The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board are partnering to improve grain bin safety across rural Nebraska by donating two grain rescue tubes and hands-on training sessions to local fire and rescue departments. Grain bin accidents remain one of the most dangerous hazards in agriculture. In collaboration with Nationwide and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), this program equips first responders with the critical tools and knowledge needed to respond to grain bin entrapment emergencies effectively. 

Community members, farmers and emergency personnel are encouraged to nominate their local fire department and explain how their team would benefit from this life-saving equipment and confined-space rescue training. The nomination deadline is April 17, 2026. 

The two selected departments will receive grain rescue tubes and training sessions scheduled by NECAS staff. To submit a nomination, visit this form. 

Each July, the Nebraska Corn Board selects up to 10 young agricultural leaders to attend the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) annual Corn Congress in Washington, D.C. This four-day leadership development program gives participants firsthand experience in agricultural policy, corn industry advocacy and professional networking at the national level.

During the program, participants will:

• Attend NCGA’s Corn Congress, gaining firsthand insight into how a leading national commodity organization develops policy.
• Visit Capitol Hill to meet with Nebraska’s congressional delegation and staff to advocate for Nebraska corn industry priorities.
• Participate in industry and agency briefings with leaders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council, foreign embassies and other key agricultural organizations.
• Network with nearly 200 corn growers from across the country, top agribusiness executives and fellow participants from state and national leadership development programs.

The program covers airfare, lodging, registration, transportation and most meals. Participants join Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association leaders and staff throughout the multiday trip, with structured meetings, dinners and networking sessions designed to build lasting connections across the corn industry.

Find the 2026 application HERE. Additional information on the application process can be found HERE. Applications are due May 8, 2026.

More than ever, consumers want transparency about where their food comes from and how it is grown. In most households, women lead food purchasing decisions, making them a key audience for agricultural outreach and food production education. CommonGround™ is a national initiative that empowers volunteer farm women to connect directly with consumers in grocery stores, food expos and community events across the country.

Nebraska CommonGround™ volunteers bring these conversations to communities across the state. As farmers themselves, they answer questions about farming practices, food safety and sustainability while sharing their personal stories of life on the farm. By building trust between consumers and the people who grow their food, CommonGround™ helps bridge the gap between farm and table.

The Consider Corn Challenge, a nationwide initiative led by the National Corn Growers Association, calls on innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and academics to reimagine the potential of corn. The challenge focuses on developing new sustainable chemicals and bio-based products using corn as a renewable feedstock.

Corn’s consistent and sustainably produced supply makes it one of the most promising natural resources for advancing bio-based innovation and reducing reliance on petroleum-based chemicals. The Consider Corn Challenge seeks to turn breakthrough ideas into scalable, market-ready solutions that create new demand for corn. 

Projects submitted to the challenge should: 

• Use components of the corn kernel as primary feedstock.
• Present a viable pathway from development to commercial scale production.
• Open a new market for corn without displacing existing corn demand. 
• Address products with strong and demonstrated market demand. 
• Be led by a team with experience bringing processes or products from lab scale to full commercialization.

The Nebraska Ag Sack Lunch Program brings agriculture education to life for Nebraska fourth graders during their visit to the State Capitol Building. As part of the state’s fourth grade curriculum focused on Nebraska history and civics, students receive a sack lunch featuring nutritious food grown and produced in Nebraska.

Trained college students, lead a 25-minute interactive presentation on the role agriculture plays in Nebraska’s economy and its local communities. The program helps young students connect the food on their plate to the farmers and ranchers who produce it. Educators can learn more and sign up their class below.

Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is a statewide agriculture education program that helps K through 12 students and teachers understand the essential role agriculture plays as the source of our food, fiber and fuel. With a long history of developing curriculum aligned to Nebraska State Standards, AITC provides educators with the tools they need to bring agriculture to life in the classroom.

Agriculture in the Classroom is a nationally recognized program supported by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization. In Nebraska, the program is managed by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, whose mission is to engage youth, educators and the general public in understanding the vital importance of agriculture in the lives of all Nebraskans.

Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom ™:

• Provides hands–on learning materials and interactive activities for youth at every grade level.
• Creates instructional resources aligned to Nebraska State Education Standards. 
• Equips teachers with free programs and tools to connect students to the agriculture behind their food, fiber and fuel. 

Kernels of Knowledge is a 4-H youth curriculum funded in part by the Nebraska Corn Board. Designed to give young learners a hands-on understanding of corn and its many uses, the curriculum combines agriculture education with science-based activities that bring the corn industry to life.

Unit 1, The Facilitator Guide, walks educators and group leaders through four interactive learning activities:

1. Uses of Corn: Explore the wide range of everyday products made from corn.
2. Life Cycle of Corn: Follow the corn plant from seed to harvest.
3. Building a Non-Newtonian Fluid: Discover the science behind corn starch
4. Refining Process of Corn Starch: Learn how corn is processed from kernel to usable starch.

AgDay

• Educational resources and informative ag facts.

Ag in the Classroom Kid’s Zone

• Includes projects and virtual tours from the national Ag in the Classroom.

Captain Cornelius … Corn Day Celebration

• The Captain takes Bobby on the corny adventure of a lifetime.

Corn is aMAIZEing

• Eight-page activity booklet.

There’s Corn in my Crayons

• An adventure in eight coloring pages with puzzles.