USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced plans to invest up to $500 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional cleaner fuel options at the pump. Joined by Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Vilsack announced the first awardees of 59 infrastructure projects that will receive a total of …
DWFI Podcast 25 – Soumya Balasubramanya, The World Bank
The 2023 Water for Food Global Conference was held May 8-11 at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and produced by the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI). It was the first time the event has been held since 2019 and it was a huge success with more than 120 global speakers and 400 participants. …
House Energy Sub Committee Hearing on Affordable Fuels
A House Energy and Commerce Sub Committee heard testimony this week on “Driving Affordability: Preserving People’s Freedom to Buy Affordable Vehicles and Fuel” regarding several bills related to lowering emissions from transportation vehicles. National Corn Growers Association CEO Neil Caskey testified in support of several bills that would leverage the benefits of biofuels to ensure a level playing field in …
ZimmCast 713 – The Work of AgGateway
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode I am sharing a couple of interviews from the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting. One of those is with Andres Ferrerya, Data Asset Manager for Syngenta Digital. The kind of work that he does and the work of AgGateway can get pretty technical but he describes it in a clear …
Ethanol Report on RFA Reaction to EPA Final Rule
The final 2023-2025 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes released by the Environmental Protection Agency this week mark an unfortunate step backward from the volumes that were originally proposed, according to the Renewable Fuels Association. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp discusses the final rule from EPA, as well …
Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Micronutrient Deficiencies
The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (KAS) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Micronutrient Deficiencies In this episode, we’re talking about micronutrient deficiencies. We’ll learn what growers can do to optimize their crops’ yield potential and how growers in each region can utilize testing and solutions to overcome …
2023 AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting
The AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting, June 12-15, 2023, is the place where the work of digital connectivity gets done. Getting together in-person catalyzes the progress that member Working Groups have made to that point on existing projects, while new work is identified and prioritized through Meet-Ups. Ample networking opportunities throughout the event provide time for attendees to share ideas and discuss …
ZimmCast 712 – IFAJ Congress Preview
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. It is going to be a very active June into July for ZimmComm, with a variety of on-location events. One of those is the annual IFAJ World Congress which is being held this year in Alberta, Canada. I will be there and I believe this will be my 10th IFAJ Congress. …
USDA Under Secretary Leads Trade Mission to Japan
USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor led a trade mission to Japan this week with representatives from 11 state departments of agriculture, numerous farm organizations, and 40 agribusinesses looking to connect with future business partners in Japan. “As one of the largest world economies, Japan is one of the top and most reliable trading partners …
BioLumic and Gro Alliance Scale First UV Light Technology for Corn and Soybeans
Light Treatment Improves Crop Performance Without Genetic Modification or Increased Chemical Inputs Achieves Double-Digit Yield Increases, More Sustainable Outcomes for Farmers Champaign, IL, (June 6, 2023) – Today BioLumic ™ and Gro Alliance LLC announced a strategic partnership to deploy BioLumic’s ultraviolet (UV) light seed treatment technology for corn and soybean seed production, propelling commercial-scale entry of UV light technology …
Preview of the 2023 AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting
It is almost time for the 2023 AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting and you can still register. To get a preview of the program I spoke with Brent Kemp, President and CEO of AgGateway. Besides some interesting keynote speakers and working group meetings there will be plenty of networking time. That will include racing at Prairie Meadows! The AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting, June …
Ethanol Blends Well With Summer
As summer gets underway, the Renewable Fuels Association is once again sponsoring the Ethanol Days of Summer fuel giveaway contest, and encouraging both motorists and boaters to get educated on ethanol and save money at the pump. RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White says the popularity of the fuel giveaway contest has grown as the availability of higher …
NCBA Celebrates Supreme Court Ruling on WOTUS
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is one of many agricultural organizations thrilled with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday against EPA’s controversial Waters of the United States or WOTUS rule. The court ruled unanimously in favor of the Sackett family in Sackett v. EPA, soundly rejecting the contentious “significant nexus” test. NCBA submitted an amicus brief in the Sackett …
Ethanol Report on New RFA Team Members
The Renewable Fuels Association recently created two new positions in the organization with the future of ethanol in mind and hired a couple of talented young experienced individuals to round out a team ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Tad Hepner is the organization’s new Vice President of Strategy and Innovation and Justin Schultz is RFA’s new Director of …
DWFI Podcast 24 – Ankit Chandra and Nick Brozović, DWFI
Daugherty Water for Food Institute (DWFI) Research Program Manager Ankit Chandra and Director of Policy Nick Brozović recently published research on “Entrepreneurial trends in the Indian agricultural water ecosystem” and the larger business landscape of agricultural water use and investments. In this edition of the Water for Food podcast, we are sharing an episode of Agribusiness Matters, hosted by Venky …