white shadow - 2/19/2025 19:05

Jeff Broin and Ron Fagen built the ethanol industry with the farmer investor writing the checks for the capital required to build. Most of those farmer investors are not even members of Corn Growers. A grassroots campaign of legislatures and farmers with the National Corn Growers always there for the press pictures and to supply the coffee and cookies for the capital drives. Where has corn been the last 10 years when we had a push for e-15----pretty absent. After the first handful were built the players pretty much pushed corn growers to the curb. They brought a membership list, press releases and enthusiasm ---with little less.

Why in the world, would Corn Growers require dues from people they are taxing? Why wouldn't you want to increase your footprint and build a larger base of producers? Anyone paying over a $100 in check off moneys should be a member.

EDIT---I no doubt underestimate the role and contribution of Corn Growers to the ethanol movement because of my bias and no doubt the Corn Growers overestimate their role and contribution with the ethanol movement. That is how bias works. Regardless, things have to change within the organization in Governance and pushing the value down to the producer level.