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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Organic corn selling for $14 a bushel; farmers could cash in with some education about it

Last year's drought drove corn prices up to $8 a bushel, giving farmers incentive to plant even more corn this year, especially if it's organically grown. Tim Thornberry of KyForward reports that organic corn is selling at much higher prices, more than $14 a bushel in December. "That could be a deciding factor for many farmers, at least as a possible addition to already existing operations," Thornberry writes.

The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, gthe Kentucky Corn Growers Association and Organic Valley Cooperative are conducting a day-long workshop on Jan. 16 in Bowling Green, Ky., to inform farmers about organic corn. "Farmers who do not know about the [premium price paid for organically produced corn] often are not knowledgeable about organic corn markets, production systems and certification rules," UK agricultural economist Lee Meyer told Thornberry.

Meyer said farmers think they have to raise crops like their grandfathers did when they think about organic foods, but organic is simply another method of production. If there's a similarity between farming like their grandfathers and organic farming it is being a good land steward, he said. (Read more) There is a $10 registration fee for the workshop, and farmers can register by emailing Will Martin at William.martin24@uky.edu, or by contacting their local Kentucky extension office.

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