Corn Marketing Program welcomes new research manager

LANSING, Mich. — The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan (CMPM) is pleased to announce Kristin Poley as the Michigan Research Manager, who started in August.

Poley is in a joint research position with CMPM, the Soil Health Partnership (SHP), and The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, with the primary responsibility to build research partnerships to answer key soil health and water quality questions.

“Agriculture in this era presents challenges to growers, markets, and the general public,” said Poley. “Being able to work as part of a team that takes a focus on sustainability to overcome those challenges makes me really excited to get to work.”

“Soil health is the key to the future of sustainable and productive farming in Michigan,” noted Mary Fales, The Nature Conservancy’s program director for Saginaw Bay. “The Nature Conservancy is proud to play a role in this partnership, designed to bring more soil health research to Michigan.”

In her role at CMPM, Poley will manage the research portfolio and grant program, as well as help organize the annual Great Lakes Crop Summit. She will work closely with SHP lead scientist Maria Bowman and will be the liaison for the SHP expansion into Michigan, augmenting the existing site, and supporting analysis of data already being collected throughout the multistate network.

Currently, SHP does not have any participating research farms located in Michigan, and it is critical to locate partnering farms in the state to generate soil health data that’s meaningful for local farmers.

Poley attained her bachelor’s degree in fishery and wildlife biology and master’s in entomology from Michigan State University. She resides in St. Johns with her husband, Nathan, on a few acres raising chickens, geese, and ducks.

Indiana Soybean and Corn announce new CEO Kingery

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — After an intensive process by a farmer-led search committee, the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), and the Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) have named Courtney Kingery as the new CEO effective Oct. 1.

Kingery will be responsible for leading the state’s corn and soybean checkoff programs that focus on building domestic and global demand for corn, soybeans. In addition, she will lead ICGA and the ISA Membership & Policy activities for the two organizations.

She has provided executive management expertise to the grain industry throughout her career. She currently serves as global director of Health & Wellness Innovation for Tate & Lyle in the Chicago area. Earlier in her career she was a grain trader and marketing director for oilseeds and food ingredients for ADM.

Her family has a farm in White County, Ind. She graduated from Kutzman University with an MBA and Hanover College with a bachelor of arts in economics.

Kingery will replace Jane Ade Stevens, who has worked with ISA for 30 years and served the last 10 years as CEO for the organizations. She led them to fund the Corn & Soy Innovation Center at Purdue University, the Glass Barn educational museum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and growth in the ethanol, livestock, and meat and poultry export business in the state.

PERC urges producers to fill their propane tanks early

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) encourages producers to consider filling their tanks now to prepare for higher propane demands this fall from later harvests and increased grain drying needs.

Later harvests and an increase in grain drying, the majority of which is powered by propane, will cause propane demand to be higher in late fall, when it is already higher due to increasing residential and agricultural heating needs.

Propane supply is expected to still be abundant year-round, but like other energy sources such as natural gas and electricity, the price is market-driven and fluctuates as demand changes. Therefore, producers can be prepared for harvest avoid the risk of delayed fuel delivery by planning ahead to ensure they have the supply they need before an expected rise in demand.

To locate your local propane supplier, or to learn more about the use of propane on the farm and PERC, visit www.propane.com/where-to-buy

ISA, ICGA present Friend of Farmer award to Rep. Walorski

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) and the Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee (ISA M&P) recently presented its Friend of Farmer award to Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski.

ICGA and ISA M&P created the award nearly six years ago to honor elected officials each year at any level of government, whose service to Indiana farmers has gone above and beyond in advancing the mission of their organizations. Corn and soybean farmers have only given the award twice since its inception.

Previous winners include State Rep. Ed Soliday in 2017 for championing a comprehensive infrastructure legislation and U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly in 2016 for his work on the Waters of the U.S. regulation. Walorski has become an unwavering advocate on trade and has gone to bat time again in pursuit of an agreement with China that lessens the blow to Hoosier farmers.

First elected in 2012, she represents the second Congressional district in Indiana, which includes the counties of Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Pulaski, Starke, St. Joseph, and Wabash.