RFA Ethanol Podcast

AWIS is Ready for Winter

Chuck Zimmerman

AWIS Frost & Freeze NoticeWinter is upon us and that creates a special need for weather information for farmers, especially in high value crops like fruits, vegetables and nursery. To learn how the Agricultural Weather Information Service (AWIS) creates extra weather information and forecasting I spoke to Karl Harker, Vice-President for Operations for AWIS. I asked him about any information he’d like to share and what the company offers. He talks about the weather pattern that really started in the fall moving from a neutral one to a weak La Niña one.

We also took a look back for this year and Karl says that overall, farms had a pretty good year. However, the hurricane damage areas were hit hard. a few spots in California due to the fires and some areas that started to become more dry.

AWIS is one of the last pure ag weather information services, has been around for decades, and has expanded into other geography and industries. The need for ag weather services started when the National Weather service stopped focusing on it in 1960. Karl says there is a lot of weather information out that doesn’t have an ag background or a focus on the actual data that has to be collected and analyzed.

Find out more about AWIS and the coming winter season in our interview: Interview with Karl Harker, AWIS

Agribusiness, Audio, Weather

Precision Ag News 12/19

Carrie Muehling

  • Registration is open now for the 2025 Tech Hub LIVE July 21-23, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. Connect with the ag tech and retailer community in Des Moines, the heart of agriculture, for 2.5 days of inspiration, innovation, and strategies to take your business to the next level. Register before December 31 to save over $150.
  • AGCO Corporation, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, celebrated the grand opening of the AGCO Technician Training Center at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. The new 22,000 square-foot facility is the home of the school’s AGCO Agriculture Service Technician Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program, which provides instruction specific to the company’s popular machinery and precision ag technologies.
  • The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has created the first and only directory that allows farmers, ranchers and advisers to search for conservation programs and local technical assistance on a single platform at Connector.ag. The beta version, released at the 2024 Sustainable Ag Summit in November, is fully functional and provides early access to organizations that administer conservation programs or provide technical assistance to producers. Program administrators can register to manage new or existing programs and service offerings. An RFP for our farmer-facing marketing plan is currently open for this project.
  • Join the Nebraska Water Center and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District as we experience urban water management, winter agriculture, and transboundary aquifer management. We’ll go behind the scenes and meet the experts to get a first-hand look at water and natural resources in the American Southwest. Registration is now open for the 2025 Water and Natural Resources Tour.
  • AgroLiquid, a leader in high-efficiency crop liquid fertilizer solutions, has acquired Monty’s Plant Food Company, a Louisville-based specialist in soil health and plant nutrition technology. The acquisition, effective January 1, 2025, brings together two family-founded businesses that excel in agricultural innovation and share a commitment to farmer success.
  • A new integration between CropX’s agronomy platform and CLAAS’ digital farm and fleet management platform, users of CLAAS equipment can bring their machine data into CropX for visualization, analysis, and creation of variable rate application tasks. The CropX agronomic farm management system combines data gathered from satellites and the field with agronomic knowledge and advanced AI-assisted machine learning to offer a comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the soil. Users get a snapshot of field conditions and receive recommendations on irrigation timing and quantity, nitrogen leaching, and fungal disease crop protection. In addition, users can import data from the world’s most popular agricultural machinery brands, of which CLAAS is the latest. The data can be visualized and used to create maps for variable rate application of seeding, fertigation, and irrigation, and harvest yield maps can be added for planning future seasons.
  • Corn and soybean growers have a new, proven approach to delivering soil nutrients that can lead to higher yields. Seeds treated with new BioBoost™ start out strong and get season-long nutritional benefits. Early trials show improved yields.
  • Performance data is critical, especially for new agricultural innovations. But gathering data is just the first step toward gleaning actionable insights to improve product placement, technical positioning and, ultimately, adoption by growers. AgriThority® joins forces with clients to deliver in-depth data analysis, analytics and benchmarking through StatWerx™ services.
  • According to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), U.S. sales of Ag tractors and combines fell in November 2024 compared to the year before. U.S. sales of tractors in all classes dropped 14.5 percent compared to November 2023. U.S. sales of combines remain soft, showing a decline of 24 percent year-to-date in 2024.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance advocacy efforts for the agricultural equipment industry. The agreement aims to create a positive legislative and regulatory environment across the Atlantic and globally, ensuring alignment on key issues impacting manufacturers in both regions.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Farm Groups Pleased with Relief in CR

    Cindy Zimmerman

    It was supposed to be a simple continuing resolution to keep the government operating into March of 2025, but it ballooned into a 1,547 page measure that includes several provisions for agriculture, including $10 billion in aid for struggling farmers as well as a second one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill. In addition, a provision to allow the sale of 15% ethanol blended fuel year-round and nationwide was added as another benefit to help farmers.

    American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall thanked Congressional leaders for their response. “The high cost of supplies, low commodity prices and out-of-reach interest rates are a recipe for farm failures without help. That’s why nearly ten thousand Farm Bureau members reached out to Congress in a matter of days, to encourage them to keep working toward a better deal and not leave agriculture behind,” said Duvall. “There is no doubt in my mind that for many farmers, the critical funding in this bill could make the difference between planting a crop next year and giving up. We appreciate that members of Congress rolled up their sleeves to ensure farmers can continue to deliver the safest, most affordable and abundant food supply in the world.”

    National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew urged Congress to now pass the package. “Congress has taken an important step by including billions in immediate economic and disaster assistance for family farmers and ranchers in the end-of-year government funding package. The work isn’t done. We are counting on Congressional leaders in Washington to finalize this deal,” said Larew. “Family farmers and ranchers cannot afford any more delays, and frankly, neither can the rest of the country. Congress must see this deal through. Farmers don’t get to walk away from their obligations; Congress shouldn’t either. I urge Farmers Union members to stay vocal and keep the pressure on their elected representatives to get this done.”

    Congress pass the measure and send it to the president by Friday when the continuing resolution that has been funding the government at fiscal 2024 levels since FY25 began Oct. 1 expires.

    AFBF, Ethanol, Farm Bill, politics

    Angie Craig Elected House Ag Ranking Member

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was elected Tuesday to serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, replacing David Scott of Georgia.

    “I just won my D+1 district by nearly 14 points because my farmers and rural constituents know that I’ll meet them where they’re at, I’ll listen to their concerns and I’ll work with whoever I can to improve their lives,” said Craig in a statement. “My focus will be on improving people’s lives – not scoring political points. We can lower food and energy costs for consumers. We can strengthen the farm safety net and open the doors of opportunity to new and beginning farmers. And we can ensure that nutrition assistance programs are available for the Americans who need them.”

    Agriculture groups were quick to praise Rep. Craig. American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall says Rep. Craig has a long history of working in a bipartisan manner to advance the needs of America’s farmers and ranchers.

    “Her leadership is needed now more than ever, as farmers face economic headwinds including inflation, high supply costs and decreasing commodity prices. Those challenges can quickly become a crisis if they’re not addressed with a new, modernized farm bill. Congress has kicked the can down the road too many times. Now is the time to act. We stand ready to work with Rep. Craig to ensure passage of a new 5-year farm bill and to address other matters important to agriculture and rural America.”

    Farm Bill, politics

    House Speaker Says CR Will Have Aid for Farmers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    During a press conference Tuesday morning, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said the continuing resolution (CR) to be considered this week in Congress will have funding in it for struggling farmers and ranchers.

    “We can’t do all of it right now but I think what you’ll see reflected in this final package is 10 billion, to start with,” said Johnson. “So help is on the way and I’ve talked in the last 24-48 hours to a number of the leaders in the community who say they are greatly relieved by that.”

    “I think this is an important step for Congress,” Johnson added. “I think the people involved understand that and it sends a signal to lenders and creditors that Congress will not abandon our food producers.”

    The text of the CR had yet to be released but Johnson said he had hoped for it to be a “very simple, very clean” stop gap funding measure to get us into next year, until the hurricanes hit and they had to include a disaster package. Another addition to the CR is reported to be a provision allowing the sale of 15% ethanol fuel (E15) year-round nationwide.

    Listen to Rep. Mike Johnson’s comments on the CR Tuesday morning.

    House Speaker press conference 5:49

    Audio, Farm Policy, politics

    Animal Ag News 12/16

    Carrie Muehling

  • The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) issued a final scientific report to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) to inform the development of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). The DGAC advised HHS and USDA to continue to recommend that Americans consume three servings of dairy per day and that dairy products stay a distinct food group in recognition of their unmatched health and nutrition benefits.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) reiterated the important role of beef in a healthy diet and responded to the questionable advice published in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report. Despite a wealth of high quality scientific evidence that beef has an important role to play in a healthy diet, the committee is advising the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that federal nutrition guidelines include a reduction in red meat consumption.
  • The Meat Institute released the following statement regarding the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (Report): “The Meat Institute remains strongly opposed to the Report’s recommendation to reduce meat consumption and will urge the agencies to reject it,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts.
  • Brownfield Ag News is relaunching its popular Weekly Livestock Market Update on January 10, 2025. On Friday afternoons for nearly nine years, Brownfield Broadcast Supervisor Meghan Grebner has held an in-depth Facebook Live conversation with University of Missouri assistant extension professor Scott Brown. Dedicated viewers tune in to watch the program and subscribe to the program’s companion e-newsletter. With Brown’s departure from the university, Brownfield is relaunching with a new team of livestock economists. Viewers can tune in every Friday, mid- afternoon to watch the live weekly update, or sign up for Brownfield’s Weekly Market Update e-newsletter delivered Saturday morning.
  • The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released its plan to list the Monarch Butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with section 4(d) flexibilities. The agency will accept public comments on the proposal until March 12, 2025. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) call on USFWS to partner with livestock producers throughout this process.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) is sharing a comprehensive set of federal policy priorities with President-Elect Trump’s transition team. IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., said IDFA and its more than 300 members are looking to the new administration to help U.S. dairy drive innovation, reduce barriers to business efficiency, and open new market access for healthy, nutritious U.S. dairy products around the world.
  • The 2025 Latin American Poultry Summit is set for Monday, Jan. 27. The program will be primarily conducted in Spanish, with translation services provided in English and Portuguese. The Summit is presented by the International Poultry Expo (IPE), part of the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), and the Latin American Poultry Association (ALA). Remote interpretation will be provided, and the service can be accessed through Zoom. It is important to bring a phone and a headset for access, but additional headsets will be available if needed.
  • In a groundbreaking development for the United States egg industry, an Iowa hatchery has become the first site to offer an automated in-ovo sex determining solution in the nation. An identical machine is also operational at a hatchery in Texas. Chicks from the hatchery are expected to go to their first customer—NestFresh Eggs—by December 13, 2024, putting eggs sourced from in-ovo sexed hens into the marketplace by June 2, 2025. The machine, called Cheggy, is the first non-invasive in-ovo sex determining technology of its kind to determine the sex of a chick before hatching.
  • Since being introduced at the end of August, hundreds of Ayrstone AyrMesh HubDuo units have gone into use across the United States and Canada, providing faster, better outdoor WiFi to farmers, ranchers, and other rural homes and businesses. Now Ayrstone has announced an important new feature for the AyrMesh HubDuo: Meshing Modes.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    American Agri-Women Honors Amanda Radke

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Amanda Radke (L) receives award from AAW first vice president Kim Bremmer

    American Agri-Women (AAW) recently honored South Dakota rancher and agriculture advocate Amanda Radke with its prestigious Veritas Award during its 2024 National Convention in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

    The Veritas Award, one of AAW’s highest honors, is given to individuals who have demonstrated public witness to the “pursuit of truth.” Amanda Radke, a fifth-generation rancher from Mitchell, South Dakota, was recognized for her extraordinary commitment to advancing agriculture, rural communities, and food security. Radke, alongside her husband, Tyler, and their four children operate Radke Land & Cattle, an Angus seedstock operation. Her work exemplifies the resilience and passion of American agriculturalists.

    A seasoned advocate for agriculture, Radke has spent nearly two decades traveling nationwide to defend the livelihood of farming families, promote rural business vitality, and ensure access to safe, abundant food. A former National FFA Extemporaneous Speaking Champion and National Beef Ambassador, she continues to educate and inspire through her writing, speaking, and entrepreneurial endeavors.

    Amanda is also a podcast and radio show host, syndicated columnist, and children’s book author focused on fostering agricultural understanding among youth, as well as an industry consultant with CK6 and co-founder of the auction platform Bid On Beef. Before all that, she was an intern right here on AgWired while she was a senior at South Dakota State.

    Congrats and well deserved, Amanda!

    Ag Groups

    Industry Ag News 12/13

    Carrie Muehling

  • The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is now available on DietaryGuidelines.gov. The report contains the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (Committee) independent, evidence-based findings and advice to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Scientific Report, alongside public comments and federal agency input, will inform the two departments as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, which is expected to be published in late 2025.
  • The U.S. continues to benefit from solid economic growth, low unemployment and moderating inflation. From today’s vantage point, the U.S. economy seems likely to continue on that trajectory into 2025. However, the outlook for the rural economy is more volatile and uncertain. Rural industries are disproportionately exposed to federal policy, and the outcome of the 2024 election cycle promises to bring significant changes in the federal government’s approach to everything from international trade and immigration to energy exploration and rural economic development. According to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the high level of policy uncertainty facing rural industries adds to their already long list of headwinds and challenges.
  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) honored Joey Caldwell, senior vice president of retail at GreenPoint Ag, with the ARA Excellence in Advocacy Award in front of more than 600 ag retail industry professionals during the 2024 ARA Conference & Expo.
  • GROWMARK is pleased to announce the appointment of Brad Drake, Jeff Lynch, Matt Lurkins, and Karmy Kays to key roles on the company’s Executive Leadership Team, effective January 2, 2025. These appointments follow the announced retirements of Wade Mittelstadt, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer; Barry Schmidt, Executive Vice President, Retail Business; and Bill Covey, Executive Vice President & General Counsel. With over 100 years of combined experience in the GROWMARK System, they have provided invaluable contributions in shaping the growth and success of GROWMARK. As Brad Drake, Jeff Lynch, Matt Lurkins, and Karmy Kays transition into their new roles, GROWMARK is positioned to build on this foundation of leadership excellence.
  • During its annual election meeting in St. Louis, the American Soybean Association Board of Directors voted in the executive committee members who will lead the organization through the coming year’s top advocacy priorities, including farm bill, regulatory issues, tax policy, markets, biofuels and other top policy issues for U.S. soybean farmers. Caleb Ragland (KY), who previously served as ASA vice president, will serve as 2025 ASA president. Ragland began serving on ASA’s board of directors in December 2017. He farms 4,000 acres of soybeans, corn and winter wheat on his Magnolia, Kentucky, farm.
  • Farmer-leaders of the United Soybean Board (USB) elected Philip Good from Macon, Mississippi, as 2025 Chair during its December meeting in St. Charles, Missouri. He’s joined by 10 additional farmer-leaders to serve on the Executive Committee.
  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the Monarch butterfly as a threatened species. The threatened designation proposal for the monarch butterfly reflects the need for strong conservation measures while maintaining regulatory flexibility that balances species protection with existing land uses. “As corn growers, we look forward to providing input on how we can protect Monarch butterflies without disrupting critical agricultural activities that help fuel and feed the world,” said Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr.
  • The National Cotton Council and its cooperating partners welcome all to the 2025 Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 14-16 at the New Orleans Marriott, New Orleans, LA. Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands on workshops and seminars are designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions.
  • Make plans to attend the 20th annual Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the National Peanut Festival fairgrounds in Dothan, Alabama. This one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend.
  • Indoor Ag-Con, the largest and premier trade show and conference dedicated to vertical farming | greenhouse | controlled environment agriculture returns March 11-12 to a new and expanded location, Westgate Las Vegas. Indoor Ag-Con unites farmers, growers, hospitality industry executives, ag tech leaders, suppliers, academics, investors and advocates under one roof for two days of education, inspiration and networking.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    VISION Conference to Return in 2026

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Meister Media Worldwide’s The VISION Conference is moving to a biennial event, starting with the next conference in 2026.

    According to Show Director Amy Reddington, while the Vision Conference has grown into an important gathering for leaders, innovators, and decision-makers, the ag tech landscape has evolved at an unprecedented rate, resulting in ever-increasing, complex decision-making for the industry. “The surge in significant technology disruptions (including AI, autonomy, and data platforms), coupled with the substantial investments required to implement these advances, has considerably extended the timelines for adoption. Given these dynamics, we are shifting The VISION Conference to bi-annual to deliver the most relevant insights, facilitate deeper collaborations and offer a more impactful experience,” said Reddington.

    Meanwhile, Meister’s fifth annual Tech Hub LIVE event for the ag retail space, will be taking place July 21-23, 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa, and registration is already open! Take advantage of early holiday discounts and register early!

    ag retailers, AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, Tech Hub LIVE, Technology

    Precision Ag News 12/11

    Carrie Muehling

  • The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported more than 23,000 climate-focused conservation contracts funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments cover over 11 million acres in fiscal year 2024, contributing to the highest total investment in private lands conservation in any year in the history of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history, bolstered funding for NRCS’ in-demand conservation programs for climate-smart practices on farms, ranches, and forests. NRCS also released updated state-by-state data showing where financial assistance went in fiscal year 2024 for resources provided under both the Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act.
  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) honored Ernie Chappell with the Jack Eberspacher Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of leadership in ag retail. Chappell received ARA’s highest individual honor during ARA’s Conference & Expo general session attended by more than 600 agricultural professionals.
  • The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently published the project report by AgMonitor Inc. on “Programmable Irrigation and Fertigation to Increase Energy Efficiency and Grid Stability in Disadvantaged Agricultural Communities.” The AI-powered platform integrates multiple data sets and domain expertise to boil down complex processes, such as scheduling irrigation or maintaining solar panels, into simple answers in English or Spanish across farming operations.
  • OPI, the global leader in grain storage management, is proud to be celebrating its 40th year of business delivering advanced technology to farmers and commercial grain operations.
  • Syngenta Crop Protection has reached a new milestone in its collaboration with AI-informed crop health company Enko to discover novel weed control molecules, advancing efforts to bring much-needed innovation in herbicide technology to farmers. The collaboration targets a new Mode of Action, which is the way the herbicide controls susceptible plants. The discovery of new leads targeting this MoA was made using Enko’s ENKOMPASS platform, which reduces time and cost compared to conventional agricultural R&D approaches.
  • With reports of high disease outbreaks in 2024, and the World Meteorological Organization (WO) predicting a 60 percent chance of La Niña1 weather in 2025, this could lead to cooler conditions. If this happens, soybean growers will need to be prepared for any weather condition or disease outbreak next season. Thanks to continued research into Saltro fungicide seed treatment, Syngenta has confirmed an additional way for soybean growers to unlock soybean yield potential, as well as their ROI potential, regardless of early-season pressure.
  • Within the portfolio of the National Corn Growers Association‘s (NCGA) Research and New Uses Action Team, the Research Ambassador program aims to build a network of future leaders in the agricultural sector. To qualify, students must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and be involved in research relevant to corn production.
  • Natural pet food brand NUTRO, proudly part of the Mars family of brands, is announcing the recipients of this year’s Soil Growth Grants totaling $300,000. As part of the GREATER GROUND initiative, Soil Growth Grants help select farmers within the NUTRO supply network with the transition costs needed to implement healthy soil practices.
  • BKT, a leading multinational company in the Off-Highway tire industry, renews its partnership with GIANTS Software and returns to star in Farming Simulator 25, the eagerly anticipated new edition of the popular video game saga.
  • MyLand, a soil health company, is proud to announce that its revolutionary microalgae-based Soil as a Service is now compatible with organic growing standards and has received California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) approval.
  • Now farmers can access tied-up phosphorus in their soil through the new enzyme mode of action in PHOSFORCE™ nutrient enhancer from Koch Agronomic Services. This novel phosphorus use efficiency product works immediately to create more plant-available phosphorus in soils, resulting in optimal crop root systems, increased yield and improved soil fertility and health in row crops and more.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture