April 8, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

• Biofuel and Farm Leaders Press White House for Immediate Action on E15
• The 2021/2022 CCPC Annual Report is Now Available!
• Take the CCPC Annual Survey
• Agriculture Disaster Relief & Recovery Funding Webinar
• USDA Expands Margin Protection for Corn and Soybean Farmers
• New Study Demonstrates Red Meat Exports’ Value to Corn and Soybean Industries
• Bank Failures and the Rural Economy, with NCGA Lead Economist Krista Swanson
• Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education
• History Colorado’s Centennial Farms & Ranches Application Now Open

Congratulations: The Colorado Corn Promotion Council congratulates Rod Hahn (left) - CCPC President, Josh Hasart (right) - CCPC Vice President and Robyn Carlson (center) - CCPC Communications Consultant, on their recognitions as 2022 Who's Who in Colorado Agriculture Honorees. They were recognized at a ceremony held on March 30 at the Hydro Building on the CSU SPUR campus.

Biofuel and Farm Leaders Press White House for Immediate Action on E15

Biofuel and farm leaders today called on President Biden to get ahead of rising fuel costs by authorizing sales of E15 this summer. In a letter, the National Corn Growers Association, along with five other groups, noted that current conditions are analogous to those in place last summer, when President Biden waived outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15. The move saved drivers up to nearly a dollar per gallon at the pump in some areas and an average of 23 cents per gallon, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. 

“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now extending into its second year, continues to reverberate across global energy markets,” said the letter, whose signatories included NCGA, Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Sorghum Producers, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union.

Read more...

The 2021/2022 CCPC Annual Report is Now Available!

Want to see what the CCPC has focused on the last year?

Check out the Annual Report to find out!

Take the CCPC Annual Survey

The CCPC is conducting our annual survey. It is very important to the Board of Directors and the staff that we are serving the corn producers of the state in the best way that we can - and that means we need your feedback! Please fill out the short survey, and let us know how we are doing. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Agriculture Disaster Relief & Recovery Funding Webinar

Date & Time: Apr 14, 2023 02:00 PM in Mountain Time

Description: This webinar will provide an overview for farmers, ranchers, and other ag producers of the state and federal funding programs that could be available when disasters strike our ag communities. Experts from the state and federal government will introduce these important programs and be available to answer questions.

Agenda:

1. Introduction
2. (Colorado Dept. of Agriculture)
3. Opening Comments
4. (Special Guests / Commissioners)
5. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Programs and USDA Disaster Designations
6. (USDA Farm Service Agency Staff)
7. Small Business Administration (SBA) Funding for Businesses that Support Agriculture
8. (U.S. Small Business Administration)
9. Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Agricultural Emergency Drought Response Program
10. (Colorado Department of Natural Resources) 
11. Presidential Disaster Declarations, ie: Large-scale Disasters, and FEMA Assistance
12. (Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (DHSEM) Recovery Section)
13. Importance of Good Record Keeping for the Unexpected
14. Colorado State University's Dr. Frank Garry, DVM
15. Closing
16. Discussion and Q&A

This webinar is free but you must register to receive the zoom link.

USDA Expands Margin Protection for Corn and Soybean Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its Margin Protection insurance plan, adding more than a thousand counties to the insurance option that provides coverage against an unexpected decrease in operating margin for corn and soybean producers. This expansion, which is in direct response to growing interest among producers, will be available by June 30, 2023. Interested producers will need to purchase their coverage by Sept. 30, 2023, to be eligible for the 2024 crop year. 

See the map of expanded opportunities for corn in Colorado

New Study Demonstrates Red Meat Exports’ Value to Corn and Soybean Industries

From the Western Ag Network: New study demonstrates red meat exports’ value to corn and soybean industries; ranchers encouraged to document livestock death losses due to snow and blizzards; and U.S. winter crop in tough shape. CCPC President Rod Hahn was interviewed for the segment.

Bank Failures and the Rural Economy, with NCGA Lead Economist Krista Swanson

Instability at some high-profile financial institutions is on growers' minds. Should we be worried?

The Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and the sudden perception that there’s instability in the banking system, has a lot of us thinking back to 2008 and the financial crisis that spurred the Great Recession.

And, whether it’s the war in Ukraine, lingering supply-side issues from COVID-19, or high-interest rates, we are all feeling the effects of the world economy a little more acutely this year. So are we staring down another financial crisis, or just feeling a little economic speed bump?

For some perspectives on those questions, and what it means for corn growers, we’re joined in this episode of the Cob Cast podcast by Krista Swanson, the National Corn Growers Association’s lead economist.

She provides some much-needed context, and an informed take on what the farm economy might have in store for us over the next few years.

Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education

Mountain West PEST is provides live in-person workshops and live online recertification credit training via Zoom Webinars.  Live online webinars and in-person workshops have been developed and approved for core and category credits. If your category is not listed as an "upcoming" webinar/workshop, please contact MWPEST (sandra@mountainwestpest.com).

View upcoming workshops

History Colorado’s Centennial Farms & Ranches Application Now Open

The 2023 applications for Colorado's Centennial Farms & Ranches program have been opened. Centennial Farms & Ranches program, a joint initiative of History Colorado and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, honors the contributions of the state’s ranching and farming families who have withstood the pressures of growth, changes in farming methods, drought, and economic conditions to preserve important pieces of our state's commercial and cultural history.

In 2022, the Centennial Farms & Ranches program was expanded to recognize four categories of honorees associated with the agricultural history of the State of Colorado:

• Centennial Farms or Ranches – farms or ranches that have belonged to the same family for at least 100 years, and are currently working farms or ranches
• Centennial Families – families with agricultural experience in Colorado that spans 100 or more years (eg. 1923-present), not necessarily as landowners
• Centennial Farmers or Ranchers – individuals 100 years of age or older who have spent a majority of their life in agricultural pursuits within the State of Colorado, even if they were not landowners
• Centennial AgriBusiness – organizations or businesses that have been in operation for 100 or more years and primarily serve the agricultural community in Colorado (examples: seed companies, farm implement manufacturers, Farm Bureaus, etc.)

The expansion of the Centennial Farms and Ranches program allows for a more equitable celebration of the diverse farming and ranching families who sustain the Centennial State. Broadening this program provides a chance to celebrate the contribution and accomplishments of Coloradans who did not historically have the opportunity to own property–whether for economic, political, or discriminatory reasons.

To earn recognition within the Centennial Farms and Ranches Programs, applicants must submit an application and provide verification of eligibility. A complete list of eligibility requirements can be found in the 2023 Centennial Farms & Ranches Application.

Awardees will be honored for their perseverance and resilience through the changing times at the Colorado State Fair, held every August in Pueblo, CO.

The deadline for applications is May 1, 2023. To apply or learn more, please visit h-co.org/CentennialFarms or call (303) 866-3392.

UPCOMING DEADLINES

• Centennial Farms and Ranches Programs – May 1, 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS

• April 12 - CCPC Issues & Engagement Action Team Meeting
• April 14 - Agriculture Disaster Relief & Recovery Funding Webinar
• April 19 - CCPC Board of Directors Meeting
• April 22 - Earth Day