Monsanto officials are pleased with the recent import approval from China for the drought tolerance trait in Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard® hybrids. In this interview, Monsanto row crop launch lead Sarah Pierce talks about what the approval means for U.S. farmers.
Agriculture Secretary at IA Farm Bureau Summit
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack addressed the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation 2013 Economic Summit on Monday, July 22, in Ames, Iowa. The secretary touched on a number of topics including climate change, conservation, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the need for a long term food, farm and jobs bill. Afterward, Vilsack held a press conference where he answered questions …
New Fuels America Ad Campaign
Fuels America coalition members today announced the launch of a new ad campaign with the theme of choice when it comes to our energy future. The campaign is targeted to policy makers in Washington DC and focused on supporting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which is under continued attack by the oil and food industries. Listen to or download Fuels …
2013 Southern Peanut Growers Conference
The 15th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference was held July 18-20, 2013 in Panama City Beach. The theme was Making Sustainability Work and we have links here to photos, posts and audio files from the conference, which included peanut industry representatives from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. 2013 SPGC Photo Album Southern Peanut Growers Team – Texas Congressman at Peanut …
InfoAg Conference on Precision Agriculture
The 2013 InfoAg Conference took place in Springfield, IL. This technical education conference is all about precision agriculture and is becoming an annual conference with the next one scheduled in 2014 in St. Louis, MO. This three day conference is coordinated by the International Plant Nutrition Institute, IPNI. Story interviews will be posted here as they become available in coming …
Corn Growers in Washington
Members of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) are in Washington this week to discuss policy issues and visit with lawmakers during another crucial point in the quest for a five year farm bill. In addition to farm policy, corn growers are talking with members of Congress about the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and the …
Senate Ag Chair Pushes House on Farm Bill
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) held a conference call with reporters on Monday urging the House to take that action before time runs out. “We’ve got only six legislative weeks before the current farm bill expires,” she said, noting that adds up to only 24 legislative days. “I’m willing to take whatever the House gives us and work …
From Middle East to Midwest
Summer driving season is nearing its peak and as events continue to unfold in Egypt, gas prices are again expected to spike. To learn more about the reasons behind rising fuel prices, Fuels America hosted a media briefing with several energy experts to provide a panoramic view of the real drivers behind volatile gas prices. Speakers discussed how renewable fuel …
Surmountable Blend Wall
Fuels America hosted a briefing on the Hill (Washington, D.C.) to give an update on the so-called “blend wall,” on July 11, 2013. Energy experts and biofuel industry representatives discussed the need to provide consumer choice at the pump. Other topics discussed during the event included: benefits of renewable fuel; penetration of new fuels like E15 and cellulosic ethanol into …
John Deere Flex Fuel Commercial Mower
John Deere has introduced a brand new riding mower that can run on up to 85% percent ethanol blended fuel. The mower is a new Flex Fuel model of John Deere’s popular line of ZTrak mowers. The new, industry exclusive, Z925M Flex Fuel gives landscape contractors and customers with large acreage to mow a new alternative fuel option for their …
Rep. Vicky Hartzler on Farm Bill and Budget
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) is a member of both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Committee on the Budget, plus she’s a farmer, so her perspective on what’s happening right now to try and get a farm bill passed is important to hear. In this interview, Hartzler discusses her frustration at seeing the House vote down the farm bill, …
Senate Hearing on Smithfield Acquisition
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday, July 10, took a look at the proposed acquisition of Smithfield Foods by Chinese company Shuanghui International. Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) says the sale raises many questions about issues such as food safety, protection of intellectual property, and increased foreign ownership of the U.S. food supply. Smithfield Foods President and CEO C. Larry …
2013 CTIC Conservation in Action Tour
The 2013 Conservation In Action Tour was held July 9-10 in the Indian Creek Watershed in Livingston County, Ill. The event featured tours of farming operations and presentations from farmers, conservation partners, crop consultants, government agency representatives and others. Links on this page include the event photo album, stories posted on websites, and audio files. 2013 Conservation in Action Tour …
Rep. Lucas on Farm Bill Split
Momentum seems to be building for a vote in the House on a farm only farm bill – but only if the votes are there. During a town hall meeting in Oklahoma over the July 4th recess, House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas indicated that he expected leadership to split the bill but he would rather not see that happen. …
RFA Comments on Proposed Tier 3 Rule
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week regarding the proposed rule on Tier 3 Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards. Kelly Davis, RFA Director of Regulatory Affairs, explains the more technical details of RFA’s comments on the proposed rule in this interview: