The president of the Renewable Fuels Association took a line from the new president of the United States at the 2017 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Tuesday, encouraging the industry to “make ethanol great again.” “I believe we are on the cusp of making ethanol great again,” said RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen, who added that support for ethanol has …
#CIRB2017 Faces Change, Challenge, Opportunity
The 53rd annual meeting of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau is officially underway with the theme of Change-Challenge-Opportunity and record attendance, according to Executive Vice President Michael Torrey. “I think it reflects the theme,” said Torrey. “Obviously a transition is going on, there’s going to be a lot of new people, and we’re going to have a lot of …
Joining @CIRBdc in Florida for Annual Meeting
Change, challenge and opportunity are the three words chosen by the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) for their annual meeting this year, being held in Bonita Springs, Florida and they seem pretty appropriate given the new political climate in Washington DC. This will be my first time attending this event so I am looking forward to what crop insurance …
No Date for Ag Secretary Confirmation Yet
Confirmation hearings for Trump administration cabinet members have been moving slowly, so it may be toward the end of February before Sonny Perdue is confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture, but he has been meeting with lawmakers in the meantime. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) “had a good conversation” with the former governor of Georgia on Tuesday where they discussed “regional differences …
#Seed has Spot in Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
The 24th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will feature a special place of honor this year for that which makes it all possible – the seed! During the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) 56th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference this week at Disney’s Epcot Center, festival coordinator Eric Darden announced that they will feature an ASTA garden at this …
I Am @USFRA – @AgRetailers
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) represents the people who supply farmers and ranchers with the products and services they need to produce food, fiber, and fuel for the world. Many members are also farmers who sell seeds, nutrients, crop protection products, farm equipment, precision technology and agronomic services, so ARA has a strong interest in educating the public so those …
Two Former Ag Secretaries Endorse Dow-DuPont Merger
Former U.S. agriculture secretaries Mike Johanns and Dan Glickman outlined their support of the proposed Dow-DuPont merger in an op-ed published today in Morning Consult. “Given the current landscape, now more than ever America’s farmers need what Dow and DuPont are proposing – a strong, focused American agriculture company that is American-owned, championing the interests of the American farmer in …
Fishing Tournament Co-Sponsored by #Ethanol
The 2017 Crappie Masters Tournament Trail gets underway today in Florida with a new addition this year – ethanol as a co-title sponsor with Bass Pro Shops. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White says the purpose of the sponsorship is to help spread the word about ethanol to boaters. “It was an excellent opportunity to …
#NBB17 Spotlight on Washington Session
The room was packed for the annual Spotlight on Washington session at the 2017 National Biodiesel Conference last week, which was more popular than ever this year with the advent of a new presidential administration. Reprising their roles for the session were former Sen. Byron Dorgan and former Cong. Kenny Hulshof, and they were joined by other DC insiders Jim …
Ag Reacts to Trump Withdrawal from TPP
The detailed description touting the benefits of the Trans Pacific Partnership is now gone from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) website as President Trump signed an executive order today withdrawing from the trade deal. “With this decision, it is critical that the new administration begin work immediately to do all it can to develop new markets for U.S. agricultural goods …