It was only eight months ago that America’s Renewable Future (ARF) was launched in Iowa with the goal of educating presidential candidates about agriculture and biofuels in general and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in particular. But what the coalition has accomplished in that short time has been so impressive that the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) recognized them with …
MO Farm Bureau Takes WOTUS to the Fair Again
You might remember that Missouri Farm Bureau held a “Ditch the Rule” press conference last year at the State Fair featuring three members of the state’s Congressional delegation. With the controversial rule now finalized and scheduled to be implemented August 28, MOFB held another press conference at the fair last week – this time with four members of Congress. Representatives …
America’s Renewable Future Talks to Trump
America’s Renewable Future (ARF) is less than one year old, but has already made an impact when it comes to educating presidential candidates about the importance of agriculture and renewable fuels. Eric Branstad, son of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, was one of the main organizers of the coalition which just launched in January of this year. “Since then we’ve been …
Grains Council Chair Stresses Excellence in Exports
Nebraska farmer Alan Tiemann was recently elected chairman of the U.S. Grains Council and he is excited about the work they are doing to expand exports of ethanol and the co-product Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) used for livestock feed. “For this coming year, my theme is ‘Excellence in Exports,’” said Tiemann during an interview after his address to …
Science Moms Challenge Celeb Moms on GMOs
The granddaughter of the father of the Green Revolution has a bone to pick with the mother of Apple. Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug, joined eleven other “science and advocate” moms across the country in co-signing a letter to celebrity moms, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Michelle Gellar, regarding their opposition to agricultural biotechnology. Paltrow and her …
More Internet on the Farm
A new USDA-NASS report shows that internet access on the farm continues to grow. According to the Computer Usage and Ownership report, 70 percent of U.S. farms and ranches now have access to internet, up three percent from 2013. DSL remains the most popular method for accessing internet, accounting for 30 percent of all farms and ranches with internet access. …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with POET’s Jeff Broin
Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Jeff Broin, Executive Chairman of POET. At 22, Jeff Broin managed a small South Dakota ethanol plant. Today POET is the world’s largest producer of renewable fuels. In this interview, Jeff Broin shares the direct and indirect benefits of the Renewable Fuels Standard and warns of the domestic and global implications if Washington steps …
New Website for USDA AMS
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has launched a redesigned website (www.ams.usda.gov) to make it more user-friendly for stakeholders. “Whether you are looking for information about our services, want to comment on proposed regulations, or are interested in selling food to USDA, our new website makes it easier to find the right information and tools,” said AMS Administrator Anne L. Alonzo. …
Big Crowd for @USFRA Food Dialogues in Minnesota
It was a packed house last night at the USFRA Food Dialogues in Minneapolis entitled “Farm to Consumer: Bridging the Gap between Consumer Concerns and Food Production and Sourcing Decisions.” Chuck was supposed to be there but had his flight cancelled and at the last minute our amazing summer intern Lizzy Shultz drove from Madison to fill in. The event, …
Planted Acreage Update From USDA
USDA is forecasting the third largest corn crop and the second largest soybean crop on record in a new planted acreage update released today. U.S. growers are forecast to produce 13.7 billion bushels of corn this year, according to the report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). That is actually a four percent decrease from last year’s production, but …