Record Corn Crop and More Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Some weather issues over the past month caused USDA to slightly lower the forecast for this year’s corn crop, but it is still expected to be a record at 13.16 billion bushels.

The average yield was lowered due to average 162.5 bushels per acre, down 2.5 bushels from the previous month and 2.2 bushels below last year’s record of 164.7 bushels. Forecasted yields decreased from last month throughout much of the Corn Belt, Tennessee Valley, and Delta. Yields were up from August in the lower portions of the Southeast.

USDA is also forecasting increased ethanol production and lower ending stocks with higher prices for corn. “We have seen increased demand so we boosted our ethanol production for the current year, which means our ending stocks have gone down a bit,” said USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber. “We’re now looking at ending stocks of corn of 1.1 billion bushels and a season average price of $4.40 a bushel – that’s a big increase.”

USDA added 35 million bushels to the 2009-10 corn used for ethanol for a total of 4.535 billion bushels to reflect the actual production numbers through August. Outlook Board Chairman Gerry Bange says they also increased the estimate for 2010-11 but not as much as some might expect. “What we’re thinking is that with the current rise in corn prices we’ve seen and with the gasoline price coming off we might expect somewhat of a slow down in the rate of increase for ethanol production, so we’re carrying a number at 4.7 billion bushels for 2010-11, which is up nearly four percent,” said Bange. USDA lowered total 2010/11 corn demand by 50 million bushels.

According to Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research Geoff Cooper, the changes in this latest USDA report were expected and speculators have been running up the corn prices lately.

“The recent flurry of activity in the corn market is undoubtedly being driven by the resurgence of speculators. Hedge and index funds are descending on the corn market in numbers not seen since the spectacular commodities bubble of 2008,” Cooper wrote in a blog post on the E-Xchange. “The movements of the market become sufficiently more exaggerated when this many speculators are in the game. The highs are higher, the lows are lower, and everything happens faster.” He notes that the Friday prior to the crop report coming out, a record 556,034 corn futures contracts (the equivalent of 2.8 billion bushels of corn!) changed hands, marking the single busiest day in the corn markets since the Chicago Board of Trade began trading grain in 1877.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, USDA

Iowa Wins the Grid Iowa Game 35-7

Joanna Schroeder

Iowa has won the Grid Iron Game. I’m sure this is no surprise to most people….this year anyway. The final score was Iowa 35, Iowa State 7. Earlier today, I asked many of the Iowa corn growers who would win the game and I must admit, the majority picked Iowa.

But the real winners today are the football fans who have had the opportunity to learn more about how much their daily lives are impacted by corn and the farmers who grow it as part of the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day promotion.

From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, you have been touched by corn. It’s in your toothpaste, your breakfast cereal and even the milk you pour on top. It’s in your fuel and in your tires and in the plastic containing your water. It’s also in your hair products and the carpet fibers in your office floor. Every day, Iowa corn farmers, and corn farmers around the world make the things you enjoy possible with their hard work and dedication. Each year they are meeting the country’s and the world’s demands by growing more corn per acre using less inputs and less land. Pretty amazing.

So let’s take a moment to thank our corn farmers and congratulate the University of Iowa for a game well played and give some props to ISU who played with a lot of heart.

We’ll see you next year and you’d better bring your game, Iowa, because the game is in Ames and ISU will be bringing it on!

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, E85, Education, Ethanol, food and fuel, Video

Captain Cornelius Predicts Winner of Grid Iron Game

Joanna Schroeder

For us Iowa State fans, this has been a tough game to watch and especially difficult for me because I predicted several times this week that ISU would win. But hey – we are playing the #9 ranked team in the country and this is an ISU re-building year with a new coach, Paul Rhoads. In case you are following the Iowa State versus Iowa football game via this site, the score is now Iowa 35, Iowa State 0 with 10 minutes left in the second half.

For you football fans, if ISU doesn’t score a touchdown in this game, this will be the third year in a row they’ve failed to visit the end zone. Even so, they have won in the past three years – on field goals.

While many Iowa corn growers were making predictions on the game, Captain Cornelius was also making a prediction, for both teams. He is impartial – or at least that what we think he mimed when Iowa Corn Growers CEO Craig Floss interviewed him in the member tent this morning before the game. I guess this means that Captain Cornelius’ predictions were right.

After his insightful interview, Captain Cornelius headed to the ICGA consumer tent where he met the football fans and encouraged them to learn more about all the products that are made with corn including ethanol. In the state of Iowa, 80 percent of drivers are filling up with ethanol blended fuel, so the chances are, 8 out of 10 fans at this game drove here using the homegrown, renewable fuel grown by our very own Iowa farmers.

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, E85, Ethanol, food and fuel, Video

Getting a Glimpse of the Iowa Football Experience

Joanna Schroeder

Last night during the Iowa Corn Growers Association VIP reception at Kinnick Stadium, attendees had the special privilege to hear from former University of Iowa football player Lew Montgomery. Nearly 20 years ago, Waterloo, Iowa native Montgomery was on the 1991 Rose Bowl team, an experience he said he would never forget.

Montgomery is no stranger to farming. He grew up in Iowa and has always had much respect for farmers. “Being a native of Iowa, I can truly appreciate the value of each and every one of you as farmers and being part of this corn belt is tremendous.”

Attending Iowa as a student athlete was a great experience for Montgomery and he said that he chose Iowa for its quality education and long list of traditional values that they have. While he stressed that student athletes have always been challenged in the classroom, they are being even more so now because of the struggling economy. He also said that they are graduating from college and are having a hard time finding quality jobs. That is why is a strong proponent of getting people to come back to Iowa to work and live. He wants to, “grow our talent and keep our own talent.”

While most of us never had or never will have the opportunity to have the player experience, you can get some insight into what it is like in Montgomery’s remarks below.

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, Education, Ethanol, Video

Iowa Dominates First Half of Grid Iron Game

Joanna Schroeder

I arrived in Iowa City last night to some wet and dreary conditions. But new Iowa Corn Growers President, Dean Taylor, promised that not only are Iowa corn farmers experts at growing our food, they are also experts at moving out the rain and bringing in blue skies when needed. Well, I’ll be, but Taylor was exactly right! It is a beautiful day in Iowa City for the Iowa State versus Iowa football game. The Iowa Corn Growers are a sponsor of the Cy-Hawk series and have been engaging in a fun promotion called Iowa Corn Fed Game Day, where fans are being educated on the very important role Iowa corn farmers play.

I’ve had a blast hanging out with over 900 of Iowa’s corn farmers and maybe what has been most fun, was being on the field for kickoff. Iowa won the coin toss and so Iowa State kicked off the game. So far, Iowa has dominated – the score is 28 to 0 after the first half.

Prior to the game, I spent time at the Krause Family Plaza and took pictures of the thousands of fans who signed up to for a chance to win $5,000 in food or $2,500 in free fuel. They also played a ginormous game of corn hole (see Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.”), as well as a grocery store game. Players had the chance to win t-shirts, koozies and key chains and by the time the game started, thousands of people were sporting their new Iowa Corn Fed Game Day t-shirts.

During the pre-game festivities, the Iowa Corn executive board members were invited on to the field as a thank you for their support of Iowa and Iowa State athletics. They were also thanked for all they do to feed and fuel our country. Earlier in the day, Dick Gallager, Chairman of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, noted both Iowa State’s and Iowa’s tie to agriculture. Iowa State has one of the top ag programs in the country, while Iowa’s helmets say anf, which stands for America needs farmers.

Well, let’s hope the second half goes better for ISU….

You can see pictures from game day in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

CUTC, Education, Ethanol

It’s Game Day In Iowa

Joanna Schroeder

It’s game day! The Iowa State versus Iowa football game is on for this afternoon and thousands will be watching as Iowa State tries to defeat #9 ranked Iowa.

Last night, the Iowa Corn Growers were treated to an inside look at football. As part of that experience, the University of Iowa cheerleaders stormed into the room leading cheers to pep everyone up. Herky was also there, dressed for game day and hammin’ it up once again for Iowa football and Iowa grown corn.

Throughout the day today you can follow Iowa corn growers as they educate consumers about what they do – grow our food and fuel at their consumer tent in Krause Family Plaza. Fans will get a chance to learn about the products that contain corn and register to win $5,000 in free food or $2,500 in fuel.

Tailgate safely and enjoy eating your food and drinking your beverages, made possible, in part by Iowa’s corn growers.

I’ll see you after kickoff.

You can see pictures from the event in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, Ethanol, Miscellaneous, Promotion, Video

Iowa Corn Growers Participate in Game Day Prep

Joanna Schroeder

The rain couldn’t dampen spirits as nearly 100 VIP Iowa Corn growers had the opportunity of a lifetime to experience football weekend from the inside of University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium. The Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board held a VIP reception on the media floor of University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium where they learned about what goes into making a college football game happen. In this case, the big game tomorrow is Iowa State versus Iowa.

Iowa Corn Fed Game Day, a promotion designed to educate consumers about the role Iowa corn farmers play in producing our food and fuel, is actually a sponsorship of the Iowa versus Iowa State football game, basketball game and wrestling matches. Iowa Corn has been traveling around the state holding events and telling consumers about the more than 4,000 products that contain corn as well as the benefits of ethanol.

Although there were more red Iowa State shirts in the building then the Iowa athletic staff anticipated, they took it all in good cheer as they personally thanked the corn growers for their support of Iowa athletics, but more importantly, their dedication to growing America’s food and providing America’s fuel.

Following the brief presentation, new ICGA President Dean Taylor, a grower from Prairie City Iowa, said a few words. He thanked the University of Iowa for their hospitality and making the reception possible. He also mentioned that the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day sponsorship reflects what a great relationship ICGA, Iowa State and University of Iowa have and what an important role the partnership plays in helping educate consumers about food and fuel.

You can see pictures from the event in the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day photo album.

corn, E85, Ethanol, food and fuel, Video

Cape Wind Under Fire As Elections Heat Up

Joanna Schroeder

There are less than eight weeks until the next elections and experts are predicting that Republications will be swept into office. Should this be the case, clean energy could have even more barriers to overcome, especially since many candidates are running on the platform that clean energy will cost more money.

Once such fight is underway in Massachusetts where candidates continue to fight the first federally approved off-shore wind project in Cape Cod. Their complaints: the cost of the power produced by the 130 turbines will be too high. Every candidate but one engaged in the governor race opposes the project. In addition, all the candidates running for the open seat in the 10th Congressional District are opposed. This is the district where Cape Wind would actually be built and seen, 5 miles offshore.

For those following this debate, you may remember that the late Bobby Kennedy, who claimed to be a supporter of clean energy and the environment, was vehemently opposed to the project because it was in his ‘backyard.’ The “not in my backyard, or NIMBY” mentally has grown in more force in recent months, and wind projects all over the country are struggling to get approvals. Several reasons cited are aesthetics, noise pollution and danger to birds. Kennedy has one major overriding opposition to the project – he didn’t want the turbines to mar his view.

“All people want to talk about is Cape Wind,” said state Sen. Robert O’Leary, a Democrat seeking the House seat in a ClimateWire article. “It’s a very, very high-priced project. We need to do the most … cost-effective, the best ones first. Cape Wind got in early, and it’s now turning out to be much more costly.”Read More

Electricity, Energy, Wind

Fiberight Receives $2.9M Grant for Cellulosic Plant

Joanna Schroeder

Fiberight-Blairstown Operating LLC has received a $2.9 million grant to help build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa. The award was given by the Iowa Power Board Fund yesterday. Fiberight is developing technology to convert municipal solid waste into cellulosic ethanol, bio-chemical and other processed fiber products.

The company has plans to bring the plant to commercial scale levels by 2011 and expects the total project cost to be more than $7 million. It began the project by purchasing bankrupted corn ethanol plant Xethanol, LLC for $1.65 million and from there has begun the conversion project. The first phase of the project was completed in May of this year. Ultimately, the Virgina-based company has committed to investing $20 million of its own funds on the project. Prior to beginning the plant in Blairstown, Fiberight had successfully produced cellulosic ethanol in it’s Virgina pilot plant.

Once the plant moves to full-scale production using its proprietary conversion process, it expects to produce early 6 million gallons a year of cellulosic ethanol from waste materials collected in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Herky the Hawk Hams It Up for Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

One day until the big game – the Iowa State versus Iowa football game that is. I will be at the game with the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board helping to educate fans about the benefits of ethanol as well as the role Iowa corn farmers are playing in biofuels development. Iowa is the number one producing state of both ethanol and corn. This has been highlighted all week during several promotions as part of the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day sponsorship and on Tuesday, Herky the Hawk was hamming it up for ethanol.

Speaking of corn, corn is an ingredient in more than 4,000 products and is an important part of our daily lives. Who knew, right? Fans will learn more about these products when they stop by the Iowa Corn Fed Game Day tent at the Krause Family Plaza tomorrow between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Those who stop by can register to win $5,000 in free food and $2,500 in free fuel. You can also register online at www.iacornfed.com.

I will be posting updates tomorrow during the game. In the meantime, to get you pumped up for ethanol, watch Jerry Lalor with Fox 100.7 interview the non-talking but ethanol loving Iowa mascot, Herky the Hawk.

corn, E85, Ethanol, Promotion, Video