percent, thanks to family farmers' use of technology.
• The land required to grow a bushel of corn has decreased by 30 percent.
• Corn farmers have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 36 percent, thanks to improved farming practices.

To learn more about this campaign or about the Corn Farmers Coalition visit http://www.cornfarmerscoalition.org/.

Click here for images of the current campaign at Union Station.

Farmers Feed US starts in Nebraska

Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch has never met a Nebraska farmer. In fact, they are offering the chance for residents of the state to win a free breakfast, lunch and dinner by way of free groceries– for an entire year.

Beginning today, Nebraskans can register for a chance at one of two grand prizes of $5,000 “Free Groceries for a Year!”* courtesy of a group of Nebraska farmers, a veterinarian and a grocer, at www.FarmersFeedUS.org.

Upon visiting the site, consumers register by “meeting” one of their fellow Nebraskans through a short video that shows how each is involved in producing safe, nutritious and affordable food. Consumers can register with each of the seven featured individuals daily through April 8, the end of the 90-day program.

The Farmers Feed US website features corn, dairy, hog, soybean and turkey farmers, as well as a veterinarian and a grocer, each sharing information about the foods they produce.

The corn farmer in the program might be a familiar face – Kyle Cantrell from Anselmo, Nebraska.

Kyle and his family have been involved in the Nebraska Corn Board’s Sustaining Innovation campaign for the past couple of years, as well as the Corn Farmers Coalition showing the real faces of America’s farmers. 

Over the course of the sweepstakes, consumers throughout the state will also see and hear from these farmers as they are featured in television advertising and on Facebook and Twitter.

Supporting Nebraska agriculture groups include the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN), Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Pork Producers, Nebraska Corn Board, Midwest Dairy Association, and B&R Grocery.

Take a tour of the Cantrell’s farm, then register online to win free groceries for a year!

Do family farms exist?

A lot of words like “factory” or “industrial” are thrown around in the media and online when people talk about farming. Yet what do those words mean?

If a corn farmer has a big combine is she an industrial farmer? If several cousins form a corporation to protect their farm or take advantage of the tax code, are they a factory? What if a farmer uses fertilizer? Or herbicide? Or high-tech seed? What’s the line between a “family” and “factory” farm?

In the end, a vast majority of corn grown in the United States is grown by family farmers. In fact, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show that 95 percent of corn farms in the United States are family owned and operated. That’s real people, real families with grandpas, moms, sons, cousins…all working together to make their farm as successful as they can.

Maybe one family farm has 200 acres and another 2,000. In the end, it doesn’t matter, because both families want to be successful so the next generation can have their opportunity to live off the land.


Find out more about family farmers through the Corn Farmers Coalition that is active right now in Washington D.C., defending and educating about corn farmers in the U.S.!

Corn Farmers Coalition wraps up third year telling the story of family corn farmers

The Corn Farmers Coalition wrapped up another successful year with an "innovation is growing" reception this week in the U.S. Capitol.

The Corn Farmers Coalition is supported by corn farmers from 14 different states, including Nebraska via the Nebraska Corn Board, along with the National Corn Growers Association. It is designed to provide important messages about corn and the family farmers who grow it to policymakers.

For previous posts on the Corn Farmers Coalition, click here.

The Cantrell family of Merna, Neb., in
one of the Corn Farmers Coalition online ads.

Those attending the reception included Kyle and Gina Cantrell (and kids!) of Merna, Nebraska. The Cantrell family was featured in some of the Corn Farmer Coalition ads that appeared in Washington, D.C.

They also appeared in a video the coalition put together to highlight some of the farmers participating in the campaign. (See the video below.)

Another Nebraska farm family – the Chris and Korene Flaming family of Elsie – appeared on the cover of and the Corn Fact Book.

"The Corn Farmers Coalition exists to tell the story of the revolution going on in modern farming and the significant role family farmers have had in this success," NCGA president Garry Niemeyer told a group gathered at the Capitol Visitors Center. "Corn farmers from across the United States came together through their organizations to found the effort with a simple but clear mission: Tell the story of how American farmers – through innovation, technology and hard work – have become the most productive farmers the world has ever seen."

The Flaming family of Elsie, Neb., on the
cover of the Corn Fact Book.

The positive fact-based messages of the Corn Farmers Coalition are directed at legislators and key staff who participate in the policy dialogue in Washington. The 2011 campaign included "station domination" at Union Station and the Capitol South Metro Station, placing prominent messages in front of many legislative and regulatory staff that use the station in their daily commute.

It also included online and drive-time radio advertising presence over the summer, and the printing and distribution of the Corn Fact Book, which tells farmer stories while stressing the importance of how they are growing more corn sustainably.

Niemeyer, who farms near Auburn, Ill., pointed out that nine of the largest corn crops in history have been grown the last nine years. Even this year, despite major challenges from drought, flooding and even hurricanes, corn growers have continued this trend, he said.

"The generations of knowledge represented by the farmers of this nation are a national treasure and that's an American success story the public needs to hear," Niemeyer said. "The Corn Farmers Coalition helps amplify this message and puts a face on family farmers."

Corn Farmers Coalition produces Corn Fact Book

The Corn Farmers Coalition campaign continues in Washington D.C. where corn farmers from 14 different states, along with the National Corn Growers Association continue to educate lawmakers on the importance of corn farming here in the U.S. The campaign is also educating the general public about farming by running radio ads, using billboards, and handing out booklets. This campaign is part of the Corn Farmers Coalition program and will last until August, which is when congress will break for recess.

One of the tools being used by in the coalition is the Corn Fact Book. This booklet features farmers from all across corn producing states. The booklet emphasizes on the family farm and tells how 95% of all corn farms in America are family owned and operated. It also hits on what corn farmers are doing today to produce more food and fuel with fewer resources. This educational tool provides the opportunity for others unfamiliar with agriculture to learn about how corn production has advanced over the past century and what farmers are doing today to feed a growing population.

You can find this fact book online or if you or someone you know may be interested in receiving a hard copy of the Corn Fact Book, contact the Nebraska Corn Board office at (402) 471-2676 or email ncb.intern2@nebraska.gov.

Corn Farmers Coalition Campaign Returns to Washington D.C.

For the third year in a row, corn farmers from 14 different states, along with the National Corn Growers Association, are running a campaign on Capitol Hill educating lawmakers on the importance of corn farming here in the U.S. This campaign is part of the Corn Farmers Coalition program and will last until August, which is when congress will break for recess.

The whole purpose of this campaign is to tell the story of American corn farmers. Over the last several years, there has been an increasing disconnect between rural and urban areas. These days, many people question where their food is coming from and who is growing it. A majority of Americans don’t realize that 95 percent of all the corn farms here in the U.S. are family owned and have been in the family for many generations.

Most Americans also don’t realize that family farms are being more efficient with chemicals, seed, water, and land. Today, corn farmers are growing 5 times more corn than they did back in the 1930’s, and that is on 20 percent less land.

Some local faces you might recognize are being used to help share that story. The Kimball family from Callaway, Neb., and the Cantrell Family from Merna, Neb., are featured in ads, and Chris and Korene Flaming from Elsie, Neb., are featured on the cover of the Corn Fact Book.

The Corn Farmers Coalition will share key facts about family farms in Capitol Hill publications, radio spots, popular websites, and also in the metro and at Reagan National Airport. The purpose of this campaign is not to directly influence or change policy, but to present a foundation of facts so that policy makers can make the best policy decisions. The coalition will also meet with members of the media, environmental groups, members of congress, and others to share with them the importance of American agriculture!

To learn more about this campaign or about the Corn Farmers Coalition visit http://www.cornfarmerscoalition.org/.

Policy, education main topics at Commodity Classic

The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association sent board and staff representatives to Florida last week for the annual Commodity Classic - a national meeting place and trade show for the corn, sorghum, soybean and wheat industries.

Commodity Classic features a trade show, valuable educational sessions, technology demonstrations, association banquets, entertainment events and important networking opportunities.

Dawn Caldwell, one of Nebraska's volunteer spokeswomen for CommonGround, was a speaker at one of the educational sessions and spoke on the secrets of effiective agricultural communications. CommonGround is a program, launched by the National Corn Growers Association and United Soybean Board to increase consumer awareness of food and farm issues. Dawn, and the other two Nebraska volunteer spokeswomen, launched the program in Nebraska, February 26, at the Northern Lights HyVee in Lincoln.

State staff meetings during the Commodity Classic also allowed for the corn state staff and NCGA staff members to gather and discuss important programs such as CommonGround, NASCAR, and Corn Farmers Coalition.

Mark Jagels, Nebraska Corn board director and executive committee member of the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) was a speaker at a luncheon hosted by USMEF. He spoke on the added value of grain-fed livestock in export markets and the potential for expanded exports in the future.

Below is an update from NCGA about the Corn Congress session in which 125 delegates representing 25 states spent hours discussing and voting on a large list of forward-thinking initiatives that reflect NCGA's commitment to creating and expanding opportunity for its members.

From ethanol to farm bill to genetic research, NCGA grower leaders last week updated the organization's policy book on a number of hot-button issues of interest to corn growers and their farm colleagues nationwide.

"We had an excellent slate of policy recommendations for the delegates to consider, and we are proud of the way they came together and agreed on the direction we will take in the months ahead," said NCGA First Vice President Garry Niemeyer, an Illinois grower who chaired the policy discussion. "We are moving into a critical time in Washington, with ethanol tax policy under debate, the 2012 farm bill looming, and an expanding regulatory burden being placed on our farmers."


Among the additions to the policy book were statements that the ethanol blenders tax credit should be transitioned to a market-based safety net for the ethanol industry and that NCGA should investigate transitioning direct payments into programs that allow producers the ability to manage risk while assuring food security


Delegates also defined what a "safety net" means - a combination of risk management tools available to producers that have the ability to protect against revenue losses due to circumstances beyond their control


At Corn Congress, it was recognized that NCGA was one of the leaders in securing the funds to map the corn genome and that research needs to continue. Delegates called on NCGA to develop an aggressive strategic plan for public research in functional genomics and translational genetics of corn and focus policy and research dollars to that end


Also, delegates called on the NCGA to make every effort to secure FDA acceptance and approval of the Corn Sugar petition and should oppose HFCS-free campaigns by food and beverage companies. NCGA has already submitted comments to the FDA, accessible here, supporting the Corn Refiners Association initiative.

To see photos from Commodity Classic, check out our online photo album. You can also check out the twitter talk through #Classic11.

Nebraska farm families recognized for participating in 'Sustaining Innovation'

Two Nebraska farm families were recognized at the Nebraska Corn Board meeting and dinner in Kearney on Tuesday night.

The Bergen family from Henderson, (top; joined by Nebraska Corn Board chairman Alan Tiemann on the left) and the Kimball family from Callaway, were present to receive recognition and a family picture for participating in the Corn Board's Sustaining Innovation campaign.

The two families’ roles in the campaign were to be “real-Nebraska farm family models” and be photographed on their farms. They then became the face of the campaign and helped share the many positive messages about farming and farmers today.

Other Nebraska farm families not present but who helped out with the campaign were the Beattie family from Sumner, the Flaming family and Robertson family from Elsie, the Cantrell family from Merna and the Long family from Grant.

The Sustaining Innovation campaign shows that through responsible stewardship, improved management practices and new genetics, Nebraska corn farmers are growing more corn with less – less fertilizer, less chemicals, less water, less land and less of an impact on the environment.

We’ve portrayed these family farmers on moving billboards on delivery trucks in Lincoln and on grain trailers across the state. They’ve also been on display at Aksarben’s River City Rodeo & Stock Show.

These Nebraska farm families are helping share agriculture’s story. You might be surprised to learn that:

• 95% of all corn farmers in America are family owned. (USDA)
• America’s corn farmers are by far the most productive in the world, growing 20% more corn per acre than any other nation. (USDA)
• Corn farmers cut erosion 44% in two decades thanks to new tillage methods. (USDA) 
• Thanks to new, innovative fertilization methods, today’s American corn farmers are producing 70% more corn per ounce of fertilizer. (USDA) 
• The energy used to grow a bushel of corn has fallen 37% over the past 30 years. (USDA) 
• Family farmers grow 90% of America’s corn crop. (USDA) 
• Corn was a bright spot in America’s economy last year – we exported $9 billion worth of corn! (USDA) 
• American farmers grow five times more corn than they did in the 1930s – on 20% less land! (USDA) 
• Farmers are using GPS-based precision technology to reduce overlaps in the field and to precisely place fertilizer and pesticides exactly where they need to be – and in exactly the right amounts. 
• Monitoring soil moisture levels and measuring the amount of water corn plants lose each day is helping Nebraska corn farmers significantly reduce irrigation and water demand. 
• While irrigation is used more widely in Nebraska, less than 14% of the total U.S. corn crop is supplemented with water via irrigation. The rest relies solely on rainfall. (USDA)
• Only 1% of the corn grown in the U.S. is sweet corn for humans. The rest is field corn used for livestock feed and ethanol.

There is no question: Corn farmers can do what America and the world is asking of them: Grow more corn for feed, food, fiber and fuel – and do it in a way that protects the environment and provides economic benefits all along the value chain.

Thank you again to the Bergen and Kimball families, as well as the other families who could not be at the dinner.

Corn farmers head to D.C. with messages about modern family farmers

The Nebraska Corn Board and corn farmers from 13 other states and the National Corn Growers Association as part of the Corn Farmers Coalition announced a new educational effort today aimed at providing facts about modern family farmers to policymakers and opinion leaders in Washington, D.C., who impact the fate of America’s family corn farmers.

"Some myths about farming and corn continue to make the rounds, and this effort will help provide the truths to counter that," Nebraska Corn Board member Curt Friesen, a farmer from Henderson, said in a news release. "At the same time, real American farm families will make up a significant portion of the campaign to help put a face back on farming."

This is important, Friesen said, because many people do not realize that most farms, and 95 percent of corn farms specifically, are family owned and operated. "We need policymakers to understand the decisions they make impact real family farmers, and that it’s these families that are the backbone of this country," he said.

"This awareness is important to our survival," said Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a farmer from South Dakota.

“Our mission is to put a face on today’s family farmers, showcase the productivity and environmental advances being made in the industry, provide factual information on how innovative and high tech corn farmers have become,” said Ihnen. “This is a corn farmer image effort designed for thought leaders in Washington. When all the business news out there seems to be negative, corn farmers have a great story to tell.”

Friesen said the incredible advances in productivity made by today’s corn farmers "allow us to feed and help fuel a nation, while at the same time reducing the environmental footprint of farming. This is a very positive story, and the Nebraska Corn Board is excited to be part of the Corn Farmers Coalition, which allows us to tell that story in a bigger way then we could on our own.”

The main advertising campaign for the Corn Farmers Coalition will begin June 1. Educational efforts will include important facts about family farmers in Capital Hill publications, radio, websites, the Metro (passenger rail) and Reagan National Airport. The program will focus on family farmers telling their story and will continue until Congress recesses in August.

The image above is, in fact, one of the messages that will be used. To view more print ads, click here.

Corn groups launch ‘Sustaining Innovation’ campaign

Building off the Corn Farmers Coalition campaign in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association have launched a campaign in Nebraska to promote some of the positive aspects of farming today.

Here are some of the bullet points:

• American farmers grow five times more corn than they did in the 1930s—on 20% less land!
• Corn farmers cut erosion 44% in two decades thanks to new tillage methods.
• American farmers slashed the fertilizer needed to grow a bushel of corn by 36% in just three decades.
• Family farmers grow 90% of America’s corn crop.

"Farmers have always and will continue to adapt and improve how they farm. We felt it was important to let the people of Nebraska know," said Jon Holzfaster, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board, in a news release announcing the campaign.

Find the news release here.

Holzfaster said the campaign comes in response to some negative messages about corn production and, in part, corn-based ethanol, that have surfaced over the last year. “It got to a point that we felt some facts about farming today needed to be told,” he said.

The campaign is known as “Sustaining Innovation” because farmers are incredibly innovative and have continuously improved their productivity since humans first placed a seed in the soil. “We strive to do a better job in every row, on every acre, on every farm, every season,” Holzfaster said.

Brandon Hunnicutt, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers and a farmer from Giltner, said, “By increasing our productivity and producing more with less land, less fertilizer and less chemicals, farmers are feeding more people and are more sustainable today than at any point in history.”

The campaign began this month and will run through the rest of the year. It includes radio and print advertising in select media outlets plus other activities - as well as some decked out delivery trucks that will be making the rounds in Lincoln through the end of the year.

To listen to the radio spots, view the ads (image above is an example) or check out the trucks (right), click here to visit a special web page developed for the campaign.

Corn Farmers Coalition aims to educate policy-makers

The Corn Farmers Coalition announced its formation and ad and media campaign today. The Nebraska Corn Board is a member of the coalition.

Copied below is a news release from the group, as well as one of the print ads it has developed. Just click on the ad for a larger, more readable image.

For an interview with the group's spokesman (Mark Lambert of Illinois Corn) with Brownfield's Cyndi Young, click here. Lambert explains the whys and hows - and provides a lot of good info.

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After last year's ethanol controversy, a new group launches
When corn prices spiked last year, big food manufacturers and oil companies claimed there wasn’t enough corn to feed everyone and make ethanol.

Now we know that was not true. There was always plenty of corn to make ethanol, not to mention corn to export and to feed ourselves and the cattle, chickens and pigs we raise on corn. And the federal Agriculture Department says there will be plenty of corn to meet demand for the foreseeable future.

So corn farmers from 10 states and the industry’s trade group — the National Corn Growers Association — formed the Corn Farmers Coalition to educate policymakers in Washington.

The coalition today launches a web site (http://www.cornfarmerscoalition.org/), an advertising campaign and a statistical abstract on America’s biggest crop.

"Washington needs to know that corn farmers are using some of the most advanced technologies on the planet to do more with less -- to grow more corn using fewer resources every year," said Mark Lambert, director of the coalition. "American corn farmers, the majority of them small business people, are among the most productive in the world."

The coalition will meet with reporters, think tanks and members of Congress to talk about what’s ahead: how U.S. farmers, using the latest technologies, will continue to grow enough corn in an environmentally friendly way to meet all our needs; the prospects for making the farm bill more responsive to the market; and the future of renewable fuels, a vital issue for our economy and national security and a key issue for the new administration.

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The website has a lot of good information and links on it - be sure to check out the Farmer Innovation section.