The Senate Agriculture Committee will meet this week to consider a draft bill proposed by Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) to address labeling for genetically modified foods. Roberts calls the Biotechnology Labeling Solutions legislation draft “a framework to find a solution for a patchwork of laws.” With a labeling law in Vermont set to be implement in July, Roberts says they …
USDA Secretary at #Ethanol Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the National Ethanol Conference this week for the last time in the position he has held under President Obama for both terms. During his appearance, Vilsack announced some good news for the ethanol industry – new research showing significant improvement in ethanol production efficiency. According to the study, between 1991 and 2010, direct energy use …
2015 NCGA Yield Winner Speaks At #NFMS16
Attendees at the National Farm Machinery Show had the chance to hear from Randy Dowdy, a 2015 NCGA Yield Contest Winner. Dowdy farms in southern Georgia and claimed the first place prize in the irrigated category with a high yield of 486.1594 bushels/acre. During his presentation, Dowdy explained that a near 500 bu yield doesn’t happen overnight. For years, he …
Ethanol, Farmers and Politics in Iowa
With the Iowa caucuses coming up on Monday, agriculture and renewable fuels finally got some attention in the Republican debate last night, as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was asked about his position on the Renewable Fuel Standard. “We should be developing oil and gas and coal and nuclear and wind and solar and ethanol and biofuels but I don’t …
Family is Emphasis of Corn Growers Photo Contest Winner
The grand prize winner in the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2015 Fields of Corn Photo Contest struck a special chord with the judges as it highlighted the joys of family farming and sharing a love of agriculture with future generations. This news release from the NCGA says the photo of a father and young daughter playing in a corn …
The Nature Conservancy Supports Soil Health
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) provides technical support for the Soil Health Partnership (SHP), and it’s something that fits in well with the organization’s mission “to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” “The Nature Conservancy has been working in agriculture for several decades,” says Larry Clemens, TNC North American Agriculture Program Director. “We’ve been wanted to scale …
Soil Health From the Ground Up #SHPsummit16
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is not even two years old yet, but already the group has made some great strides in learning more about soil health to share with farmers. Hans Kok is a field manager for SHP in Indiana, where the second Soil Health Summit is being held this week. “We’re setting up a network of demonstration farms …
Grains Council Confirms Good Quality Corn Crop
The U.S. corn crop was generally good, according to a new report from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). This news release from the National Corn Growers Association, a founding member of the council, says the USGC’s 2015/2016 Corn Harvest Quality Report found 94 percent of corn samples samples rated at quality grade No. 2 or better. “This is the fifth …
NCGA: Boosting Corn Utilization Key Success Strategy
National Corn Growers Association leaders say the corn industry needs a better plan than hoping bad weather fixes weak prices, as some market analysts have suggested. This news release from the group says it has recommitted to boosting corn utilization as a key strategy in achieving a healthy and viable corn industry long term. “To successfully address farmer’s income you …
New Record Set In NCGA Yield Contest
A record corn yield of 532 bu/acre has set a new all-time high in 51 years of the NCGA National Corn Yield contest. Improved seed varieties, advanced production techniques and innovative growing practices helped corn growers achieve ever-higher yields with an additional five national entries surpassing the 400-plus bushel per acre mark. “The contest does more than just provide farmers …