Iowa Corn Roots Magazine: Iowa Corn Growers Association and Promotion Board Publication
Profile updated November 2026
Iowa Corn Roots magazine is the member and checkoff publication of Iowa Corn, the shared brand of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Each issue reports on legislative priorities, biofuels, research, market development and the farmer leaders who run both organizations. Roots carries forward a tradition of grower newsletters that goes back to the first state corn checkoff in the nation.
| Publishers | Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Iowa Corn Growers Association |
|---|---|
| Parent organizations founded | ICGA in 1967; ICPB by farmer referendum in 1977 |
| Frequency | Several issues a year (January, March, June and September issues in 2022-2024) |
| Format | Print, with digital editions on Issuu and iowacorn.org |
| Audience | Iowa corn farmers, ICGA members and checkoff payers |
| Recent issue | September 2025, posted October 2025 |
| Official website | IowaCorn.org: Roots Magazine |
History of Roots
Walter Goeppinger of Boone, who had launched the National Corn Growers Association about a decade earlier, founded the Iowa Corn Growers Association in 1967. ICGA began pushing for a corn checkoff in 1971, and Iowa law created the program in 1976. In 1977 Iowa farmers approved it by referendum at one-tenth of a cent per bushel, establishing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. Iowa's corn checkoff was the first in the nation and became the model for more than 20 state programs.
The two groups keep separate boards, finances and functions. ICPB, with 17 elected farmer members, funds research into new uses, consumer education and market development and cannot lobby, while ICGA handles legislative work. Each built its own publishing record: Iowa State University's special collections hold the ICPB newsletter Iowa Corn Checkoff Quarterly from the late 1980s and early 1990s and ICGA's Corn News releases and Corn Year annual reports. Roots appeared by 2017, when Iowa Corn released a Roots ICPB special edition on the board's programs, and it has since become the regular magazine of both organizations.
Roots Today
Iowa Corn posts each Roots issue on iowacorn.org with a digital edition on Issuu. The September 2025 issue highlighted Iowa Corn's livestock partners and a farmer grower guide.
Earlier issues show the range: the 20th anniversary of the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers and Iowa's role in sustainable aviation fuel (March 2024), legislative priorities and the future of biofuels (January 2024), Iowa farmers working with NASA (September 2023) and the 10th anniversary of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (June 2023).
What Roots Is Publishing Now
Policy and legislative priorities
Winter issues usually open with ICGA's legislative agenda for the statehouse and Washington, plus coverage of associate member partnerships.
Markets, biofuels and research
Roots follows ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel, feed and export work funded by the checkoff, including research with Iowa State University on topics such as the future of feed.
Farmer leaders and awards
Profiles of district directors and county leaders run alongside honors such as the Walter Goeppinger Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 2023 to Pam Johnson.
Roots Editors and Staff
Iowa Corn's Roots pages and the organizations' history name:
- Amanda Fortman - Editorial contact, credited on Roots issue posts
- Walter Goeppinger - Founder of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (1967)
- Pam Johnson - 2023 Walter Goeppinger Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Who Reads Roots
Roots is written for Iowa corn growers, the farmers whose checkoff dollars fund ICPB and whose memberships fund ICGA's advocacy. Iowa is the nation's leading corn state, and the magazine's mix of research, policy and market news reflects how much of the state's farm economy depends on corn sold as feed, ethanol and exports.
Roots readers know that every Iowa conversation eventually turns to rain, basis and whose planter got rolling first. For a break from the markets, farm.FM serves farm satire and farm humor that any Iowa corn family will recognize, along with ranch humor for the cattle feeders down the road. Its farm jokes pair nicely with a cup of coffee at the co-op counter.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
Roots Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Iowa Corn: Roots Magazine, September 2025 - the latest posted issue.
- Farm Progress: Iowa Corn Growers Association marks 50 years - Goeppinger and the first state corn checkoff.
- Iowa State University Special Collections: Iowa Corn Promotion Board records - land-grant library archive of the checkoff board and its newsletters.
- Iowa State University: The Future of Feed in Roots - a land-grant research story published in the magazine.
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - federal data on Iowa corn farms.
Roots FAQ
Who publishes Iowa Corn Roots magazine?
Iowa Corn, meaning the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Iowa Corn Growers Association, which share a copyright line on the magazine.
How often does Roots come out?
Iowa Corn has published Roots several times a year, with January, March, June and September issues in recent years.
Where can I read Roots online?
Issues are posted on iowacorn.org and on Iowa Corn's Issuu page.
When was the Iowa corn checkoff created?
Iowa law created it in 1976 and farmers approved it by referendum in 1977, making it the first state corn checkoff.
Born from the nation's first state corn checkoff, Iowa Corn Roots magazine keeps Iowa growers informed about the work their dollars and memberships pay for.