Area farmer elected to position on National Corn Growers board

MATTHEWS, Mo. -- Following six months of campaigning for a spot on the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board, Mike Geske said he's "elated and fearful" now that he's been elected.

On Wednesday, the Matthews farmer and current president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association was one of five growers elected to the board during the NCGA's Corn Congress in Washington, D.C. The new members will step into their roles Oct. 1.

"I'm obviously quite happy because it's a difficult thing to accomplish and something everybody in my state association has wanted for a long time," Geske said. "But at the same time, it's a huge responsibility. I know the expectations are very high for me, and I hope to fulfill all those to everybody's satisfaction and do the job that needs to be done."

Geske is the first representative from Missouri to the board in a decade.

"This is a big event for us," said Becky Frankenbach, director of communications for the Missouri Corn Growers Association. "We're extremely proud of Mike."

Without a representative on the NCGA, states can sometimes be "out of the loop," said Geske. "You're not privy to all the discussions in the board. Now, the state will just be a little informed."

He also pointed out that Missouri farmers have a different viewpoint on issues than growers in other states. "This gives us a little more voice in our national association," Geske said.

Geske, who has served on the Missouri Corn Growers Association for eight years, has shown "great leadership skills," during that time, said Frankenbach.

"He's fantastic to work with, very focused on doing what's right for Missouri corn growers and he always has an eye to the future, trying to look ahead and for opportunities that may be available," Frankenbach continues. "He's a passionate advocate for corn growers and he firmly believes in the power of grass roots and the need for farmers to speak out."

Geske is currently chairman of the NCGA's Public Policy Action Team and actively involved in the U.S. Grains Council. While Geske will have to resign from the chairman position before he assumes his spot on the NCGA Board, he said he hopes to continue working with public policy.

Geske urged all farmers to be vocal in the political arena. "It's never been more urgent for them to contact their congressmen," he said. "They need to be strong, vocal advocates for Missouri agriculture."

Three of the biggest issues Geske expects to face during his three-year term deal with legislative issues. They include: the Climate Cap and Trade legislation, the Clean Water Restoration Act and the new Food Safety Enhancement Act.

The Cap and Trade legislation is "huge not only for Missouri farmers but every Missouri citizen," said Geske. Also, the Clean Water Restoration Act, which addresses wetlands and the way they are regulated, is " a really huge issue for Missouri Bootheel farmers," he added.

If passed as proposed, the new Food Safety Enhancement Act would create a big burden for row crop farmers, said Geske.

"It will increase the cost to government and the farmers, and we think it's unnecessary because there has never been a single food safety issue with commodity crops," he said.

Frankenbach said that Geske should be very successful in his new post, noting he has several accomplishments as the MCGA president. One of the biggest was to implement a 10 percent ethanol standard in the state.

"There are only a handful of states in the U.S. that have a renewable fuel standard," she said. "And Missouri is the first to implement one with a price trigger."

The "price trigger," Frankenbach explained, means that the ethanol standard will not go into effect unless the price of ethanol is equal to or less than the price of gasoline. "That means the consumer always gets the best deal," she said.

As a member of the NCGA Board, Geske will attend directors meetings and participate in conference calls. He will have further, more specific duties, which have not yet been assigned.

"I'm really happy the growers had the confidence in me to do this job," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it."