The American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen is set to hit the track this weekend at Iowa Speedway in Newton. The race, where all drivers compete using E15, a 15 percent ethanol blend, leaves the starting line on Sunday, June 19 at 12:30 pm CT. To get the scoop on events this weekend, I was able to speak with …
Optimism Infuses 10th Annual #CUTC16
The 10th annual Corn Utilization Technology Conference (CUTC) – #CUTC16 – took place in St. Louis, Missouri this week. The conference is held every other year and focuses on innovations and challenges in the wet and dry corn milling industry. The session kicked off with a message from National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO Chris Novak who set a tone …
#USDA Report – Corn Up, Soybeans Down
The 2016 Prospective Plantings report out from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) shows farmers expect to plant more corn and less soybeans this year. U.S. corn growers expect to plant 93.6 million acres to corn this year, the first increase in corn planted acreage since 2012 and, if realized, will be the third largest corn acreage since 1944. In …
Fuels America Launches New Ad Campaign
Fuels America is launching a new seven-figure TV and digital ad campaign today urging President Obama to make a choice between the oils industry and renewable fuels for the future. The campaign depicts President Obama’s choice of who to listen to when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard: his own experts who have repeatedly shown that ethanol and renewable …
White Paper on Farm Income and the RFS
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) jointly released a new white paper Thursday on how the EPA’s proposed rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is threatening farm income and rural economies across the United States. The paper cites the latest USDA data on net cash income for American farmers and ranchers, …
BASF Media Event in Tennessee
Grow Smart was the theme for a BASF southern ag media field day near Memphis, Tennessee on August 26. Participants heard from champion corn grower Randy Dowdy of Georgia about how he uses the Grow Smart philosophy to attain record yields and return on investment. We also got an update on Engenia, which is expected to receive registration from EPA …
28th Annual ACE Ethanol Conference
The 28th annual American Ethanol Coalition (ACE) Ethanol Conference kicked off today in Omaha, Nebraska (August 20-21) with a great crowd of ethanol supporters. The theme this year: “Quite Ingenuity. Bold Advance.” This year also marks the one year anniversary of the “Power to the People” campaign. Topics this year included E15, ethanol and dried distiller grains (DDGs) export opportunities, …
Comment Deadline for RFS Proposal is Monday
The deadline for submitting comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 is Monday, July 27. Here are comments from EPA, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) encouraging stakeholders to submit comments on the proposal. Comment Deadline for RFS Proposal is Monday – Comments can be …
EPA Administrator Talks to Corn Growers
Speaking to members of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) meeting in Washington DC this week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy talked about recent agency actions, including the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS). More than 300 farmers and staffers were on hand to hear McCarthy’s explanation of the RFS and WOTUS decisions, as well …
Corn Congress and RFS Rally
Members of the National Corn Growers Association were on Capitol Hill this week talking about issues important to them, especially the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). More than 300 corn farmers joined members of Congress and ethanol industry leaders at a rally Wednesday calling attention to the proposed cutting of the RFS` for corn ethanol. In addition, corn growers were talking …
Visit to BASF Midwest Research Farm
Out in the Illinois countryside just a little southwest of Champaign is the BASF Midwest Research Farm (MWRF), which the company has developed into a showcase for the latest in crop development trials and stewardship practices. A group of agricultural journalists toured the site this week to learn more about what they do there and about the challenges facing Illinois …
Corn Growers on Cuba Trade Mission
Nine farmer leaders and staff members from the National Corn Growers Association, the U.S. Grains Council and the North Dakota Barley Council traveled to Cuba last month to see first-hand opportunities for expanding U.S. coarse grain exports if trade is fully normalized with the island nation. The mission was part of an ongoing effort by the grains industry to assess …
#RFSWorks Hearing and Rally
Hundreds of ethanol supporters showed up in Kansas City, Kansas on June 25, 2015 for a public hearing on the EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and a Rally for Rural America. The hearing heard testimony from over 200 stakeholders, including corn farmers, ethanol and biodiesel producers. The rally featured comments from the governors and agriculture …
America’s Renewable Future Announces Partners
America’s Renewable Future (ARF) today announced its diverse coalition of partners that includes state and national ethanol and biofuels associations and companies committed to educating presidential candidates in both parties about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The partners include the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), Iowa Biodiesel Board, Iowa Ethanol Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, …
NCGA Chair Comments on Planting Progress
Corn farmers nationwide planted about one third of the corn acreage nationwide in one week last week according to USDA’s latest crop progress report. The phenomenal progress included an increase of 38% in Nebraska and Illinois, 41% more in Missouri, 45% in Minnesota and an additional 54% of the acreage in Iowa. In this interview, Martin Barbre, Chairman of the …