RFA Ethanol Podcast

Climate Smart Ag Partnerships at ASTA FCSC

Cindy Zimmerman

With governments and corporations increasingly leading with climate-smart and sustainability initiatives, there is a role for the seed industry to play. At the American Seed Trade Association’s Field Crop Seed Convention last week, former USDA NRCS Chief Bruce Knight with Strategic Conservation Solutions led a panel on the topic with Ben West, Farmers for Soil Health, and Jared Knock, South …

ASTA, Audio, climate, Conservation

USDA Under Secretary Discusses Climate Strategies

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie spent an hour with members of the American Coalition for Ethanol last week, answering questions on various climate and conservation topics and stressing the administration’s support for biofuels. “I hope you know this administration has a strong commitment to ethanol,” Bonnie began. “There’s a lot of alignment between things that …

ACE, Audio, climate, Conservation, Environment, Ethanol, USDA

Truterra and SWCS Research Shows Cover Crops’ Value

Cindy Zimmerman

Truterra, LLC, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, Inc., and the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) have just announced preliminary findings from the first of a three-year on-farm trial to evaluate the use of cover crops to build soil health, reduce erosion, sequester carbon and improve return on investment. The research was conducted across more than 2,400 acres in …

AgWired Precision, carbon, Conservation, cover crops, Soil, Water

Cover Crops as a System at ASTACSS

Cindy Zimmerman

One of the first sessions of the 2022 ASTA CSS and Seed Expo as it kicked off in Chicago this week was all about a systems approach to breeding cover crops for optimal rotation and it was led by former USDA NRCS chief and nationally recognized conservation expert Bruce Knight, founder of Strategic Conservation Solutions, LLC, a consultancy focused on …

ASTA, Audio, Conservation, cover crops, Seed

USDA Grants Include Climate Smart Ag for Low Carbon Fuel

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest nearly $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands. The projects include a $7.5 million investment in the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE)-led Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project to secure farmers premier access to low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) markets based on their adoption of …

ACE, Audio, Biofuels, carbon, climate, Conservation, Corn, Ethanol, USDA

Happy Earth Day – Take a Virtual Farm Tour

Chuck Zimmerman

The Global Farmer Network has 5 new virtual farm tours that let you see practices GFN farmers are putting in place to protect and enhance the environment here on this Earth Day 2021. There are tours of farmers from the United States, New Zealand, India, Uruguay and the United Kingdom. Make plans to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2021 …

Ag Groups, climate, Conservation, Farming

Role of Crop Insurance in Climate Change Policy

Cindy Zimmerman

The Role of Crop Insurance in Climate Change Policy was the theme for the closing panel of the 57th annual Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau meeting held virtually Thursday. The panel included Bruce Knight, Strategic Conservation Solutions, LLC; Callie Eideberg, Environmental Defense Fund; Jonathan Coppess, University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, College of Agricultural & Consumer Economics; and Josh Tonsager, National Association …

Audio, CIRB, climate, Conservation, Crop Insurance

Water for Food Podcast – Episode 4

Cindy Zimmerman

The fourth episode of the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast features a woman who is literally in the backyard of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Meghan Sittler is Director of the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, located about 15 minutes from downtown Lincoln, which focuses on conservation of the tallgrass prairie …

Audio, Conservation, Farming, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

Conservation Goals Unite Livestock and Sporting Groups

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Monday with Ducks Unlimited (DU) and Safari Club International (SCI) with a commitment to conservation of natural resources through sustainable multiple use. The MOU outlines these groups’ efforts to cultivate healthier ecosystems, wildlife populations, and economies through active management. Hunting, fishing, and …

AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Conservation, Hunting, Livestock, NCBA

NCGA and EDF Launch Success in Stewardship Network

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Corn Growers Association and Environmental Defense Fund have joined forces to launch the Success in Stewardship Network to celebrate and accelerate the use of agricultural conservation practices on U.S. corn farms. The network will showcase success stories from the many farmers and state-level programs putting stewardship into practice, starting with the Minnesota Corn Innovation Grant Program and the …

AgWired Precision, Audio, Commodity Classic, Conservation, Corn, Environment, NCGA