The Illinois Corn Marketing Board will seat three returning and two new members at their August meeting.   

The Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson announced the results of the farmer elections. Upon the announcement, Nelson remarked on the vital resources that the checkoff program provides for market development, promotion, education, and research.

The farmers elected to ICMB invest corn checkoff dollars as they are assessed and levied at the first point of sale. State law sets the assessment for corn at 5/8 of 1 cent per bushel. 

The newly-elected board members will serve three-year terms. New to ICMB are Michael Wurmnest of Deer Creek and Karen Neff of Belleville.

Wurmnest will represent ICMB District 8, representing Cass, Fulton, Logan, Mason, Menard, Peoria, and Tazewell County. Wurmnest replaces retiring Director Kent Kleinschmidt who served nine years on the Board, including one as Chairman.

Neff will represent District 14 which includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, St. Clair, and Washington Counties. This District has been represented by retiring director Larry Hasheider, who also served as ICMB Chairman during his nine years of service.

Lou Lamoreux, current ICMB chairman, will remain as a Director for District 2. Also re-elected were Paul Jeschke from District 5 and Don Murphy from District 11.

The Illinois Corn Marketing Board was established in 1982 to manage the voluntary checkoff investment that corn farmers in the state agreed to implement that year. The farmers that make up ICMB are elected by their peers to serve unpaid, three year terms. The ICMB farmer leaders are tasked with developing and maintaining markets for corn which is Illinois' highest valued agricultural commodity. Find out more about the family farmers who contribute to the checkoff at www.watchusgrow.org.

GMO LABELING BILL PASSES IN THE HOUSE

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act today.  This important legislation will create a consumer-friendly, science-based labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms, as well as for GMO-free foods.

Introduced by Reps. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., and G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., a group of 106 Democrats and Republicans have cosponsored the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. This legislation sets a uniform, common-sense national standard for labeling foods with GMOs and for GMO-free foods.

Thanks to Congressman Rodney Davis for testifying in favor of this bill today.

Congressman Gutierrez, Quigley, Rush, and Schakowsky voted against this bill with all other members of the Illinois delegation voting in favor.