Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler yesterday announced the approval of sorghum oil as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuel Standard during a signing event at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., with sorghum farmers and other stakeholders. In addition to the nine ethanol producers already extracting oil from sorghum, several other facilities will now be able to purchase and …
USDA Announces Trade Disruption Relief for Farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take several actions to assist farmers negatively impacted by recent trade actions. President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a short-term relief strategy to protect agricultural producers while the Administration works on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets in the long run to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, …
Stoneville Varieties Featured at Sunbelt Expo Field Day
The Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day brought hundreds of farmers from Georgia and surrounding states. The event let’s you see demonstration plots with the latest innovative research, and visit with industry and university researchers to get up-to-date information on topics such as new seed and forage varieties, irrigation and water management, crop protection, soil fertility and precision agriculture. Stoneville took …
2018 Southern Peanut Growers Conference
The 20th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference was held July 19-21, 2018 at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Miramar Beach, Florida. The three-day event provides farmers with information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. The conference is the annual meeting for the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, comprised of the Alabama Peanut Producers Association, the Florida Peanut Producers …
Ethanol Report on RFA Leadership Succession
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has announced a change in leadership for the ethanol industry’s leading trade association. Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will assume the position of president and CEO in October 2018, while current President and CEO Bob Dinneen will transition into the role of RFA’s Senior Strategic Advisor. In this edition of The Ethanol Report, Dinneen talks …
Seasonal Lamb Production White Paper Explores Challenges and Opportunities for US Industry
July 18, 2018 For Immediate Release Media Contact: Sharlet Teigen (605) 390-8320 Seasonality of US lamb production is an issue that causes inefficiencies and market volatility for all segments of this industry. A new white paper pulls together information on the topic so that members of the industry can understand it in more depth and make informed decisions about management …
ZimmCast 592 – Comedian Tim The Dairy Farmer
This week let’s meet Comedian, Tim The Dairy Farmer. Humor and dairy are near and dear to my heart and I hope you’ll enjoy the program as Tim talks about how he got into a comedy career. He also has some big news! Blue Collar meets Green Acres. That’s how comedian, Tim the Dairy Farmer, describes the release of his …
Growth Energy Urges EPA to Correct RFS Course
Growth Energy is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to chart a “major course correction on annual biofuel targets.” The proposed rule raises the total 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) by 3 percent over the 2018 requirement, and maintains a 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional biofuels like corn ethanol, but does nothing to address the 2.25 billion gallons worth of …
Inari Aims to Transform Agriculture
A new plant breeding technology company called Inari Agriculture is being introduced today with the mission to transform agriculture and its impact on society and the environment by developing a more personalized plant breeding approach. Inari is a Flagship Pioneering company headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., which started in early 2016 and has since recruited more than 80 leading research scientists …
FDA Considering Fake Meat and Milk
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is spending time this month discussing meat and milk. Last week, FDA held a public meeting to discuss foods produced using animal cell culture technology – mainly lab-grown fake meat products – and which agency should be in charge of regulating. The meat industry believes fake meat should be regulated by USDA. Speaking …
Biofuels Advocates Testify at EPA Hearing
Biofuels advocates brought their concerns about damage to the industry caused by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to a hearing on the proposed 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Wednesday in Michigan. In its proposed rule, the agency declined to accept comments on the controversial waiver program or Reid Vapor Pressure restrictions on E15, but …
Ethanol Report on EPA Changes
Ethanol industry stakeholders were relieved to see Scott Pruitt depart from the Environmental Protection Agency on July 5 and deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler appointed as acting chief. With a Supreme Court justice nominee on the table, it is unlikely President Trump will be moving too quickly to nominate a new EPA administrator, so Wheeler will probably have the job for …
ZimmCast 591 – From the Tailgate
Tailgates are the perfect places to share stories, whether in a cow barn or the parking lot of a football game. That’s why Jamie Johansen named her new weekly television show From the Tailgate, which just started airing on KOLZ, Ch. 27 Springfield, MO, Nexstar Media Group. The show is hosted by Jamie and a product of her company Honey Creek …
ZimmCast 590 – Precision, Pork, Podcasts
Happy Independence Day week. This episode of the ZimmCast will introduce you to some other farm podcasters you may not be familiar with. If you are not subscribing to podcasts then get started. There are many really good programs and quite a few that have started recently. In this week’s program I’ll share the following: The Raven Precision Podcast – …
AMVAC Purchases Bayer Bromacil Business
AMVAC Chemical Corporation recently announced the purchase of the Bromacil herbicide business in the United States and Canada from Bayer Crop Science. The transaction is unrelated to the acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer, and financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. I spoke with Greg Warren, Marketing Manager, AMVAC, about the transaction and what it means to the company. …