The “World’s Largest Urban Farm and Research Test Facility” is studying a wide variety of new feedstocks that hold promise for future sources of both ethanol and biodiesel. Agricenter International recently offered a closer look at the new crops being grown there by the Memphis Bioworks Foundation AgBioworks program and BioDimensions, Inc. Among the crops that were planted this season …
EPA Officials Visit Iowa Biofuels Plant
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) hosted officials from the Environmental Protection Agency last week for a tour of agriculture and biofuels in Iowa. Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, and Margo Oge, Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, represented EPA on the visit that included the BioCentury Research Farm in Boone, an Iowa …
Ethanol in Focus at Farm Progress Show
Everywhere you go at the 2009 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois this week, people are talking about ethanol. Over at the corn grower tent marked by 30+ foot high corn stalks and an E85 blimp hovering overhead, they have information about how the carbon footprint of corn production has declined substantially in recent years and they are encouraging farmers …
Barley Ethanol Business Building
Osage Bio Energy has a barley business partner and a winning bin builder. The Virginia-based company just announced an agreement with Perdue AgriBusiness to source barley to operate its first barley-to-ethanol bioprocessing facility. Perdue, a leading grain supplier in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, is committed to working with local farmers to supply Osage Bio Energy with its barley needs for …
More Corn in the Forecast
Despite a late planting season, farmers are still expected to harvest the second biggest corn crop on record and U.S. corn supplies are projected at a record 14.5 billion bushels. According to the crop report released this morning, USDA is forecasting a 12.8 billion bushel corn crop – just two percent less than the record 2007 crop and five percent …
Efficient Irrigation Can Improve Biofuels ROI
Lindsay Corporation, maker of Zimmatic® irrigation systems, has produced a new biofuels brochure called “Improving Biofuel ROI Through Efficient Irrigation Solutions.” The eight-page full-color brochure includes information on key biofuel crops, the benefits of biofuels, market growth opportunities for biofuels, and irrigation management recommendations to help growers optimize the yield, size distribution and quality of biofuel crops. “Several factors are …
Senate Ag to Hold Climate Bill Hearing
The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled a hearing for later this month on the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in Global Warming Legislation that is expected to discuss even more safeguards for farming and biofuels in the Senate’s version of a climate change bill. Senate Ag Committee Chair Tom Harkin told Energy & Environment News in an article published in …
Food, Fuel and Future in Wisconsin
“Food—Fuel—Future” is the theme for this year’s Wisconsin Farm Technology Days coming up July 21-23, 2009, in Waterloo, Wisconsin. This year, the state’s largest agriculture exposition takes place at The Crave Brothers Farm in southern Dodge County. The Crave Brothers are living examples of the event theme of “Food—Fuel—Future.” Since 2002, they have increased milk production on their family farm, …
Is There a Link Between Climate Change and Poverty?
Oxfam International released an interesting report yesterday called, “Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty”. The crutch of the report is to demonstrate how the effects of climate change are impacting people in poor communities much harder then in developed regions. Issues that are linked to poverty and development include access to food and water as well as health …
YouTube Videos Provide Ethanol Answers
Will corn crop meet demand of both food and fuel? Even before the USDA planted acreage report was released this week, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) had the answer to that question posted on YouTube. In one of three recent videos posted by the ethanol organization, RFA Vice President of Research Geoff Cooper says the 2009 corn crop is going …