Tomorrow at 1:30pm EDT, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will hold the first “USDA Virtual Office Hours on Twitter.” Most of you probably know how this works, especially if you’ve been a participant in AgChat. I’d recommend using TweetChat, Twubs or an app like TweetDeck or HootSuite to follow along. It looks like these planned monthly sessions will focus on different …
Senate Transportation Bill Includes Ag Provisions
By a vote of 74-22, the Senate has approved a highway transportation re-authorization bill that includes agricultural-related amendments passed Tuesday. The amendments include one by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) which will exempt drivers of farm vehicles from having to acquire a commercial driver’s license, and another by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) which will waive hours of service restrictions during harvest …
Orange County Choppers Paul Sr. Unveils Biodiesel Bike
The big news today at the National Biodiesel Conference was the unveiling of the biodiesel bike built by Paul Teutul, Sr., Orange County Choppers. The bike was built in partnership with CIMA Green. Today the bike debuted on stage driven by former NBB Chairman, Ed Hegland. Then Paul Sr. himself drove it onto the biodiesel vehicle showcase floor where he …
National Biodiesel Conference Opening Speech
Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board, welcomed attendees to the 2012 National Biodiesel Conference this morning. He started out by telling a story about what biodiesel means to him and how he got involved in energy, politics and history. One of the things that really got him interested in the industry was, “I wrote a paper for my high school …
2012 National Biodiesel Conference
It’s hard to believe I’ve been Biodiesel Blogging for seven years now. This is the seventh year of the National Biodiesel Conference Blog, one of the first ones we created when we started agriblogging! The 2012 National Biodiesel Conference is taking place in Orlando, FL. Once again New Holland is sponsoring the media room and the blog and we thank …
Revived Renewable Fuels
While I’m attending IPE Week, Cindy is at today’s Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. Most of her coverage can be found on Domestic Fuel. Just thought I’d share this first story with you: Today’s 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit kicked off in Des Moines on Tuesday on a very positive note, considering that 2011 was a record year in the …
Biodiesel Falls Under Minnesota Ag Marketing & Development
Fields of soybeans surround the newly re-opened Renewable Energy Group REG Albert Lea biodiesel plant in southern Minnesota, serving as a reminder of where the renewable fuel is rooted. Christina Connelly with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Ag Marketing and Development Division attended the grand re-opening Monday of the 30 million gallon a year plant, which was shut down in …
Minnesota Biodiesel Plant Means Jobs
The one four-letter word we hear more than any other these days is “JOBS” and that is what the re-opening of a southern Minnesota biodiesel plant this week is all about. At the opening celebration of the Renewable Energy Group (REG) REG Albert Lea facility on Monday, Minnesota state representative Rich Murray (left) and local Chamber of Commerce Executive Director …
Biodiesel Adds Value to Minnesota Soybeans
The Renewable Energy Group (REG) celebrated the official grand opening of REG Albert Lea biodiesel plant in Minnesota on Monday, with representatives of the state and local community and agriculture industry. REG President and COO Dan Oh (right) says the plant was shut down in 2008 when economic woes hit the biodiesel industry, but REG felt it was a significant …
Minnesota Soybean Growers to Celebrate Biodiesel Plant Re-Opening
Minnesota soybean growers will be in attendance Monday at the grand re-opening of a soy biodiesel plant in Albert Lea that was shut down in 2008. The Renewable Energy Group (REG) acquired the former SoyMor production facility earlier this year, which is now known as REG Albert Lea, LLC. The company will be celebrating the grand re-opening of the plant …