About KYCA

Who is KY Corn

Our vision is to sustainably feed and fuel a growing world.

KyCGA

Our organization empowers corn farmers to elevate their voice in the governmental process.

KY Corn Promotion Council

The Kentucky Corn Promotion Council collects and administers a .0025 checkoff, which is remitted on corn sold throughout Kentucky.

Annual Report

Review the latest Annual Report and explore highlights from 2023.

Checkoff at work

Overview

The Kentucky corn checkoff makes important market development, promotion, education, and research efforts possible.

Markets

We serve a variety of markets including, Ethanol, Bourbon & Distilled Spritis, Trade, and Livestock Feed to name a few.

Research

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Education

Kentucky Corn supports multiple programs about agriculture literacy and improving agriculture educations.

Sustainability

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Policy

Action Alerts

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Grassroots

For us, grassroots means that corn farmer members are the organization. Our organization is governed by a board of directors who are elected by farmer members.

Resources

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FAQs

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Programs

Read more about all programs offered

Corn farmer checkoff funds go to a variety of annual programming to ensure a strong and vibrant Kentucky agriculture industry and to strengthen the efforts of other organizations toward their missions to enhance the future of our industry.

Core Farmer Scholarship

The CORE Farmer Program is a two-year curriculum designed to deliver classroom-style instructional learning, expand participants’ peer network and gain perspectives from other business endeavors.

News & Resources

Blog, Press, Updates

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Corn Facts

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Agriculture Education

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Classroom Resources

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Leadership Education

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Take Your Farming Profession to New Heights

Since 2009, The CORE Farmer Program has been a major component in Kentucky Corn Growers Association’s effort to empower farmers with knowledge, friendships and understanding.  The program concept completely aligns with KyCGA’s mission to “develop and enhance a sustainable environment for Kentucky corn growers”.  Its two-year curriculum is designed to achieve three main objectives:

  • Deliver classroom-style instructional learning – we tap into our own, local experts, and we bring experts in from around the country to present on topics that matter for a farm’s bottom line.  The educational goal of the program is to sharpen participants’ ability to make decisions in the field, in the office, in the machine shed and elsewhere on the farm.

  • Expand participants’ peer network – in most situations, the best way to get better is to be challenged.  Perhaps, more important, the best way to avoid a mistake is to receive advice from trusted colleagues.   Both of these concepts require strong, trusted, competent peers.  We fold a strong networking component into the CORE Farmer Program because the career-lasting relationships are where the real learning comes from.  We want this program to foster those healthy professional relationships, and it makes the learning sessions more fun!

  • Gain perspective from other business endeavors and learn by seeing – we know that learning expands outside of classrooms, especially in farming.  So, travel is part of this program, although we are careful not to overdo the travel to respect the time you need to spend on the farm.  Previous classes have traveled to Ilinois to visit with Gregg Sauder, to Georgia to visit with Randy Dowdy and Missouri to see Greenseeker in its infancy.   Some classes chose to travel to areas outside of corn production to learn cropping systems and processing/marketing processes for other crops: cotton, sugar cane, blueberries, olives, peanuts, and many others around the country – the visits created more great opportunities to compare notes and apply tactics to their operations. 

After completing the program, opportunities for professional growth continue.  Graduates have enjoyed international travel, primarily on a self-pay basis, through CORE’s alumni program.  The program has organized learning expeditions to Europe and Panama, and multiple visits to Argentina. These travels have opened their eyes to global competition, introduced new learning partners, expanded their scope of contacts, and made many close friends.  And, CORE alumni have hosted the international farmers who hosted us in return.   

 

Now enrolling class VI

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We are currently enrolling participants for the sixth class of the CORE Farmer Program.  

To complete the program, participants can expect to spend about 15 nights from home over a two-year period.  The timing of learning sessions will not conflict with the busy times on a grain farm.  Most expenses will be covered by the program.  Please apply as soon as possible to take part in this unique opportunity.

Latest CORE Farmer Program News

Photos from the January/February 2019 CORE Alumni Seminar in Argentina


what participants are saying

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> I thought that CORE Farmer Program provided a comprehensive study of agronomy and modern technologies used in production agriculture today. It was a great experience; providing an atmosphere for making and fostering relationships between myself, other producers and industry professionals. The practical education received with the CORE program combined with my activities as an alum, including a visit to an overseas farming region, really provided a fun, educational experience with a global twist.
— Albert Peterson, Class 1

Class I Graduates

Ryan Bivens (LaRue County) Brad Brookshire (Todd County) Matt Gajdzik (Shelby County) John Halcomb (Calloway County) Sam Hancock (Fulton County) Lucas Hernandez (Shelby County) Brandon Hunt (Christian County) John James (Fayette County) Chris Kummer (Franklin County) Kyle Lancaster (Webster County) Woody Moore (Butler County) Shane Patterson (Jefferson County) Albert Peterson (Marion County) Patrick Preston (Hardin County) Jeremy Tucker (Shelby County) Katie Sanger (Hickman County) Curtis Weatherford (Hickman County) Lee Welty (Boyle County)


Class V graduates

Sarah Halcomb, Logan County Clayton Heibert, Hardin County Johnny Henderson, Hardin County Houston Howlett, Hardin County John Johnson, Fleming County Randy Mann, Simpson County Dale Medley, Washington County Jared Melloy, Webster County Kyle Mobley, Hardin County Branden Pepper, Larue County Daniel Peterson, Marion County Andrew Reynolds, Boyle County Jonathan Reynolds, Fulton County Ben Rudy, Fulton County Dalton Steinke, Shelby County Wade Whipple, Calloway County Grant Zilak, Marion County

Class II Graduates

Adam Bell (Graves County) Micheal Buckman (Marion County) Richard Colvin (Hardin County) Jason Hagan (Daviess County) Sam Halcomb (Logan County) Ben Hayden (McClain County) J.C. Hicks (Henderson County) Michael Highbaugh (Hardin County) Micah Lester (Christian County) Terrence McCain (Washington County) Daniel Reynolds (Mercer County) Joseph Sisk (Christian County) James Tucker (Shelby County) Terry Wimp (Hardin County) Nick Woodruff (Trigg County)

Class III Graduates

Seth Bryant (Henry County) Nathan Brame (Christian County) Stephanie Halcomb (Logan County) Travis Hancock (Union County) Jason Head (Todd County) Mark Thomas (Hardin County) Kyle Bugg (Graves County) Brennan Gilkison (Clark County) Rob Sanger (Fulton County) Matthew Heppler (McClean County) Tyler Reynolds (Taylor County) John Bell (Larue County) Jessica Johnson (Hardin County) Grant Mackey (Hardin County) Seth Ellis (Shelby County) John Mahan (Fayette County) Caleb Ragland (Larue County)

Class IV Graduates

Andy Alford (Warren County) Alana Baker (Trigg County) Megan Bell (Graves County) Daniel Carpenter (Larue County) Brad Hines (Larue County) Justin Jeffries (Shelby County) Willis Jepson (Simpson County) Mindy Jones (Henderson County) Bryan Kuegel (Daviess County) William Pearson (Logan County) Quint Pottinger (Nelson County) Robert Rouse (Fulton County) Eric Schwenke (Boone County) Spencer Sims (Anderson County) Zach Sheldon (Daviess County)