The Renewable Fuels Association is a proud sponsor of Girls Auto Clinic (GAC) to expand ethanol education and outreach to a growing audience of women who are actively engaged in car buying, maintenance, and repair. Founder Patrice Banks spoke at the recent National Ethanol Conference about her efforts to help women gain the knowledge and confidence to take charge of …
DWFI Podcast 51 – Locally Led Strategies for Protecting Groundwater Resources
When it comes to groundwater management, California was the wild west not long ago, with unrestricted pumping depleting many aquifers. But that changed in 2014 with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which created about 350 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) responsible for management of more than 140 of the state’s basins. Using a framework of local control, GSAs work to sustain …
Ethanol Report from 2026 NEC
Ethanol Unleashed was the theme of 2026 the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, Florida this past week. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we get an update from the conference with many of the participants, including comments from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper; RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development, Robert White; RFA Senior VP, …
DWFI Podcast 50 – Nebraska Master Irrigator
In this episode, host Frances Hayes dives into the Nebraska Master Irrigator Program, a new approach to advanced water stewardship. Joining Frances is Crystal Powers, DWFI Water and Cropping Systems Extension Educator and a co-collaborator on the new initiative. Through the Nebraska Master Irrigator Program, organizers invite participants to dig deeper and “talk shop” about the critical issues facing agricultural …
Ethanol Report on E15 and NEC
To say that ethanol supporters are disappointed by the inability of Congress to include nationwide, year-round E15 in the must-pass funding bill this past week is an understatement. Corn farmers and ethanol producers are expressing outrage, disillusionment, and even betrayal after weeks of working on compromise wording for a problem the industry has been trying to get fixed for more …
DWFI Podcast 49 – Irrigation as a Service: A New Paradigm
In our first episode of 2026, host Frances Hayes discusses a unique approach to supporting access to irrigation for smallholder farmers with Erin Anders, Senior Program Manager at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. Farmers of all sizes in all parts of the world need access to water, inputs and financing to grow food. Irrigation as a Service (IaaS) …
Ethanol Report on 2025
2025 marked the 20th anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and showed just how far U.S. ethanol has come – and how much more it could accomplish for the world with just a little more freedom. Nationwide, year-round E15 spends another year in limbo, but California catches up with the rest of the country by unanimous passage of legislation …
Ethanol Report with RFA DC Associate
Ashley Viglione started work this past summer in the Renewable Fuels Association Washington DC office as Government Affairs Associate. It is her first job after graduating from Denison University in Ohio, but she is no stranger to RFA, having interned for them twice during college. In this episode of The Ethanol Report, we get to learn more about Ashley and …
DWFI Podcast 47 – Crafting Compelling Science Communication
In this episode, host Frances Hayes sits down with Crystal Powers, DWFI and Nebraska Water Center’s water and cropping systems extension educator, to discuss why the most revolutionary science can only drive change if it’s communicated effectively. Crystal and her colleague, Ann Briggs, at the Nebraska Water Center, created the “Beyond the Data” workshop, which aims to transform researchers and …
Ethanol Report on E15 Status
At this time last year, the ethanol industry was optimistic Congress would be passing a Continuing Resolution that included approval for nationwide, year-round E15, but no one thought California would ever allow sales of E15, despite being a huge seller of E85. This year, the industry is grateful to have legislative approval for E15 sales in California, while Congressional approval …
ZimmCast 753 – AdFarm 2025 AgIntel Index Report
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I’m going to share an interview with Matt Weeks, AgIntel Lead at AdFarm. We discuss the inaugural AgIntel Index Report. This will be a yearly report that dives into the trends and insights dominating the conversation in agriculture. This is information that matters to agri-marketers and ag leaders. …
Ethanol Report on the Trade Front
The United States is on track to export a record amount of fuel ethanol for the second year in a row in 2025, driven by growing international demand. That demand was evident at the recent Global Ethanol Summit, hosted by the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council and supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, which drew more than 450 international buyers …
DWFI Podcast 46: Know Your Well: engaging Nebraska youth in groundwater science
This episode of the Water for Food Podcast explores a unique initiative that puts water quality testing directly into the hands of high school students across Nebraska. Sara Brock-Contreras, a PhD student advised by Dr. Dan Snow, joins us to discuss her work on the Know Your Well program — an innovative educational and participatory science effort that equips students …
ZimmCast 752 – Farm Journal Ad Insights
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode you’ll learn all about Farm Journal’s new Ad Insight tool which is new to the agrimarketing industry. It’s a first for a digital advertising analytics solution. Talking with me is Prescott Shibles, Farm Journal CEO. Farm Journal has launched a new ad insights tool, which is the agriculture …
Ethanol Report with New RFA Chair
The Renewable Fuels Association elected officers and its board of directors for the 2026 fiscal year at its annual membership meeting in Omaha, Nebraska last week and Derek Peine, CEO of Western Plains Energy in Oakley, Kan., was elected chairman. Also last week, RFA celebrated the signing Assembly Bill 30 into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, immediately legalizing the …