A diverse alliance of groups representing farming, forestry, food, government and environment today unveiled a set of recommendations to guide the development of federal climate policy. The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) was formed in February 2020 by four groups that now co-chair the alliance: American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and National …
Post-Election Implications for Agriculture
The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City’s November 12 webinar took a look at the results of the November 3 election and the implications for agribusiness. The panel featured farm policy analyst Sara Wyant, founder of Agri-Pulse Communications; Blake Hurst, president, Missouri Farm Bureau Federation; and Ron Seeber, president and CEO for the Kansas Grain and Feed Association, Renew Kansas …
Syngenta Virtual Media Summit
The 2020 Syngenta Virtual Media Summit officially kicked off October 27 with a live event featuring Syngenta North America leaders. Corporate Communications Lead Paul Minehart moderated the discussion: Vern Hawkins, North America President of Syngenta Crop Protection Trevor Heck, President, Syngenta Canada Justin Wolfe, North America Regional Director, Syngenta Seeds Each provided an update on their businesses, offered an industry …
RFA Congratulates President-Elect Biden
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) congratulates President-Elect Joe Biden on his victory, as projected by the Associated Press and others. The following is a statement from RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper with audio sound bites: “We look forward to working with the Biden administration in the years ahead to ensure a strong and growing market for low-carbon renewable fuels …
Ethanol Report 11-6-20
While some of the 2020 election results have yet to be decided, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper says the ethanol industry will be ready to work with whoever ultimately wins the White House. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Cooper discusses how ethanol has support from both candidates and bipartisan support in Congress, as …
ZimmCast 659 – Communications and Research Innovations
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this edition of the ZimmCast, Cindy and I share a couple of feature interviews we did recently on new innovations in communications and research. First, Cindy talked with Frances Hayes, Communications Specialist for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, about how they have adapted their communications strategy …
Post-Election Insight from Syngenta’s Mary Kay Thatcher
Mary Kay Thatcher, Senior Manager of Federal Government and Industry Relations for Syngenta, provided her perspective on the “churn of the election” during the company’s media summit this week. She does expect the presidential outcome to drag on for a while, but during her presentation, Thatcher used the assumption of a Biden presidency for her outlook. Here is the full …
Daugherty Water for Food Podcast – Episode 3
Episode number three of the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast spotlights another woman making waves in the food and water space. Felicia Marcus has been making waves in California water management and regulation for more than three decades. She most recently served as Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, with responsibility for drinking water, water quality, and water …
Agri-Pulse Hosts National Pork Board Webinar on Trade
Agri-Pulse president Sara Wyant moderated a discussion on Thursday with USDA Trade Undersecretary Ted McKinney, North Carolina hog farmer Jan Archer, and Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes on how exports add value for pork producers and support U.S. jobs. The event was sponsored by the National Pork Board. Watch the webinar here. Listen to the audio here: (1 hour)
EPA Finalizes Pesticide AEZ Rules
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited another farm this week to make an agricultural announcement. At Overman Farms in Goldsboro, N.C., Wheeler announced finalized improvements to requirements for the pesticide application exclusion zone (AEZ), the area surrounding pesticide application equipment during outdoor production pesticide applications. Listen to Wheeler’s announcement below and read more about the changes from EPA. (6:33)
Study Finds Gas Car Ban Would Hurt Agriculture
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) has released a study on the impacts of increased electric vehicle penetration on U.S. biofuels, agriculture and the economy. Proposals to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 and 2050 served as the economic models for the study, along with a base case provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook. The study …
EPA Announces Dicamba Registration Decision
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler at a Georgia cotton farm on Tuesday announced that EPA is approving new five-year registrations for two dicamba products and extending the registration of an additional dicamba product. All three registrations include new control measures to ensure these products can be used effectively while protecting the environment, including non-target plants, animals, and other …
Debate Mentions Farmers, Discusses Energy
President Donald Trump highlighted his support for U.S. farmers and ranchers during the presidential debate with Democrat challenger Joe Biden Thursday night. President Trump said he gave “28 billion dollars to our farmers,” when asked what he would do to make China pay for its lack of transparency about the coronavirus. “They devalued their currency and also paid up. And …
Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 7
The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (Koch) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. The experts we’ve heard from on our previous episodes have covered topics ranging from how different crops use nitrogen to the 4R’s of Nutrient Stewardship and how growers and retailers work together to choose the …
Ethanol Report 10-16-20
October 1 began a new fiscal year for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and brought a new chairperson for the board. Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy Management, is the first female chair for the RFA and she is taking on the role during a challenging time with lots of optimism. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we …