The Corn Refiners Association joined 34 other food and agriculture organizations in releasing the 10th annual Feeding the Economy report, a comprehensive farm-to-fork analysis of the entire food and agriculture supply chain. The report measures the direct and indirect contributions of America’s food and agriculture industries to U.S. jobs, wages, economic output, and tax revenue. This year’s report underscores the immense reach of the food and agriculture sector across the U.S. economy. America’s food and agriculture industries generate more than $10.4 trillion in economic activity, representing nearly 20 percent of total U.S. economic output. These industries support more than 48.7 million jobs nationwide, including nearly 24.3 million direct jobs, demonstrating their importance to communities in every region of the country.
In celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer initiative, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership program, together with a strong coalition of U.S. agrifood system stakeholders, will host a landmark national gathering to honor the vital role women play in agriculture and the supply chain. Registration is open for the International Year of the Woman Farmer ACE (Advocate, Cultivate, Empower) Summit, which will take place in Washington, D.C., June 1–3. The summit is open to all women farmers from across the country, regardless of Farm Bureau membership. Learn more and register by May 6 here.
With a record corn crop to move, the corn industry is on the hunt for new and innovative uses for America’s crop. And one solution may be found in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the clothing and textiles sector—athleisure wear. The popular clothing style—yoga pants, joggers, hoodies and more—combines high fashion with high functionality and comfort, and has been gaining in popularity for years. But as with any product that is sourced from petrochemicals, there is an opportunity to replace the oil-based feedstock with one that is sourced from corn. And at Qore, a joint venture between Cargill and HELM, they’re working on making this a possibility. In this podcast episode, Andrea Vanderhoff, Director of Technology and Sustainability at Qore, shares more about how their QIRA technology is opening new avenues for corn-based products to penetrate the textiles market, including in athleisure wear. And, National Corn Growers Association Director of Outputs and Measurements Harley Janssen talks about the potential impacts and benefits for the corn industry.
During the United States Identity Preserved Alliance Annual Meeting in Chicago, three board directors were reelected – Jake Noll with Richland IFC, Chuck Kunisch of Michigan Agricultural Commodities and Curt Petrich with H.C. International – and officers were selected for 2026-27, with Bryan Severs reappointed chair.
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced the agency is reopening the 2025 crop acreage reporting period required for specialty crop producers who want to apply for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. Announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins on Feb. 13, the ASCF program is designed to help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports. Specialty crop producers now have until April 24, 2026, to report 2025 acres to FSA.
Agri-Pulse will host another “Great Tomato Challenge” in Sacramento, California. The competition is open to members of the California Senate and Assembly members and their staff members.
The Clean Fuels Alliance Foundation has awarded Janice Shiu the 2026 Beth Calabotta Sustainability Education Grant. Shiu is a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, pursuing a degree in Computer Science and conducting research that applies statistical and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to improve the reliability and resilience of soybean and corn yields in the Midwest—key feedstocks for biomass-based diesel.
Advanced Biofuels USA is pleased to announce that Jenna Bloxom has been elected President of the Board of Directors. She took office upon the March 23, 2026, formal resignation of Advanced Biofuels USA President, Doug Root.
As the United States recognizes National Agriculture Month, the American Biogas Council released new data showing U.S. farms are capturing 166 percent more biogas – a source of energy created by recycling organic waste like manure and food scraps – than they were just five years ago. Yet most of the nation’s potential to produce domestic energy from agricultural waste on farms remains untapped. According to the ABC, 631 farms today operate biogas capture systems – more than double the number in 2020. Those farms can produce over 61 million MMBtu of energy annually, compared to about 23 million MMBtu five years ago. In 2025, 41 new systems came online, representing $835 million in investment. Total investment in farm-based biogas capture systems has now reached $6.4 billion.
