The United States is on track to export a record amount of fuel ethanol for the second year in a row in 2025, driven by growing international demand. That demand was evident at the recent Global Ethanol Summit, hosted by the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council and supported by the Renewable Fuels Association, which drew more than 450 international buyers …
DWFI Podcast 46 – Know Your Well: engaging Nebraska youth on groundwater
This episode of the Water for Food Podcast explores a unique initiative that puts water quality testing directly into the hands of high school students across Nebraska. Sara Brock-Contreras, a PhD student advised by Dr. Dan Snow, joins us to discuss her work on the Know Your Well program — an innovative educational and participatory science effort that equips students …
ZimmCast 752 – Farm Journal Ad Insights
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. In this episode you’ll learn all about Farm Journal’s new Ad Insight tool which is new to the agrimarketing industry. It’s a first for a digital advertising analytics solution. Talking with me is Prescott Shibles, Farm Journal CEO. Farm Journal has launched a new ad insights tool, which is the agriculture …
Ethanol Report with New RFA Chair
The Renewable Fuels Association elected officers and its board of directors for the 2026 fiscal year at its annual membership meeting in Omaha, Nebraska last week and Derek Peine, CEO of Western Plains Energy in Oakley, Kan., was elected chairman. Also last week, RFA celebrated the signing Assembly Bill 30 into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, immediately legalizing the …
Ethanol Report on New E15 Study
A new economic study produced by economists with the National Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association shows that expanding year-round, nationwide consumer access to fuels with a 15% ethanol blend would provide a boon to the American economy, benefiting farmers, communities and consumers alike. The study shows that providing consistent access to E15 year-round would provide an additional …
Ethanol Report on FPS Biofuels Buzz
Ethanol was in the spotlight at the 2025 Farm Progress Show with USDA predicting a record corn crop that needs to find a home through increased exports and domestic demand and the Renewable Fuels Association once again had a strong presence at the show held in the heart of the Corn Belt. This episode of The Ethanol Report podcast features …
DWFI Podcast 45 – Unexpected Connections: From Chance Encounters to Global Impact
This episode of the Water for Food Podcast explores the valuable collaborations that can arise from in-person interactions, even in a digital age. Host Frances Hayes, DWFI director of communications and public relations, shares a story that perfectly illustrates the lasting impact of those face-to-face moments, which can lead to unexpected and valuable partnerships. Adam Keough, program manager with Catholic …
ZimmCast 750 – Interviews from Farm Progress Show
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman. It has been a busy time for the the ZimmComm Team in the past few weeks. After the Tech Hub Live conference it was on the way to the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, Ag Media Summit, ACE Annual Meeting and the Farm Progress Show. I’m on my way home from the …
Ethanol Report on the RFS at Twenty
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed by President George W. Bush on August 8 of that year at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico – symbolizing a new approach to energy economics and security, diversifying our transportation fuel supply by incentivizing ethanol and biodiesel by initiating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This month marks the 20th anniversary …
ZimmCast 749 – Tech Hub LIVE 2025
In five short years, Tech Hub LIVE has already become the go-to meeting of the year for agricultural retailers and ag tech companies. In this edition of the ZimmCast, we hear from a couple of the CropLife Ag Tech Awards of Excellence winners this year – Aman Anand with Nutrien Ag Solutions and Iowa farmer April Hemmes, and we learn …
DWFI Podcast 44 – The Vadose Zone – A critical indicator for Nebraska groundwater quality
The Vadose Zone is the area between crop roots and the water table, and is a critically important region for storage, transport and transformation of chemicals that can impact groundwater quality. In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, host Frances Hayes talks with Arindam Malakar, a researcher with the Nebraska Water Center (NWC, a part of DWFI) who …
Ethanol Report on FSMA Training Course
Each year, U.S. ethanol plants produce millions of tons of distillers grains, a valuable co-product used around the world to feed all types of livestock. Under the regulatory oversight of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, ethanol plants are required to comply with preventive controls requirements as mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act, known as FSMA. To help producers …
DWFI Podcast 43 – Irrigation and Global Health
In the 43rd episode of the Water for Food Podcast, host Frances Hayes speaks with Claudia Ringler of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) about the crucial link between irrigation and global health, expanding on Ringler’s recent Heuermann Lecture as part of the 2025 Water for Food Global Conference and previous episodes in this podcast. Together they explore how …
Ethanol Report on EPA RVO Proposal and SCOTUS Ruling
The ethanol industry is welcoming two major wins in the past week – EPA’s release of proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027 and the Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for legal challenges to small refinery exemption (SRE) decisions. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report” …
ZimmCast 747 – Preview of 2025 IFAJ Congress
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. In this program we’re going to get a preview of the 2025 IFAJ Congress which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, October 15–18. After our preview I’m going to add a most recent example of how you can make your news release talk. More at the end. So, let’s get started. I have Steve …



