Corn Talk Magazine: History, Minnesota Corn Publisher, Content and Editor
Profile updated November 2026
Corn Talk magazine is the official publication of Minnesota Corn, the joint home of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council. First printed in September 1981, it now arrives four times a year with news on checkoff-funded research, market development and the grassroots advocacy of corn farmers across the state.
| First issue | September 1981 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Minnesota Corn: MCGA and the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council |
| Home | 500 E Travelers Trail, Burnsville, Minnesota |
| Frequency | Quarterly (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) |
| Editor | Nate Gotlieb |
| Format | Print, with issues posted as PDFs on mncorn.org |
| Official website | MNCorn.org: Corn Talk |
History of Corn Talk
Corn Talk grew out of a farmer-led movement in south-central Minnesota. In the late 1960s, St. James farmer Leroy Leinenweber, a national corn yield contest winner in 1967, and a handful of neighbors formed a local Corn Economics Group. They met monthly in winter, held summer field tours and invited University of Minnesota professors and industry speakers. The group grew large enough to split in two, and it helped organize the Minnesota Corn Growers Association in June 1978.
MCGA had about 750 members in its first three years, and the first issue of Corn Talk was printed in September 1981 as the association's member publication. In 1990 Minnesota corn farmers approved a referendum creating the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council, funded by a checkoff that began at half a cent per bushel and rose to one cent after a 2009 farmer vote. Corn Talk came to serve both organizations, which today operate together as Minnesota Corn with one staff under executive director and CEO Adam Birr.
Corn Talk Today
Corn Talk is published quarterly, and recent issues from Winter 2025 through Fall 2026 are posted online at mncorn.org. Minnesota Corn describes the magazine as its source for the latest research, promotion and outreach funded by the corn checkoff, alongside the grassroots advocacy carried out by MCGA members.
The Spring 2026 issue, for example, reported record U.S. corn and ethanol exports, MCGA's Day on the Hill and Washington fly-in, comments on Minnesota's Groundwater Protection Rule, a state record of more than 144 million gallons of Unleaded 88 (E15) sold in 2025, nine new checkoff-funded research projects and $5,000 scholarships for six students.
What Corn Talk Is Publishing Now
Research and checkoff reports
Corn Talk explains where checkoff dollars go, from nitrogen management and herbicide-resistant weed studies to biodegradable plastics and sustainable aviation fuel research done with partners such as the University of Minnesota.
Policy and advocacy
Issues follow MCGA's work at the Minnesota Legislature and in Washington on E15, fertilizer costs, trade and crop protection tools, and introduce the farmer-leaders who carry those messages.
Markets, stewardship and members
Readers get export market updates, ethanol and E15 promotion news, stewardship tips on topics such as seed treatments, county association reports and member recognition.
Corn Talk Editors and Staff
The current Corn Talk masthead and Minnesota Corn materials name:
- Nate Gotlieb - Editor, Corn Talk
- Adam Birr - Executive Director and CEO, Minnesota Corn
- Leroy Leinenweber - Early organizer of the Corn Economics Group behind MCGA
Corn Talk is produced from the Minnesota Corn office in Burnsville, which can be reached at (952) 233-0333.
Who Reads Corn Talk
Corn Talk goes to MCGA members and Minnesota corn farmers who fund the checkoff. MCGA has grown from about 750 founding members to nearly 7,000, and it is governed by an 18-member farmer board, while the research and promotion council has 11 members. Minnesota is one of the country's leading corn states, and University of Minnesota Extension research on fertility, hybrids and pests is a frequent reference point in the magazine's pages.
Corn Talk readers spend winter in meetings about nitrogen rates and summer hoping the crop beats the forecast. When the yield monitor needs a break, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor about the life of a Minnesota corn grower, with a side of ranch humor for the neighbors with cattle. Its farm jokes travel well at any county corn growers banquet.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
Corn Talk Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Minnesota Corn: Corn Talk archive - recent quarterly issues of the magazine.
- Minnesota Corn: Roots of MCGA - the Corn Economics Group and the 1981 first issue of Corn Talk.
- About Minnesota Corn - MCGA, the research council and the checkoff.
- University of Minnesota Extension: Growing corn - land-grant production guidance for Minnesota growers.
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - federal data on corn farms and acreage.
Corn Talk FAQ
Who publishes Corn Talk magazine?
Minnesota Corn, the combined Minnesota Corn Growers Association and Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council, based in Burnsville, Minnesota.
When did Corn Talk start?
The first issue of Corn Talk was printed in September 1981, three years after MCGA was organized in 1978.
How often is Corn Talk published?
Corn Talk is published quarterly, with Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall issues posted online.
Who edits Corn Talk?
Nate Gotlieb is listed as editor on recent issues.
From a group of St. James neighbors comparing yields to a statewide checkoff program, Corn Talk magazine has told Minnesota corn farmers' story since 1981.