Members of the Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee are advocating for better policy in Washington, D.C. this week as they meet with other corn and soybean growers from around the country.
Ferdinand, Indiana farmer JR Roesner is an Indiana Corn Growers Association board member and a National Corn board member. He says Monday and Tuesday were set aside for the seven different NCGA action teams to meet and discuss policy priorities. There are 7 NCGA action teams.
“Currently, I sit on the Production Technology Access Action Team,” Roesner tells HAT. “So, we work a lot in biotech with crop protection, fertilizer, and with some of the stuff we’re seeing within the Endangered Species Act. It’s part of what my team is handling right now, and so we’re really focused on that. We’re really focused on some of the sustainability pieces within that and making sure that the American farmer and the Indiana farmer have the tools they need to produce the crop that the world needs.”
The other action teams revolve around ethanol, market development, member & consumer engagement, risk management & transportation, stewardship, and sustainable ag research.
Hill visits with Congressional staffers will take place Wednesday to share about the urgency of getting a farm bill done among other important topics.
Roesner reminds Hoosier farmers to get involved in the policy process if you’re not already.
“No checkoff dollars can be used for policy work. So, everything we do on the policy side is through our memberships and through sponsorships, and the people that are involved with it are very important. And you know, we realize that not everyone has the time to do it, but just having that membership is key, giving the support to these organizations that can fight for the American farmer. When we’re together, we have a very loud voice, and it’s very important for us to continue to fight for that.
You can learn more at incornandsoy.org.
