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 …
Congress Devastates Supporters as it Punts on E15
Supporters of nationwide, year-round E15 were once again kicked to the curb by Congress, after weeks of negotiations between farm, ethanol, oil and refinery interests to craft wording that would have included it in the funding bill. Instead lawmakers have opted to create a new “Rural Domestic Energy Council” to develop potential legislative proposals on E15. Renewable Fuels Association President …
Alltech Harvest Analysis 2025
Alltech, a global leader in in the agriculture industry, hosted a live broadcast, “From Field to Feed: 2025 Crop and Mycotoxin Analysis”, streamed live from Alltech’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. on Jan. 15, 2026, and is now available to watch on demand. During the broadcast, the panel of experts shared timely insights into this year’s harvest conditions and emerging …
ZimmCast 755 – Beltwide Cotton Conferences
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. Part of December into January was a little rough for the ZimmComm Team. Between some bugs going around to two short trips to see family. But now all’s well and it’s time for a new episode. In December we posted some “Oh the places we’ve been!” details. We started in the …
Iowa Corn and Iowa RFA Release Study Showing Need for Year-round E15
A new corn supply study, commissioned by the Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), shows the urgent need for immediate passage of nationwide, year-round E15 and access to ultra-low carbon ethanol markets to support and sustain the economic drivers in the Cornbelt that are provided by corn production. The two organizations held a press conference Wednesday …
Trump Signs Bill Putting Whole Milk Back in Schools
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 into law, allowing whole and 2% milk to return to America’s schools where it has been banned since 2012 under President Obama. “This is the first bill signing of the new year, and it will ensure that millions of school aged children have access …
USDA Secretary Addresses Key Issues at AFBF Convention
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins addressed the American Farm Bureau Federation convention for the first time Monday, hitting on key issues being discussed by the nation’s largest general farm organization this week. Rollins started with the bad news. “All of America is under threat when American agriculture is under threat. And there’s no doubt that right now, American agriculture, …
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) …
Seed Companies Can Now Purchase PowerPollen Pollination Technology Integrated on Oxbo Power Units Through Exclusive Partnership
Gives Corn Seed Companies New Control over Pollination Timing, Yield, and Risk Mitigation ahead of the 2026 Growing Season Ames, Iowa/Byron, New York – January 6, 2026 – PowerPollen® and Oxbo announced the first mechanized pollination solution for corn seed production, enabling seed companies to directly purchase, integrate, and scale the system ahead of the 2026 growing season. This exclusive …
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 48 – A Decade of Daugherty Water for Food Leadership
In this special episode, host Frances Hayes sits down with Peter McCornick, Executive Director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, as he concludes nearly a decade of leadership. This deep-dive conversation covers Peter’s distinguished career, from his early life on a farm in Scotland and pivotal international work in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, to what drew …
Trump Announces Bridge Payments for American Farmers
President Donald Trump, with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR), Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Representative Austin Scott (R-GA), and farmers from Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $12 billion available in …
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 …