ZimmCast #605 is the last one for 2018, featuring interviews from the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) 2018 CSS and Seed Expo, our last event for the year. This ZimmCast includes comments from ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne, Bayer seed treatment tech service rep Chip Graham, BASF Seed Solutions U.S. marketing lead Kerry Grossweiler, and Wheat Pete, a podcaster …
Ethanol Interests Testify on Proposed Fuels Act
Ethanol stakeholder groups testified Tuesday at a House Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee hearing to review a discussion draft of the 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act, which would effectively repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Among those who testified: Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper- Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor – Texas farmer and National Corn Growers Association …
2018 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo
Held each year in Chicago, the 2018 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo is America’s largest seed industry convention with the latest information on seed treatment, plant breeding innovation, the agricultural economy forecast for 2019, emerging global disease threats and more. This year’s meeting was held December 3-6. Major sponsors at the event include Bayer and BASF. This virtual ag newsroom includes …
GROWMARK Energy Offering Pre-Blended E15
The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased that farmer-owned cooperative GROWMARK Energy has started offering pre-blended E15 at its company-owned terminals in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. RFA has been working with GROWMARK on a number of issues related to offering E15 at the terminals, including regulatory compliance, participation in the EPA’s required fuel survey, and adoption of RFA’s Misfueling Mitigation Plan …
Ethanol Stakeholders Welcome E15 Announcement
President Trump’s announcement of plans to lift restrictions on E15, allowing the ethanol-blended fuel to be sold year-round nationwide, was met with applause by stakeholders in the industry, including trade groups, farmers, producers, and retailers. Following the announcement, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor hosted a telephone press conference with Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis, Iowa ethanol producer Delayne Johnson with Quad …
FMC Georgia Field Day
FMC Agricultural Solutions held a field day at its Sparks, GA research station on October 3, hosted by the FMC technical service team with a plot tour, presentations and certification training. In particular, the FMC technical service team showcased new Lucento™ fungicide for the 2019 season and a deep dive into trial performance of the expanded FMC row and specialty …
2018 RFA Crappie Masters Championship
For the second year, the Renewable Fuels Association has been co-title sponsor of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail, with the 2018 National Championship held August 26-29 in Clinton, Missouri on Truman Lake. 14-year old Ethan Shields of Grenada, MS won $1000 scholarship in youth tournament on September 27 with RFA sponsor team boat captains Kent Williams, Arkansas, and Terry Richards, …
Unique Field Showcases FS InVISION Hybrids
A Central Illinois corn field has helped GROWMARK to shared excitement about the FS InVISION brand in a unique way during the 2018 growing season. The field features two FS InVISION corn hybrids, planted with a multi-hybrid planter. The difference between the shorter-stature 61S variety and the taller 62Z plants, which also have a slightly different tassel color, brought out …
EPA Administrator Gets an Earful from Corn Farmers
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has been on a tour of farm country this week, meeting with corn farmers and ethanol producers in Kansas and South Dakota already and next to Nebraska. At the East Kansas Agri-Energy ethanol plant in Garnett, Kansas, Kansas Corn Growers Association President Ken McCauley says they pressed Pruitt on EPA’s granting of small refinery exemptions which …
2018 Corn Utilization & Technology Conference
The 2018 Corn Utilization and Technology Conference is about to start in St. Louis, MO. This event is held every other year and features technical presentations on various topic related to corn and uses for corn. The theme this year is, “Increasing efficiency across the supply chain to enable new products.” This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and …
White House RFS Meeting Reaction from NCGA
News that the Tuesday meeting at the White House resulted in a commitment to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol blends was tempered by a reported plan to reallocate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) from exempted renewable fuel volumes using exported ethanol gallons. As Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley tweeted after the meeting, the devil will be in the details of the …
Midwest Seed Genetics Expansion and Growth Continues
Midwest Seed Genetics continues its growth with four senior managers joining the team. They are: Todd Claussen as Director Sales Agronomy; Chandra Edwards as Senior Operations Manager; Wayne Hoener as Soybean Product Manager; and Rodd Whitney as Senior Recruiting Manager. “The addition of these highly skilled individuals underscores our resolve in building a new, high quality, high performance hybrid corn …
Role of Corn Farmers in High Octane Fuel Future
During a House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on “High Octane Fuels and High Efficiency Vehicles” Friday, an Illinois corn grower outlined how farmers are now growing what can be the the high-octane fuel of the near future. Illinois farmer Paul Jeschke testified that high-octane midlevel ethanol blends would “benefit society and rural communities by lowering prices at …
Farmers Intend to Plant Less Corn and Soybeans in 2018
U.S. farmers are expected to plant more soybean acres than corn but overall intentions are down slightly from the record year in 2017, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Producers surveyed across the United States intend to plant an estimated 89.0 million acres of soybeans and 88.0 million acres of …
2018 ACE Fly-in
American Coalition for Ethanol celebrates 10 years of taking the message of grassroots ethanol producers, retailers, farmers and consumers to Capitol Hill. This year’s theme is Ignite a Movement. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. 2018 ACE DC Fly-in Photo Album ACE Fly-in Takes …