The 30th National Ethanol Conference celebrated the industry’s growth over the past three decades and what the opportunities are for the future. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we hear some highlights from the conference, including comments from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper, Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-IA), RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman, RFA Industry Award …
Brooke Rollins Becomes 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Brooke Rollins of Texas was confirmed as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture by the Senate Thursday with a vote of 72-28. Rollins served in Trump’s previous administration as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council and oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. She since co-founded and served as president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy …
ZimmCast 742 – Cattle and Crop Insurance
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this episode I’m going to share some interviews with last week’s CattleCon 2025 and CIRB Annual Mtg. I was in San Antonio while Cindy was in Bonita Springs, FL. This is definitely the busy time! So, let’s get started with CattleCon. I talked with Colin Woodall, CEO, NCBA who says they were going …
2025 Marks 30th National Ethanol Conference
The ethanol industry will be getting “Back to Our Roots” in 2025 with the Renewable Fuels Association’s 30th annual National Ethanol Conference, taking place in Nashville February 17–19. Since 1996, NEC has been the nation’s most widely attended executive-level conference for the ethanol industry, where sessions featuring globally renowned speakers are interspersed with numerous networking opportunities to help the industry …
Senators Question USTR Nominee on Ag and Biofuels Exports
Members of the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing for the nomination of Jamieson Greer as the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) both questioned Greer about the issue of Brazil’s tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports, as well as other issues with countries such as China and Mexico in relation to …
2025 CIRB Annual Meeting
The 2025 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) Annual Meeting takes place in Bonita Springs, Florida, February 5-7, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point for a three-day event that brings together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders across the crop insurance industry. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or …
Ethanol Report on Working with New Administration
President Donald Trump has been very busy since his inauguration issuing executive orders, making changes, and freezing funding, but how will his actions impact the ethanol industry? In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper comments on some of the actions President Trump has taken and where ethanol’s priorities stand in both …
ZimmCast 741 – Clean Fuels in 2025
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. While Cindy was home during the major snow storm in Florida I was attending the Clean Fuels Conference in San Diego, CA. The weather was delightful for the conference. However, in the Pensacola, FL area there was eight to ten inches of snow, something that hasn’t happened in over 150 years! But it has …
Brooke Rollins Confirmation Hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee hosted the confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Agriculture on Thursday. Brooke Rollins is the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute and worked in the previous Trump administration in the White House Office of American Innovation and United States Domestic Policy Council. Prior to that, she was the president …
2025 Clean Fuels Conference
“Accelerate” is the theme for the 2025 Clean Fuels Conference, Jan. 20-23 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel in San Diego, California. Follow coverage of the conference on the Clean Fuels Conference Blog. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. Photos 2025 Clean Fuels …
ZimmCast 740 – Outlook for U.S. Cotton
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. ZimmComm is now entering its 21st year. Who would have thought? We officially announced our company at the 2004 National Agri-Marketing Conference. We had our first booth at the conference in 2005 which means we’ve exhibited for twenty of them! I thought you might like to hear the first audio podcast I recorded in …
Biofuels Questioning at Zeldin Hearing
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for EPA Administrator faced questions from members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Thursday on a number of topics, including the Renewable Fuel Standard and year-round E15. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) received a commitment from Zeldin to provide more certainty to the biofuels industry by following the law as it relates to the timeline …
USDA Secretary Vilsack Announces Climate-Smart Agriculture Rule
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack held his last official press conference of his tenure at USDA on Wednesday, announcing the publication of an interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. The interim rule establishes guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops …
USDA Completes Reform of Packers & Stockyards Rule
In one of his last official acts in the waning days of the Biden administration, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the third installment in a series of regulatory reforms under the Packers and Stockyards Act. Along with other finalized updates, this completes a major regulatory reform intended to “level the playing field for farmers who raise chicken, turkeys, hogs, …
2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences
The National Cotton Council is ready to welcome all to the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences next week, January 14-16, at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, LA. Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands on workshops and seminars are designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions. Click here for the …