Study: Corn Exports a Major Driver of Minnesota’s Economy

Nov 23, 2020

Minnesota’s corn farmers understand the importance of the export market for their commodity, with nearly a third of corn and corn products exported out of the country. A recent study highlighted the importance of the export market for Minnesota’s entire economy.

Commissioned by the National Corn Growers Association, the study found nearly 30 percent of the production value of Minnesota’s corn and corn products came from exports—a $1.7 billion value. The economic ripple effects of this export market in Minnesota created more than $3.1 billion in economic output, $1.1 billion in gross state product, and more than 12,700 jobs.

For every $1 million in exports of corn, ethanol, residual milling products and the corn equivalent of meat exports, seven jobs are supported within Minnesota. Export markets are one outlet for U.S. corn production, and they impact the entire farming value chain. Access to export markets supports jobs and economic activity in sectors including construction and maintenance, restaurants, hospitals, and retail stores, in addition to the transportation apparatus and industry that is in place to handle the outflows of corn products.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.