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Renewable Energy Incentives and Tax Credit Extensions, Water Conservation, and Establishment of Strategic Alcohol/Biofuel and Grain Reserves: Are Focus for ACGA Annual Convention January 15-16, 2009

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 January 2009, 08:00 CST

Iowa Hosts National Agricultural Event that is Open to the Public and Features Meetings with Jim Hightower, Sue Martin, Roya Stanley, Will Allen, Donald Hey, Brian O'Shaughnessy, and Many Other Farming Experts

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Corn Growers Association (ACGA), announced today that its coming 22nd Annual Convention will feature discussions with industry experts including several new additions to its speakers line-up. Opening with a "public invited" one day workshop covering the opportunities for developing and producing renewable Alcohol and Ethanol Fuel, led by BioFuels expert David Blume, the Convention runs January 15 - 16 at the Marriott Hotel in Coralville, IA (www.acga.org).

"This year ACGA has put together an outstanding line-up of advisors and sessions to help us get Farmer programs back on track across the country in 2009. The cost for attendance is intentionally low," said Pam Horwitz, Executive Director of American Corn Growers Association. "ACGA members can participate for only $30.00 and the public is invited to attend for $50.00 (which provides them with a one year membership to ACGA) as well as a voice in forming policies to support and expand opportunities for Farmers across the U.S."

The ACGA Convention Keynote and Plenary session speakers now include: Jim Hightower - (Author, Political and Agricultural Commentator), Sue Martin - (Market Analyst, President and Owner of Ag & Investment Services, Inc.), Roya Stanley - (Director of the Iowa Office of Energy Independence), Will Allen - (President of the Rainbow Farmer's Cooperative), Fred Kirschenmann - (PhD and Leopold Center Distinguished Fellow), Donald Hey - (PhD and President for The Wetlands Initiative), Paul Heltne - (PhD and Director of the Center for Humans and Nature), David Blume - (Alcohol Fuel and Permaculture Expert and Author of Alcohol Can Be A Gas!), Dan McGuire - (CEO, ACGF and Author of Wealth From the Wind), Paul Olson - (President, National Farmers Organization), Larry Flowers - (National Technical Director of Wind Powering America, a U.S. Department of Energy program/National Research Energy Lab NREL), Curt Meine - (Conservation Biologist and Writer), Brian O'Shaughnessy - (Chairman of Revere Copper Products, Inc, and Co-Chair Manufacturing for the Coalition for a Prosperous America), Dr. Daryll Ray - (Director, the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center at the Univ. of TN), and Larry Mitchell - (ACGA Director of Governmental Affairs).

"2009 is a critical year for America. Our economy, and industries including: Auto, Banking, Renewable Alcohol and Ethanol Fuel and Agriculture are all facing extraordinary pressures and require immediate support and policy guidance," said Keith Dittrich, Chairman of the Board for the American Corn Growers Association. "Our 22nd Annual Convention is an opportunity for working Farmers and related Ag businesses across America to come together with the public to ratify the policy recommendations and strategies ACGA will present to the new Obama administration. We intend to pursue all issues impacting working Farmers with the utmost vigor including: calling for support for federal policy reforms to protect against the negative impacts of radical market fluctuations caused by natural disasters, economic downturns, and the growing worldwide demand for food and biofuels."

ACGA Key Priorities for 2009 Include:

• Expansion of Renewable Energy Production Incentives
• Establishment of a Strategic Ethanol/Bio-fuels Reserve
• Provisions for Financial Backstopping for Renewable Fuels Plants in Financial Peril
• Establishment of a commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Price Support Mechanism for Biofuels
• Extension the Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) for a Minimum of Ten years
• Increased Funding for Section 9007 and the Balance of the 2008 Farm Bill
• Actions to Upgrade and Expand the National Electric Grid
• Creation of an Undersecretary for Food and Agricultural Competiveness
• Redirection of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agenda, Rules and Guidelines
• Ending the Outsourcing of U.S. Factories, Production and Employment
• Ensuring Adequate Fertilizer Production for an Optimum Grain Harvest in 2009
• Development of a Federal Indemnification Program for Contracted Agricultural Commodities
• Enactment of a Farmer-Owned Strategic Grain Reserve
• Adoption of a New Price Support Program to Replace Inadequate and Failing Subsidy Programs

Program details will be made available during the working sessions and are on the website, www.acga.org.

About the American Corn Growers Association:

ACGA represents 14,000 members in 35 states. ACGA has standing bylaws that prohibits the organization from accepting funding from corporate agriculture. That means that ACGA represents farmers -- not seed, chemical, food processing, grain trading or crop insurance companies. ACGA will host its Twenty-Second annual convention in Coralville, Iowa on Jan. 15 and 16, 2009. For more information or to join ACGA please go to www.acga.org or contact Pam Horwitz at 815.646.4040.

For more information or to set up an interview with ACGA executives or Convention Speakers, please contact: Tom Harvey - Publicist - ACGA 530-257-3533 thcommunications@gmail.com

SOURCE American Corn Growers Association

Source: PR Newswire

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