A nationwide survey conducted for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has found broad public respect and trust for family farmers and support for corn as food, feed, and fuel.

Ninety-five percent of those polled find growers to be trusted messengers on issues such as agriculture, corn products and ethanol -- and ethanol itself was supported or strongly supported as a good fuel alternative by 65 percent.

"We expected to see some pretty solid results in this polling, but the final numbers were beyond what we imagined," says NCGA President Darrin Ihnen, a grower in Hurley, SD. "This high level of support is gratifying, and it is also a challenge for us to work hard to maintain the trust consumers have placed in us."

When it comes to uses for corn, support was broad. Ninety-five percent support its use as food for people and 93 percent as livestock feed, while 67 percent support the use of corn as a sweetener and 65 percent, as noted, support corn ethanol. Other uses of corn, such as for fiber and packaging, were supported by 73 percent of those polled.

Click here for the survey results.