House Ag Committee at #FPS17

LtoR: Reps. Glenn Thompson, Mike Bost, Mike Conaway, Darin LaHood, Collin Peterson, Cheri Bustos, Rodney Davis

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-TX), Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN) and members of the committee hosted a farm bill listening session at the Farm Progress Show Thursday in Decatur, Illinois. It was the fifth such session the committee has held so far.

“This was a terrific listening session that will benefit us as we write the next farm bill,” said Chairman Conaway at a press conference following the session.

“Today’s listening session was a continuation of the Agriculture Committee’s efforts to hear directly from the varied interests, across all regions of the country, who are impacted by the farm bill,” said Ranking Member Peterson.

Others who took part in the listening session were Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, and Illinois Representatives Mike Bost, Darin LaHood, Cheri Bustos, and Rodney Davis.

House Ag Committee presser

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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Secretary Sonny Visits Farm Progress Show

It was a packed house for our Secretary of Agriculture as he was hosted by WGN and ADM during the 2017 Farm Progress Show. Sec. Sonny Perdue visted with ag and local media prior to taking the stage. Naturally, trade was a hot topic followed by Hurricane Harvey and an update from D.C.

Listen to or download the complete press gaggle here: Sec Sonny Talks w/ Media

Then the Secretary joined farm broadcasters Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong on the ADM stage to record a segment for this weekend’s episode of This Week in Agribusiness. Listen to their chat here: Orion & Max Chat w/ Sec Sonny

View and download photos from the event here: 2017 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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EPA Emergency Waiver Expanded

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expanded an emergency fuel waiver of the summer low volatility gasoline requirement to 12 states on Wednesday in response to concerns about fuel shortages from Hurricane Harvey.

EPA has waived requirements for reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline through September 15 in Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana and Florida, as well as the District of Columbia. The waiver means that those states will be allowed to sell 15 percent ethanol before the September 15 end of the summer volatility requirement.

Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen wrote a letter to EPA Administration Scott Pruitt on Monday requesting the waiver. “This allows for the sale of E15 in those conventional gasoline areas of the states covered by the waiver and is effectively what we asked of the agency on Monday,” said Dinneen. “Retailers must still meet or be deemed complaint with other regulatory requirements associated with selling E15, such as the Misfueling Mitigation Plan (MMP). But consumers facing likely gasoline supply issues as a result of Hurricane Harvey are one important step closer today to a high octane, low cost alternative.”

RFA and other ethanol interests have been working to get a permanent waiver for E15 in the summer months or a legislative fix to allow it.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Bayer and 4-H Launch Science Matters Collaboration

Bayer and 4H alums celebrate Science Matters partnership

Opening day of the Farm Progress Show, Bayer and the National 4-H Council announced a new partnership for future innovators in science and technology to help feed a growing population. The nationwide collaboration, Science Matters, is designed to address the need for an enhanced STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce by planting a love of scientific exploration in young people around the nation.

Alumni of the youth organization within Bayer joined to celebrate the announcement. “The ability to reach out to youth across America and have a conversation about science and its connection to food and agriculture, there really is no better partner than 4H,” said 4H alum and Bayer North American Vice President of Communications Darren Wallis.

“In 4-H, we believe in the power of young people, and we are thrilled to join with a company like Bayer that also sees the potential when you equip youth with the skills and opportunities they need to be true leaders,” said Artis Stevens, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, National 4-H Council.

Learn more about the partnership in this interview with Wallis and Stevens:
Interview with Darren Wallis, Bayer and Artis Stevens, 4H

2017 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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NCGA Officers at #FPS17

LtoR – NCGA first VP elect Lynn Chrisp; President Wesley Spurlock; 1st VP Kevin Skunes

Officers of the National Corn Growers Association are busy at the 2017 Farm Progress Show this week.

I had a chance to chat with NCGA president Wesley Spurlock of Texas, first vice president Kevin Skunes from South Dakota, and 1st VP elect Lynn Chrisp first thing yesterday morning at show. We talked about a variety of topics, including crop conditions – with Wesley providing a Texas update, farm bill wish list, ethanol and the RFS, and more.

Audio file: Interview with NCGA Officers

2017 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

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Iowa RFA Urging Industry Comment on RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

The comment period for the EPA’s proposed volume obligations for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ends tomorrow, August 31.

For those ethanol and biodiesel industry stakeholders who have not yet submitted comments, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has an easy way to do so by signing petitions to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

It’s time to make your voice heard, and tell the EPA that you support a robust RFS! Renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel help curb our dependence on petroleum, improve our air quality and increase competition at the pump to the benefit of consumers.

The petition closes Thursday at 4:30 pm central time – so don’t delay, sign today!

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, RFS

Welcome to Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show

chuck zimmerman

This morning Jamie and Joanna went up top to get a bird’s eye view of the start of the 2017 Farm Progress Show. We hope to be live when the network allow it so keep you eye on the AgWired page. And, like it if can. We an use all the likes we can get! LOL.

BTW. The official hashtag for this year’s show is #FPS17. Follow along the journey.

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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Mid-Missouri Energy Goes John Deere Green

Cindy Zimmerman

Mid-Missouri Energy (MME) in Malta Bend, Missouri is home to a new piece of equipment that has helped make the grounds around the ethanol plant a little greener.

MME General Manager Chris Wilson won the John Deere ZTrak Z925M Flex Fuel commercial mower during a raffle at the Renewable Fuels Association 2017 National Ethanol Conference. The E85 used in the mower comes from a local fuel retailer less than one mile away.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, Wilson talks about the Mid-Mo Mower, the use of ethanol blends in small engines, and how much he appreciates John Deere’s support of farmers and the ethanol industry.

Ethanol Report with Mid-Missouri Ethanol

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ACE Provides Ethanol Education

Cindy Zimmerman

Liz Bunkers, ACE, and Pam Miller, Siouxland Ethanol, teach kids about ethanol

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) staff and member plant, Siouxland Ethanol LLC, joined the Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers (NNCGA) last week participating in an ag youth literacy festival in Jackson, Nebraska.

ACE staffers Liz Bunkers and Chuck Beck, along with Pam Miller of Siouxland Ethanol, showed students products of the ethanol production process and discussed how it works, in addition to educating them on future career opportunities and the variety of ways to get involved in the renewable fuels industry.

NNCGA, in partnership with the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, organized the first Growing Potential Ag Festival for about 300 middle school aged students in its member counties. Students rotated through nine stations, including corn products and processing, corn planting, corn harvest, renewable fuels and ethanol production, corn feed and livestock, GMO education, parts of the corn plant and pollination, crop protection, and agricultural UAV technology.

ACE, corn, Education, Ethanol

Cellerate + Enogen Could Meet Cellulosic Ethanol Goal

Delayne Johnson and Jeff Oestmann on panel at 2016 ACE conference

If every corn ethanol plant in the country were to convert to Cellerate bolt-on technology combined with Enogen® corn enzyme technology from Syngenta, the country could more than meet the goals for cellulosic biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“There’s a one billion to two billion gallon opportunity in the United States without grinding anymore corn,” said Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors, which developed the Cellerate technology and has collaborated with Syngenta to license it to other plants.

QCCP is already producing most of the country’s cellulosic ethanol, which last year amounted to about 176 million gallons, lower than the 230 million gallon obligation for 2016 set by EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard, leading the agency to lower the 2018 requirement to 238 million gallons from the 311 million set for this year. But with cellulosic production finally growing and a greater potential for more, QCCP and Syngenta are among the voices commenting to EPA that now is not the time to lower the standard.

Jeff Oestmann, head of accounts for Enogen at Syngenta, recently testified at the recent public hearing on the EPA’s latest proposed standards under the RFS. “I felt it was important to get in front of the EPA and tell our story on the cellulosic side and what we’ve been able to do with corn kernel fiber,” said Oestmann. “I had three minutes and I actually took six, so I think I got a lot across.”

Both Oestmann and Johnson are submitting comments to the EPA on the proposed rule before the deadline this week of August 31, and they encourage others to do so as well. Listen to interviews with both from the recent American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual conference.

Interview with Delayne Johnson, QCCP

Interview with Jeff Oestmann, Enogen Syngenta

2017 ACE Conference Photo Album

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