The new American Soybean Association (ASA) president is making biodiesel and ethanol his priorities. And this article from Corn and Soybean Digest says that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise from Alan Kemper, a fifth generation corn, soybean and cattle farmer from Lafayette, Indiana and the first person to hold both the ASA presidency and that of the National …
RFA Calls on EPA to Update RFS2 ILUC Models
Earlier this month, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) made a positive step for ethanol by updating its indirect land use models in the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). This in effect, will reduce the ILUC penalties in half. Unfortunately, the new rule doesn’t take effect until mid-2011 although LCFS kicks in on January 1, 2011. In light of this …
Registration Open for Commodity Classic
Registration is now open for the 16th Annual Commodity Classic in Tampa, March 3-5. The annual event will be “smooth sailing” for soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum farmers and biofuels will be a big part of the event, as always. Growers who attend the 2011 Commodity Classic are sure to benefit from the value of attending a trade show with …
Project Liberty Featured on IPTV
As the corn harvest is winding down through the Midwest, Project Liberty is just ramping up on its collection of light corn stover and corn cobs. This fall is the first major cellulosic feedstock harvest for the biorefinery that is expected to be in full production sometime in the first half of 2012. Recently, Project Liberty was highlighted during “Market …
New USDA Reports Find Less Corn, More Ethanol
The latest reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are lowering the forecast for this year’s corn crop, but raising the expected use of corn for ethanol. Corn production is now forecast at 12.5 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast and down 4 percent from last year’s record production of 13.1 billion bushels. The reason for the …
Food Prices on the Rise – Biofuels Not to Blame
Is the food versus fuel debate finally subsiding? It has been hanging around since 2008 when the Grocery Manufactures of America launched a coordinated attack on the ethanol industry blaming them for the rising cost of food. It turned out that the greatest offender was actually rising oil prices which topped out over $150 per barrel. This week, the Wall …
Corn Growers Adopt New Logo
The National Corn Growers Association has unveiled a new logo for their identity. It’s the first time the organization has adopted a new brand in many years. “In August, we reached a record membership level of 36,216 individual dues paying members,” said NCGA President Bart Schott, a corn farmer in Kulm, N.D. “We’ve also got a record number of entries …
Brazilian State Mato Grosso Considers Corn Ethanol
The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is looking at producing ethanol from the state’s excess corn to reduce the miles Brazilian sugarcane ethanol would travel. On Wednesday, a combined industry and governmental committee that has been formed to study corn, announced that it has commissioned a study by state researcher Embrapa to look at the viability of producing corn ethanol. …
USDA Speaks, Ethanol Industry Reacts
The ethanol industry praised USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack today and expressed gratitude for his department’s commitment to fulfill the administration’s goal of transitioning to renewable energy. This morning at the Press Club in DC, Vilsack announced a series of measures aimed at supporting the rural economy and reducing dependence on foreign oil that include support for corn-based ethanol. “The …
ILUC From Corn Ethanol “Minimal to Zero”
In a report that will be published soon,”Decomposition Analysis of U.S. Corn Use for Ethanol Production from 2001-2008,”the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory concludes that the indirect land use change (ILUC) as a result from the expansion of corn ethanol production over the past decade has likely been “minimal to zero.” The study was requested by the California …