What do NASCAR, racing pigeons, yoga pants, and the future of American agriculture have in common? Corn! The Farm4Profit crew heads to Iowa Speedway for the Iowa Corn 350, powered by ethanol, to sit down with leaders from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Iowa Corn Growers Association. From expanding ethanol markets and developing surprising new uses for corn to fighting high fertilizer prices and protecting international trade, this episode explores what it really takes to keep corn farmers profitable.
Recorded at Iowa Speedway during the Iowa Corn 350 weekend, Tanner, David, and Corey welcome six Iowa farmers representing two organizations working toward the same goal: creating long-term profitability for corn producers. The first conversation features Joe Roberts, Ralph Lentz, and Paul Gieselman from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. They explain how Iowa's corn checkoff dollars support market development, research, and consumer education, while the separate Iowa Corn Growers Association handles legislative advocacy. With more than 4,000 uses for corn, the opportunities extend far beyond livestock feed and ethanol. The group discusses emerging corn-based materials, including potential alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, and shares a reported $398 economic return for every dollar invested through Iowa Corn's efforts.
The discussion highlights how ethanol continues to create demand for American corn. From NASCAR race cars to everyday drivers choosing Unleaded 88 (E15), Iowa Corn leaders explain why renewable fuels matter to farmers and consumers. They discuss potential fuel savings, common misconceptions about vehicle compatibility, and the push to expand E15 availability nationwide. The conversation also explores future opportunities involving low-carbon fuels, sustainable aviation fuel, marine transportation, and international ethanol markets. Beyond the racetrack, Iowa Corn uses events like the Iowa State Fair and the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series to connect farmers with consumers and tell agriculture's story.
In the second half, Stu Swanson, Mark Mueller, and Steve join the podcast to discuss the work of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and some of the biggest challenges facing producers. The conversation tackles the Farm Bill, year-round E15 legislation, the importance of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and the uncertainty created by changing trade policies. The guests explain why Mexico is such an important customer for American corn, why Canada matters to ethanol exports, and why expanding trade relationships with countries like India could create enormous future demand. They also discuss record-setting corn export projections and the importance of developing markets beyond China.
One of the episode's strongest conversations centers on fertilizer prices and the cost of producing corn. Mark raises concerns about consolidation in the fertilizer industry, questions whether competition is working as intended, and discusses efforts to improve pricing transparency and investigate potential anticompetitive behavior. The group examines how expensive inputs, government payments, and uncertain commodity markets affect farm profitability. They also explain how stronger farm income supports equipment manufacturers, local businesses, schools, and rural communities throughout Iowa. And because this is Farm4Profit, the serious conversations come with plenty of laughs, including Mark's surprisingly fascinating business growing specialty corn for racing pigeons, the possibility of corn-based tires, and predictions for how many caution flags NASCAR drivers will bring out during race weekend.
Ultimately, this episode reinforces a message that reaches well beyond Iowa: producing more bushels is only part of the equation. Farmers also need stronger markets, manageable input costs, and people willing to advocate for their future.