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 …
Meet New RFA Chair Jeanne McCaherty
The new chairperson of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has only been CEO of Guardian Energy Management since 2016, but Jeanne McCaherty has become an industry leader in that very short time. In addition to serving on the board for RFA, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Renewable Product Marketing Group and the Minnesota Biofuels Association. …
USDA Announces New Biofuels Infrastructure Grants
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue was in Albert Lea, Minnesota on Thursday to announce $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to recipients in 14 states. The initial $22 million in HBIIP investments are projected to increase ethanol demand by nearly …
ZimmCast 657 – 2020 Hunting John Deere Gator Style
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. This is an exciting time for deer hunters. The season is about to get started for those of us who hunt in Georgia. So, preparations are being made for a great opening day at the Crystal Pig Hunt Club. My preparation includes getting to test drive a new John Deere Gator XUV855M S4. This …
EPA Administrator Wheeler Visits Ohio Farm
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler kicked off a swing through northeast Ohio Tuesday which included attending an Ohio Farm Bureau event on a dairy farm in Stark County where he highlighted EPA’s commitment to working with Ohio’s farmers on a number of environmental issues. During the event, Administrator Wheeler delivered remarks to a group of farmers highlighting President …