USDA Undersecretary Steve Censky gave one of his last addresses in his current role to the American Coalition for Ethanol virtual annual conference this week. It was announced this morning that Censky will be returning to his former job as CEO of the American Soybean Association in November as after serving with USDA since October 2017. In his prerecorded remarks …
EPA Denial of RFS Waivers Good News for Ethanol
Ethanol producers and farmers were pleased to hear Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is denying petitions for retroactive small refinery waivers for the 2011-18 compliance years. EPA announced it is denying 54 “gap-year” small refinery exemption petitions and will deny the remaining 14 petitions once they are received from the Department of Energy. In announcing its decision, EPA …
Branstad Coming Home from China
U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Terry Branstad will retire from his position as U.S. envoy and depart Beijing in early October. During his tenure as ambassador, which began in June 2017, the former Iowa governor traveled to 26 provinces and autonomous regions in China, and would have visited all of them if COVID-19 had not limited his …
ZimmCast 655 – Agri-Pulse September Virtual Events
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. Agri-Pulse is calling this month a “September to Remember” with a total of four virtual or semi-virtual events they are hosting – that’s about 24 hours of content! Those events include: 2020 Virtual Food & Ag Policy Summit West – September 9, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific Time 2020 Ag & Food Policy …
NASDA Honors Secretary Perdue
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) kicked off its virtual annual meeting Monday with comments from USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, and a virtual presentation of the NASDA Ambassadors Circle Award to him. NASDA President and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring hosted the conversation with Secretary Perdue, who discussed how USDA has responded to COVID-19 impacts …
Agri-Pulse Virtual Food & Ag Policy Summit West
Responding to changing consumer tastes is one of the greatest challenges facing farmers and food producers going forward. The upcoming Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Policy Summit West on September 9 will feature new insights into the next generation of consumers, as well as the latest ideas for dealing with food waste, implementing sustainability programs and producing alternative forms of plant-based …
ZimmCast 654 – #FJFieldDays and DWFI Podcast
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. This week I had the opportunity to fly for the first time in over 5 1/2 months to put the Golden ZimmComm Microphone to work at a farm event. Thank you Farm Journal for having me help with your Farm Journal Field Days event which included on-farm activities as well as a significant virtual …
Introducing the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast
Welcome to the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast! Since 2010, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska has worked toward one goal: a food and water secure world — one in which global food security is ensured without compromising the use of water to meet other essential human and environmental needs. It’s a daunting vision, …
EPA and USDA Announce Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge
The Environmental Protection Agency has teamed up with USDA to advance agricultural sustainability with the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges. The competition includes two challenges that seek proposals for new and existing fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced …
New Alltech ONE Virtual Session Focuses on Asia
The Asian Agri-Business session of the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience began very early this morning for those of us in the western world, but a normal hour for our friends in Asia. As the energetic pace and market diversity in Asia have helped the region remain a global economic powerhouse, Alltech examines what the future may hold for the dynamic …