A message from Carson Klosterman, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council Chairman

As harvest 2024 wraps up, we can look back on another roller coaster year – but when isn’t it one? Despite early concerns about dry conditions from fall 2023 and a challenging spring with replanting and cool temperatures, North Dakota farmers proved their resilience once again.

The Power of Planning for Success

If you plan for failure, that’s what you’ll get. Many of us worried about “writing off” the 2024 crop early on, but farmers keep marching forward with hopes for a great harvest. If you plan for a great harvest from the start, you always have the chance of achieving it. And here we are – finishing another great North Dakota corn crop!

Where Does All That Corn Go?

The fruits of our labor need a destination beyond the grain bin. The North Dakota Corn Utilization Council plays a vital role in building and maintaining markets for corn and corn products through animal agriculture and exports.

Building Global Markets

A key focus of the Corn Council is promoting corn use worldwide. We work with partner organizations to develop overseas markets by having in-country staff make direct contact with potential buyers.

The North Dakota Corn Utilization Council partners with the U.S. Grains Council to develop export markets for:

  • U.S. corn
  • Dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS)
  • Ethanol

Hosting International Buyers

This fall, we hosted two foreign delegations of feed buyers and grain importers in coordination with the U.S. Grains Council. These visitors learned about U.S. corn production and quality. Building relationships through programs like this is essential for growing markets, and North Dakota Corn continues to make these tours a priority.

Partnership Success

The NDCUC works to improve your bottom line through corn checkoff investments. Our partnerships include:

  • Organizations within North Dakota
  • Domestic partners like the National Corn Growers Association
  • Export partners like the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Meat Export Federation

These partnerships with organizations that work daily to find and maintain markets and identify new uses for corn are crucial to North Dakota corn producer success. Combined with our good farming practices and plans for success each spring, continued support through checkoff investments helps ensure a profitable future for North Dakota corn farmers.