The ethanol industry lost a pioneer and a great friend this week as Randy Ives, 63, of Omaha, Nebraska has passed away after a courageous battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ives was a U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegate and a key figure in the development of distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol market …
Corn Growers Seek Action on Ethanol and USMCA
Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn organizations held a news conference Wednesday morning to urge the Trump Administration and members of Congress to finish the job on outstanding trade and ethanol issues important to corn farmers. The past year has presented a perfect storm of challenges for America’s corn farmers. While there have been positive …
Analyst Caps Ethanol Demand at 15 Billion Gallons
The most popular session at the annual ASTA CSS & Seed Expo is always the agricultural economy update by Dan Basse, AgResource Company, and this year was no exception as he opened the general session for the seventh year. Basse offered his insights on this year’s yields, impact of African Swine Fever in China, the ABU countries (Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine), …
RFA Urges EPA to “Just Follow the Law”
The comment period on EPA’s supplemental proposal for 2020 renewable volume obligations ended on Friday, and the Renewable Fuels Association’s message in comments submitted was simple when it comes to implementing blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard: Just follow the law RFA’s comments highlight the fact that the Clean Air Act requires EPA to “ensure” that the RFS volumes …
E85 Flex Fuel Wrangler is Off-Road Ready
The Renewable Fuels Association/Hauk Designs Flex Fuel E85 Jeep Wranger is complete and designer Kenny Hauk is pretty proud of the monster machine that can run on up to 85 percent ethanol. “What I’ve learned is that E85 has incredible performance potential,” said Hauk. “You can have incredible horsepower gains, an engine that runs much cooler than normal and has …
Presidential Hopeful Says Waivers are “Killing” Ethanol
Ethanol and small refinery waivers came up in the middle of a trade question during the Democratic presidential candidate debate Wednesday on MSNBC. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked whether he would continue the “farm subsidies” that President Trump has authorized to help farmers struggling from the impact of the trade war with China. “We shouldn’t have to …
National Biodiesel Board Elects New Leaders
The National Biodiesel Board held its annual fall meeting this week in Washington D.C. to focus on policy initiatives and moving the industry forward. During the meeting, the membership elected representatives to serve on the Governing Board to help the development and success of biodiesel. NBB members voted to fill seven board member spots for two-year terms: Kent Engelbrecht, Archer …
Grains Council Talks Trade at NAFB Trade Talk
Trade was probably the top topic at NAFB Trade Talk last week and the U.S. Grains Council was more than ready to talk about it. Darren Armstrong, a North Carolina farmer who is currently serving as chairman of the council, discussed the need for Congress to ratify USMCA, the new agreement with Japan, potential for ethanol in China, and some …
Rough Times for Biodiesel Industry
It’s been a tough year for the biodiesel industry with ten biodiesel plants that have closed or cut back production, impacting jobs across the country, and ultimately the agricultural producers. “It’s just one more hit to soybean farmers too, right now,” said National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Director of Communications Kaleb Little during an interview at the National Association of Farm …
ACE Shares Ethanol News With Farm Broadcasters
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings did a lot of interviews with farm broadcasters around the country last week about the importance of ethanol supporters making comments on the EPA’s proposed supplemental rule to the RFS. “It’s critically important to farmers, to ethanol producers, to shareholders in ethanol plants, that for 2020, 15 billion gallons in the statute …