Recover Drought-Stressed Pastures
INDIANAPOLIS – (February 19, 2007 – AgNewsWire) – Severe drought hit big parts of cattle country last year, but weather patterns may have turned. Many dried-up pastures are now getting significant winter moisture. That typically means a spring invasion of broadleaf weeds into grass, says Dr. Vernon Langston, a field research scientist with Dow AgroSciences. “After a drought, grasses tend to be weaker and not very competitive. Some plants may have died, so you have thinner stands and more bare spots. With a little moisture, it’s easy for weeds to germinate. Usually, the weed seed is already there in the soil, but, you may have gotten a new supply with hay that you bought.” Grazing…
Ethanol Powers Global Warming Expedition
Ely, Minn. – February 16, 2007 (AgNewsWire) Dogs may be pulling the sleds for world-renowned arctic explorer Will Steger’s latest expedition but the trip will be powered in a large part by ethanol. When Steger was looking for sponsors to support his Global Warming 101 expedition, he decided that the ethanol industry would be a natural choice. “I’ve been talking up the benefits of ethanol for 18 years,” Steger said. “I wrote a book in 1988 and in that book I talked about ethanol as being one of the solutions. It’s best for our economy and our national security and above all supporting our people in the rural areas.” So, Steger approached Ron Fagen, president…
Grand Opening Brings Wall Street to the Heartland
Albert City, IA (February 7, 2007) (AgNewsWire) US BioEnergy Corporation celebrated the grand opening of their newest ethanol production facility on February 7 by ringing the closing bell on the NASDAQ from the plant in Albert City, Iowa. The feat was accomplished remotely via satellite from the 100 million gallon per year production facility which actually began operations in December. “Most companies go to New York in order to do this type of ceremony,” said US BioEnergy CEO Gordon Ommen. “Since we are a Midwest company, really founded on the American farmer and those relationships, we thought we’d have New York come to rural America and meet us on our ground.” Full Release
American Le Mans Series Showcases Technology and Performance
Hilliard, Ohio – (February 8, 2007 – AgNewsWire) The American Le Mans Series continues its tradition of excellence and leading edge technology with its decision to use ethanol-enriched fuel for the 2007 racing season. The organization has partnered with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) to make E10, “the official ethanol-enriched fuel” of the series. Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, considers this a perfect fit for the platform that is the American Le Mans Series. “The cars that are competing in the American Le Mans series have direct links back to their manufacturers and in many cases directly back to the showroom,” said Atherton. “So when you look…
Valley® PolySpan™ Provides Superior Corrosion Protection
VALLEY, Neb. (AgNewsWire) – In a period of less than one growing season, certain farm chemicals or corrosive water can begin to take a toll on irrigation pipes. In a few years, this may lead to major repairs and replacement of expensive machine parts, depending on the level of corrosive material in the water. PolySpanTM lined irrigation pipe from Valley protects against the harshest nature and man have to offer and can go toe-to-toe with even the most aggressive chemigation and fertigation programs. In fact, Valley offers several alternative pipeline solutions designed to meet specific water conditions and customer expectations. Most Valley machines can be repiped with PolySpan for years of continued performance at significantly…
Valley Touts Energy-Wise Oil Hydraulic-to-Electric Pivot Conversions
VALLEY, Neb. (AgNewsWire) – Electricity is the most convenient and versatile form of energy to run center pivots, requiring approximately 75 percent less energy to operate than oil hydraulic-drive pivots. Efficient oil hydraulic-drive-to-electric-drive conversion packages from Valley are specifically engineered for oil hydraulic-drive machines, providing a solution that looks as good as it performs. With electricity available as a power source in nearly every commercial agricultural corner of the world, more than 95 percent of the world’s center pivots are electric-drive machines. Many of the remaining oil hydraulic-drive machines in the field were designed to run endguns without booster pumps at the end of the machine. This requires higher water pressure at the pivot, which…
Pivot Preventative Maintenance Equates to Savings in the Long Run
VALLEY, Neb. (AgNewsWire) – A preventative maintenance schedule is to a center pivot what an engine tune up is to a race car. To operate at peak efficiency, each machine requires proper care and maintenance. Downtime costs money. Valley’s Certified Preventative Maintenance Programs are designed to fit the needs of center pivots, corners or linear machines. With the end of a long, tough irrigation season, the timing is right to prepare center pivots for the following year. Customers have the ability to customize their own program and with three price options, having peace of mind has never been easier as a Valley owner. Each program is affordably priced and offers options that provide checks on…
Biodiesel Information Available on John Deere Web Site
Lenexa, Kansas – February 6, 2007 (AgNewsWire) – John Deere announces that it has expanded content on its Web site to provide information on biodiesel and other biofuel topics that are important to producers and others in agriculture. The John Deere biofuels information can be accessed at www.johndeere.com/ag and contains a detailed biofuels reference report and 6.5-minute video that overviews John Deere’s position on the use of biodiesel. “John Deere has been an early advocate for biodiesel and continues to actively support its use,” says Don Borgman, director of agricultural industry relations for John Deere. “We believe that supporting the use of 2 percent biodiesel (B2) is a logical first step for the industry until…
February Reminds Us to Be Sweet to Our Hearts
Columbia, MO (AgNewsWire) February often brings to mind thoughts of big, red hearts – which is why it was chosen as American Heart Month to get us thinking on heart health. And according to the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC), lean red meat can play an important role in a heart-healthy diet. Alane Lidolph, MBIC Director of Consumer Information, says one of the major heart health concerns right now is trans fatty acids and it’s important to know the difference between man-made and natural trans fats when reducing them in the diet. “The man-made trans-fatty acids, those dangerous ones found in baked goods, are really detrimental to heart health. But the naturally-occurring trans-fatty acids like…
National Biodiesel Conference Blog Announced
Holts Summit, MO – February 2, 2007 (AgNewsWire) Information from one of the nation’s largest growing biofuels conferences is available on-line at blog.biodieselconference.org. All the proceedings with pictures, audio interviews and more from the 4th Annual National Biodiesel Conference February 4-7 in San Antonio, Texas can be found on the web log, which was first developed for last year’s conference. This year’s conference coverage is sponsored by John Deere. Over 3,500 people are expected to attend the conference which includes educational sessions, a trade show and special appearances by celebrities and legislators, such as Merle Haggard, Political pundit-couple James Carville & Mary Matalin, actor and biodiesel advocate Larry Hagman and Congressional rock band The Second…
Ethanol Star of the Track During IndyCar® Series Daytona Test
Daytona, FL (February 1, 2007) (AgNewsWire) The IndyCar® Series held its first Open Test of the season Wednesday, January 31, at Daytona International Speedway where for the first time all IndyCar Series cars ran on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol. Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) Executive Director Tom Slunecka was in Daytona to watch history being made. “The test started off with just a bang, the engines cranked up. Just amazing to know a product that comes right from the Heartland is powering these massive machines around the track at over 200 miles an hour. It was an exciting morning,” said Slunecka. According to Slunecka, the IndyCar drivers he talked to in Daytona are proud…
