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Bootheel farmer honored for agriculture advocacy by Missouri Corn Growers Association
MATTHEWS, Mo. — Mike Geske’s efforts on behalf of farmers has taken him into the St. Louis Cardinals’ stadium to meet with food bloggers, to a free range chicken farm on the outskirts of Sacramento, Calif., and halfway around the world to lobby the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
It also has earned him the appreciation and numerous awards from those he worked with over the years. Most recently Geske was honored by the Missouri Corn Growers Association with the President’s Award.
“Mike Geske is the epitome of an agriculture advocate, giving up countless days away from the farm to further corn grower interests in Jefferson City, Washington, D.C., and numerous other destinations for over 15 years. His dedication is second to none,” said Missouri Corn CEO Gary Marshall. “Missouri Corn sincerely appreciates Mike’s service and commitment to the state’s corn industry.”
In presenting the award, MCGA former President Gary Porter explained Geske encouraged him as he was moving up in the Association’s leadership.
“He said he had always been very reluctant and he didn’t think he would be able to do it, so he appreciated the confidence I gave him,” Geske recalled. “I remember what it was like when I was on the board and the leaders were saying your time will come. So it does help when you have encouragement from the ones ahead of you.”
That encouragement not only prompted Geske to serve as the Missouri Corn Growers Association’s president along with a stint as chairman of the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, it also presented him with the opportunity to bring a Southeast Missouri farmer’s viewpoint to several other organizations.
From the Missouri Corn Growers Association Board, Geske was elected to the National Corn Growers Board. The national board selected him to serve on the U.S. Farm and Ranch Alliance Board.
Each board brought new challenges. The industry, he said, is complicated.
“Unless you are right in there you have no idea how much is going on. You have got state politics, national politics. You have actually got world politics . . . Then you have got the regulators like the EPA and the DNR,” he said.
He added the past 15 years on the various boards has also put him speaking about farmers and farming with the news media, food bloggers, chefs, food activists and the general public.
As he was becoming involved with the Missouri Corn Growers, Geske said the issue of ethanol was developing.
“It took a lot of work to enable that industry and that work is still ongoing,” he said. “There have been four White House meetings in the last month where the president himself has actually met with representatives of the ethanol industry, the oil industry and the corn industry. That is a big issue.”
According to Geske, some in the oil industry are calling for a change in the rules regarding the renewable identification number, or RINS. The companies say the regulations requiring the use of ethanol creates a financial burden on them.
Those supporting ethanol’s use point out it is far less expensive than the octane enhancers ethanol replaces and better for the environment.
“A lot of people don’t realize that. They think they are paying too much for gas because there is ethanol in there but it is saving consumers a lot of money, and it is a better product,” he said
The ethanol market is very important to corn growers. Geske estimated about 30 percent of the corn produced in the U.S. is used in ethanol production. He noted the U.S. currently sells ethanol to Brazil, China, Mexico and Canada.
“That has really been the bright spot,” he said. “We don’t see that market doing anything but increasing.”
The Missouri Corn Growers Association also is involved with the EPA and Missouri Department of Natural Resources as they develop new regulatory requirements to reduce the amount of nutrients from farm fertilizers that end up in rivers and streams. Geske said farmers need to use fertilizers and pesticides yet strive to use the products in a sustainable and responsible manner.
“We have to work and negotiate to find the sweet spot that doesn’t harm any fish or human beings. We certainly wouldn’t want to do that but we can’t guarantee that we can totally eliminate everything,” he said.
“People want proof that their food they are eating is produced in a sustainable manner. So do we as farmers. Ultimately to be sustainable is to stay in business. You want your children to be able to be involved in the business,” he said.
“Farmers like to say we are environmentalists, too. We are living in this environment. We are drinking the water where we live. Many farmers are sportsmen who like to fish and enjoy the outdoors,” he added. “I think most of the people who live in the Bootheel understand most of that but a large percentage of Americans don’t have a clue about those sort of things.”
Other issues Geske was involved with range from animal rights to genetically modified organisms or GMOs. Sometimes the issues were closer to home, such as the need for improved roads and bridges in Missouri.
While no longer active on state or national boards, Geske remains involved with the New Madrid County Farm Bureau. He also has retired from actively farming.
But he calls his service on the state and national boards invaluable and encourages younger farmers to become involved both locally and nationally.
“I realize that farmers are really busy. The pressure gets worse and worse all the time. As in most businesses, pressure grows. It is hard to think that you would have the time to do this other stuff but really most people can do more than they think they can once you tune your operation to be away occasionally,” he said. “You know there have been a lot of great leaders come out of the Bootheel from all of our ag industries- cotton, rice, soybeans. I’m proud of that and I want see these young farmers do the same thing.”