Corn growers are tired of being blamed for everything. That was the sum of Rick Tolman’s speech this week at the CornVention in Fargo, ND. Tolman, chief executive of the National Corn Growers Association, spent much of his remarks correcting misinformation and myths that have plagued the corn-growing industry. From growing corn for ethanol instead of food, to contributing to obesity with high-fructose corn syrup, Tolman said growers need to be more aggressive in getting their side of the story out. Read more (Inforum).

Net farm income for 2011 is expected to jump to $94.7 billion, up $15.7 billion from 2010, according to a report by the USDA. Despite a $20 billion hike in production costs, the 2011 forecast is the second highest inflation-adjusted value for net farm income recorded in 35 years. Average farm household income also is expected to go up by 4 percent to $86,352. Review the report.

Ranchers with a small number of cattle infected by brucellosis won’t have to risk losing their whole herd thanks to new federal rules. Sanctions are being eased against states bordering Yellowstone National Park that have cattle infected with brucellosis — a disease that causes pregnant livestock to miscarry. The new rules give states more control of managing the disease within their borders. Read more (Associated Press).

A young advocate for agriculture urged farmers to use social media to combat negative publicity such as animal cruelty and factory farming. Speaking at the World Ag Expo, Amanda Radke, 23, a former National Beef Ambassador and editor of Beef Daily online publication, said farmers have to change their approach if they want to succeed in advocating for agriculture. By using Twitter and Facebook, producers can quickly respond to negative reports. Learn more (The Fresno Bee).

A record 4.95 billion bushels of corn will be used to make ethanol, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That estimate is up from 4.568 billion from last year. The ratio of U.S. corn inventories to usage is expected to drop 5 percent, one of the lowest since 2009-10. Meanwhile, nearly 1.95 billion bushels will be exported this marketing year as corn used for livestock feed will increase to 5.2 million bushels from 5.14 bushels estimated for 2009-10. Read more (Bloomberg Businessweek).

Orange crop production across the U.S. is down 1 percent from Jan. 1, but remains 6 percent above the 2009-10 forecast, according to a USDA Crop Production report. The Florida orange forecast also is down 1 percent from Jan. 1, but 3 percent above last season’s final numbers. Fruit size and droppage are expected to be below average. Read the report.

The Farm Service Agency will not issue partial 2010-crop counter-cyclical payments to producers of certain covered commodities because market price projections exceeded levels that would trigger these payments. The payments provide a safety net for producers during periods of low crop prices. Payment will not be made to producers of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, upland cotton, long grain rice, medium grain rice, soybeans, sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe, sesame seed, dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, large chickpeas and peanuts. Learn more.

Florida is seeing an increase in new Hispanic farmers, a trend that is being observed across the United States. Hispanics make up the highest number of new farmers in the nation, followed by Asians, according to Tirso Moreno, general coordinator for the Farmworker Association of Florida. The Sunshine State has more than 7,100 farms and businesses related to agriculture that are owned and operated by Hispanics. Read more (Orlando Sentinel).