Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast where ethanol is our topic today. We attended the 25th National Ethanol Conference last week, our 14th in a row. But this one was definitely a history maker with an appearance by George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States. We talked with Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Senior Strategic Advisor Bob Dinneen …
Farm Credit System Optimistic for 2020
2019 may have been a challenging year for many of the farmers and ranchers served by the nationwide Farm Credit System, but the recent trade agreements are generating a lot of optimism for 2020. “We’ve been here for a hundred years in the good times and the bad and last year was kinda one of the bad times and we’re …
CIRB Hemp Perspectives
One of the most timely sessions at the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau annual meeting last week was Hemp Perspectives, moderated by CIRB Executive VP Michael Torrey. The session offered a look at the volatile world of the new U.S. hemp industry through the eyes of a processor, a farmer and an insurance provider. Steve Bevan, president of GenCanna Global, …
2020 Economic Outlook
Economist Bob Young told those attending the 2020 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting that the general economy is not in a bad place, and he expects some economic growth in the year ahead. When it comes to the agriculture sector specifically, Young has questions about what will happen with all of the acres that were not planted in …
Secretary Perdue Announces New Innovation Initiative
At the start of USDA’s 2020 Agriculture Outlook Forum on Thursday, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a new initiative to stimulate innovation so American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. Secretary Perdue outlined the four components of the …
Catching up with NCGA President Kevin Ross
It’s not always easy to catch up with Minden, Iowa farmer Kevin Ross who has spent a lot of time in the past few months at the White House as president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), mostly celebrating new trade agreements beneficial to American farmers. Most recently, Ross attended a White House ceremony last month commemorating the signing …
Ag Groups Form Farmers for a Sustainable Future Coalition
More than 20 farm and ranch groups representing millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers are launching Farmers for a Sustainable Future (FSF), a coalition committed to environmental and economic sustainability to serve as a primary resource for lawmakers and policymakers as they consider climate policies. The coalition will share with elected officials, media and the public U.S. agriculture’s commitment to …
CIRB Emerging Leaders Class Grows
The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) named 13 industry professionals to its 2019-2020 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) class. In its 5th year, this is the largest class to date, with participants selected from CIRB’s membership. The program gives the opportunity for selected professionals to increase their knowledge of advocacy and communications while providing networking experiences with industry leaders. Most …
2020 #RFANEC is a Wrap
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) just concluded an annual meeting that will be remembered for many reasons, including an appearance by the 43rd President of the United States, and the celebration of recent significant victories for the ethanol industry as it focuses forward on the future. RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper says there is a lot of optimism and …
‘Nicely Done, Beef’ Ads Address Misconceptions
A new series of ads from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) shares facts about beef with consumers in an open, transparent and conversational way. “For the first time, we’re really getting out there and being more aggressive in defending beef, and specifically addressing some of those myths and common misconceptions when it comes to beef,” said Season Solorio, NCBA …