KY Corn partnered with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) to host buyers from Japanese starch milling companies who were interested in understanding American farmers’ efforts to decarbonize the corn they import. Our goal was to connect the values of Kentucky farmers and partnerships with end-users of Kentucky grown corn with their expectations to build and retain strong demand for grain commodities grown here in the USA.
The delegation began at Lester Family Farms in Cadiz, KY, where Micah Lester presented practices they use on the farm, strip till and no-till, controlled traffic, cover crops, and keeping living roots in the soil. With corn already tasseling, and cover crop residue still visible between the rows in some places, Micah’s message was proven true, and a perfect example of sustainability in action.
Traveling from there to visit with Brandon Hunt in Herndon, KY, they experienced the hectic moments of wheat harvest and planting double-crop soybeans. Visitors saw the entire process unfold, from the combine to the grain cart to soybean planting – and understood the importance of that all happening within hours. Brandon and others explained how high yielding wheat serves soil tilth with living roots throughout the year – accomplishing the same objectives as cover crops, and the group saw how sustainability fits into real-world farm decisions.
It was also important for the visitors to understand the strength of farmer relationships with NRCS and other state and federal service providers. So, while in Hopkinsville the visitors spent time with USDA officials to explain conservation compliance and measures to restrict land-use change within our governmental structure and regulatory system. Brian Hacker from NRCS provided an overview of audit measures and penalties in cases of non-compliance.