Ethanol Producers Form Growth Energy

Chuck Zimmerman

Growth EnergyI just found out about that new ethanol group being formed. It’s called Growth Energy.

Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home.

The organization will be dedicated to promoting clean, green ethanol as America’s best renewable fuel that is high-tech and homegrown, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. In addition, the organization will release a new policy brief and announce a new advertising campaign focused on dispelling one of the major myths about ethanol production.

The new organization will have a press conference tomorrow which we’ll participate in and have more information to share then.

Ethanol

TwiTip is Your Twitter Resource

Chuck Zimmerman

TwiTipHello Twitter lovers and wonderers. I know you either like Twitter and tweeting or you’re still wondering, “Twitter?”

Now you’ve got a great new resource to help you get it from new media master down under, Darren Rowse. It’s called TwiTip. Darren is also Mr. ProBlogger.

So go there. Learn and start tweeting. Warning: You may get addicted.

Uncategorized

Zimfo Bytes

chelsea

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Novus International, a leader in animal health and nutrition, recently announced the appointment of Dr. Nasser Odetallah as Product Manager, Enzymes and Probiotics. Dr. Odetallah’s primary responsibility will be to increase the brand awareness and sale of CIBENZA™ feed additives and other Novus enzyme and probiotic products.
  • Vyta Corp now controls 100% ownership interest in BIOAGRA, LLC, and Paul H. Metzinger, President and CEO of Vyta Corp, becomes the sole Manager, and only executive officer of BIOAGRA, LLC.
  • Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encourages Iowa fuel retailers and gas stations to submit nominations for the Secretary’s Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards, which recognize fuel retailers that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to sell renewable fuels. Awards are presented for both the marketing of ethanol and biodiesel.
  • BBI International will move its corporate headquarters from Salida, Colorado, to the Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado, by the end of the year. The privately held media, events, consulting and engineering firm will also consolidate its event logistics, marketing and media operations in Grand Forks, North Dakota, effective immediately.
Zimfo Bytes

New Ethanol Group Being Formed

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff BroinAccording to Mr. Ethanol, Jeff Broin, CEO, POET we’re about to hear of a new organization that will help open new markets for the renewable fuel.

When I spoke to Jeff at last week’s Project LIBERTY field day he said that an issue that presents a challenge to the ethanol industry is the regulatory cap which limits ethanol to 10 percent of the fuel supply – and the industry is bumping up on it now. He says they need access to more markets. For that reason a new ethanol organization is being formed. “We actually are just in the process of working with many other ethanol producers and several ag companies to create a new organization that’s going to drive that agenda forward.” He says we’ll hear more about it shortly.

I also asked him what he thinks about the results of our Presidential election. He says, “President-Elect Obama, is going to be I think very, very strong for ethanol.” In fact, Jeff says that POET had one of Obama’s top advisors on energy at their grand opening in Ohio just a couple weeks ago and she stated that he would like to see the RFS increase to 60 billion gallons which Jeff says, “is a great thing for farmers, it’s a great thing for agriculture, it’s a great thing for ethanol.”

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: poet-liberty-08-broin-2.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol

Farm Safety Quiz at NAFB Trade Talk

Chuck Zimmerman

Progressive Agriculture FoundationNAFB Trade Talk is this Thursday. Cindy and I will be there with our golden ZimmComm microphones. There are a lot of organizations exhibiting again this year. Feel free to let me know what you’ve got planned and we’ll feature it here on AgWired. Let’s take the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day Program as an example. They’re doing a “Farm Safety Quiz” at Trade Talk.

WHAT:

Provide your listeners tips to help keep children safe on the farm and ranch by taking the Safety Quiz offered by the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day™ program. You ask the quiz questions, and we’ll provide the answers and reasons why.

This is just one way the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day program works to help keep children safe and healthy on the farm, ranch and at home.

WHO:

Beth Horak, Extension educator from Western, Neb., has been involved with this program for nearly 15 years and also serves as coordinator for the Nebraska Rural Health and Safety Coalition.

YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS (samples):

How many passengers, at most, are ATVs designed to handle?

• None • One
• Two • Three

How fast can a stick or toy fly out of a lawnmower discharge chute?

• 10 miles per hour • 20 miles per hour
• 200 miles per hour • 500 miles per hour

If you have no other safe place for a child to stay while you drive a tractor, it is OK to let them ride in a tractor cab with you.

True or False?

How long does it take for a child to become hopelessly trapped in flowing grain?

• Less than 6 seconds • Less than 1 minute
• Less than 2 minutes • More than 5 minutes

WHERE & WHEN:

• Trade Talk Booth # 12, Hosted by Fertilizer Institute/Nutrients for Life

Ag Groups, NAFB

Working With Farm OEM’s

Chuck Zimmerman

Scott WeishaarThe Director of Business Development for POET is Scott Weishaar. He was the guy who told us about the various equipment options on display at their Project LIBERTY field day. That’s because he works directly with the farm OEM’s. He’s being interviewed in this picture (left).

He says the response from the OEM’s is phenomenal. There are several systems already being tested and they should be available in the near future. He says one of the important elements of harvesting cobs for the farmer is being able to do it without “slowing them down.” He also says they’re targeting the collection of cobs to all sizes of farms too. Therefore, there are multiple options and costs for some of these solutions

Options to collect the cobs include CCM (corn cob mix) where the cobs are mixed with the grain during harvest and then separated afterward and towable solutions where the cobs are collected in separate bins during the harvest process.

You can listen to my interview with Scott here: poet-liberty-08-weishaar.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

I also recorded Scott’s stage presentation in which he talks about the whole cob collection process which you can watch here:

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Ethanol

Jennifer Saylor Joins NAFB Staff

Chuck Zimmerman

Jennifer SaylorThe National Association of Farm Broadcasting has a new Member Services Manager. She’s Jennifer Saylor and you’ll get to meet her at this week’s NAFB convention.

Jennifer’s previous experience includes donor development, event and database management, and marketing communications with the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. She also has participated in volunteer projects with the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association.

A 2003 graduate of the University of Missouri, earlier this year she challenged herself to compete in her first triathlon. She earned her master’s degree in business administration from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, in 2006.

A self-described “communications buff,” Jennifer looks forward to working with the NAFB member broadcast industry. While interviewing for the position, she familiarized herself by searching member Web sites and listening to farm radio stations.

NAFB

October ZimmNews

Chuck Zimmerman

October ZimmNewsThe latest edition of ZimmNews has been delivered to in-boxes everywhere.

In case you didn’t get it or just want to look at it online then you can find it here: October ZimmNews

Some highlights include:

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading.

ZimmNews

One Way To Harvest Corn Cobs

Chuck Zimmerman

Corn Cob PileThat’s a big pile of corn cobs. It’s just one of many that POET has made during all their research and testing ways to make ethanol out of them. One thing I can tell you is that farmers need some equipment to handle this leftover product of harvesting grain.

That’s why there are several farm equipment manufacturers working with POET on corn cob harvesting solutions. One of them is John Deere. Of the current options for harvesting/collecting the cobs, Deere is working on the corn cob mix kit (CCM) option. It’s basically an attachment to the combine according to John Deere’s Barry Nelson, who was attending the POET Project LIBERTY field day.

Barry says that this will allow farmers to produce up to 11 percent more ethanol per acre. That’s a pretty good gain in efficiency. He says they’re also looking at other equipment options including a special cart or new combine.

You can listen to my interview with Barry here: poet-liberty-08-nelson.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, John Deere

Farmer Perspective on Corn Cob Harvest

Chuck Zimmerman

FarmersWhen you’re attending a farm event it’s always nice to get a farmer’s perspective on things. That’s what I did at the POET Project LIBERTY field day when I spoke with Todd Mathisen who farms just east of Emmetsburg, IA. I asked him what he thought of POET’s idea to harvest corn cobs for cellulosic ethanol production. He said, “I think it’s a great idea. I think we’re definitely going to add value to corn. Anything that produces more revenue, it’s going to take more work but I think open-minded farmers will grab hold of this and I think it’ll be a good deal.”

Now that sounds positive. Todd says the cobs are basically a waste product that isn’t even that good for the ground and he likes the idea of turning them into energy. Seems to make sense to me too. He’s a little apprehensive of the equipment that’s being developed and the labor involved but he’s sure that improvements will be made over the next couple years.

I also asked him about President-Elect Obama. He likes the fact that the Illinois Senator has always been supportive of renewable fuels. He’s interested to see what will happen.

Todd says he just finished his harvesting. He worked it wet, planted it wet but thinks he still got a good crop and he seems pretty happy about it.

You can listen to my interview with Todd here: poet-liberty-08-mathisen.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Farming