SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — With five seats available, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) is seeking eligible growers who want to be involved in shaping farm policies.<br>
According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), producers must be at least 18 years old, have produced and marketed corn during the 2007 commodity year, reside in the district to be represented and submitted a petition by the filing deadline to be a candidate.<br>
Petitions may be picked up at any Illinois county extension office or the IDOA. Petitions must be returned by May 15.<br>
“The Illinois Corn Marketing Board funds research and promotions that create markets for Illinois corn,” said acting-IDOA Director Tom Jennings. “I encourage producers who would like a voice in these important decisions to pass a petition and gather the required number of signatures to get their name on the election ballot.”<br>
Jennings recently replaced the retired Chuck Hartke as the top executive with the IDOA.<br>
The ICMB election will be on July 8. Openings in Districts 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13 are available.<br>
These districts include the following counties:<br>
•District 1 - Boone, McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Kendall and Will<br>
•District 4 - Whiteside, Lee, Bureau, Stark, Marshall and Putnam<br>
•District 7 - Woodford, McLean, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt and Moultrie<br>
•District 10 - Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, Greene, Jersey, Calhoun, and Macoupin<br>
•District 13 - Marion, Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash and White<br>
According to its website, www.ilcorn. org/About_Us/ICMB_Info/icmb_info.html the ICMB serves the interests and is accountable to all Illinois corn producers.
“The Illinois Corn Marketing Board is a group of 15 farmers from across the state who are elected by their fellow producers,” the website declared.<br>
The purpose of the board is to increase the profitability of corn production.<br>
The board accomplishes this by developing and maintaining markets for corn and corn products through the 1/4-cent checkoff on each bushel of corn sold.<br>
The fund provides for research and paves the way for the development of new corn uses, said the ICMB.<br>
“ICMB’s effective coordination of research, education, public relations and market development programs is quite a success story,” according to the ICMB website.<br>
“On the research front alone, ICMB has invested $4 million in more than 50 scientific projects. Although the payback on research is generally slow to come, ICMB can already claim a number of successes such as hastening commercialization of corn-based degradable products like loose fill packing material; funding ethanol research that has been a catalyst for a 620 million bushel corn market; and laying the groundwork for futuristic technologies such as polylactic acid (PLA) which can be used to make a host of biodegradable plastic products from horticultural films to fabric.”<br>
Checkoff money is also used to fund the U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation, the Poultry and Egg Export Council, leaders in overseas market development and the National Corn Growers Assoc.<br>
For details about applying for the board, call the IDOA at 217-782-6675 (TDD: 217-524-6858) or write to IDOA, Bureau of Marketing and Promotion, P.O. Box 19281, State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL, 62794-9281.<br>