Cobcast: Inside the Grind with the National Corn Growers Association

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Podcast

Author: National Corn Growers Association

Big picture conversations about the future of agriculture with the National Corn Growers Association and its network of industry leaders. Join us every month as we explore new topics and advocate for Americas corn farmers. From the fields of the Corn Belt to the DC Beltway, well make sure that the growers who feed and fuel America have a say in issues that are important to them. Founded in 1957, the National Corn Growers Association represents nearly 40,000 dues-paying corn farmers nationwide and the interests of more than 300,000 growers who contribute through corn checkoff programs in their states. NCGA and its affiliated state organizations work together to create and increase opportunities for corn growers, with a vision of sustainably feeding and fueling a growing world.
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en-us

Genres: Business News, News, Politics

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Trailer:

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

56. Consider Corn Challenge Winners: Promoting Innovative New Uses for Our Crop
Episode 56
Wednesday, 8 October, 2025

Our ability to produce American corn is outgrowing demand for the crop. And if growers are going to get some relief from sagging corn prices, our nation’s innovators are going to have to find new uses for the commodity. Fortunately, corn is a versatile crop that can be processed into all manner of plastics, fibers and distillations. And with this year’s Consider Corn Challenge, the NCGA shined a spotlight on some of these innovations, while also incentivizing new research. So in this episode, we meet Curtis Firestone, the co-founder and CEO of Aerterra, an air filter manufacturer that sources its household and commercial products from the corn that we grow in our fields. The filters are eco-friendly, and can be used interchangeably with the petroleum-based versions that are standard in homes and businesses. We’ll be joined as well by Chad Epler, a farmer from southeast Kansas who serves as the chair of the NCGA action team dedicated research and new uses for corn. Together, we’ll discuss how the Consider Corn challenge is a game changer for innovators, how it’s moving the needle on corn demand, and what other future uses we’re pioneering.