2025 Tech Hub Live

Year End Ethanol Report

Cindy Zimmerman

2024 was a very good year for the ethanol industry, but the battle for year-round, nationwide E15 will once again continue on into the new year.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper comments on some of the top ethanol stories of the year, including the continuing roller coaster ride for E15, fighting the EPA’s tailpipe emissions standards, working to get ethanol off the ground in sustainable aviation fuel, and expected record production and exports.

Ethanol Report 12-30-24 38:30

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

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Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Animal Ag News 12/30

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6.
  • As part of its ongoing efforts to stop the further spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and give farmers tools to help combat the disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing an interim final rule that updates the conditions for poultry facilities to receive indemnity and compensation after testing positive for HPAI. Based on evidence that strong biosecurity measures remain the most effective strategy to combat HPAI, APHIS will now require that farmers undergo a biosecurity audit before restocking their poultry after an HPAI detection, and before receiving future indemnity payments.
  • The National Turkey Federation (NTF) issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authorization of importation of modified live avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) vaccine: “The National Turkey Federation welcomes the USDA’s approval of importation of a commercial modified live avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) vaccine, a massive advancement in protecting U.S. turkey flocks against aMPV. This development underscores our industry’s commitment to ensuring the health and productivity of our nation’s commercial turkey population. We encourage the USDA to continue its work to ensure additional importation and development of aMPV vaccines.”
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation) in partnership with the Poultry Science Association Foundation (PSA Foundation) are pleased to announce the Ph.D. and Vet Student Career Fair which will be held during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), scheduled for Jan. 28 – 30, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. The Career Fair will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 8 – 11:30 a.m. in Room B-402 in unison with the International Poultry Scientific Forum (IPSF). This distinctive program is tailored to better support U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) member companies and allied suppliers, focusing on technology-driven sectors such as genetics, health, pharmaceuticals and nutrition. It specifically targets post-doctoral researchers, early-stage Ph.D. students and veterinary students.
  • The American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) free Feed Education Program will return to the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo, happening Jan. 28-30, in Atlanta, Ga. The AFIA Feed Education Program will be held on Jan. 29 from 8 – 10 a.m. ET in Room A412.
  • As of Dec. 1, there were 75.8 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up one percent from December 2023, but down slightly from Sept. 1, 2024, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
  • As global efforts to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions by 2030 gain traction, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has launched a crucial guidebook to help developing countries incorporate agricultural methane reduction strategies into their climate plans. The guide will be presented during the high-level event “The NDC 3.0 Navigator: A Deeper Dive on Methane Reduction in Food Systems” at COP29 in Baku.
  • U.S. Congressman Mike Flood issued a statement following the release of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report. This report confirms previous reporting about new anti-meat dietary guidelines earlier this year. “The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee tries to claim they are promoting flexibility and individual choice, while they push plant-based proteins at the expense of red meat. This attempt to re-write your grocery list and push meat off the menu has nothing to do with a healthy diet and everything to do with appeasing radical environmental activists. For example, it takes three cups of quinoa to deliver the same amount of protein as only three ounces of beef. As the Beef State, Nebraska knows firsthand what kind of threat this poses. Reducing the role of meat in our diets is not only bad for consumer health but also undermines our country’s food security and way of life. I urge the incoming Trump administration to scrap these anti-meat recommendations from unelected bureaucrats and to return the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to a commonsense approach that supports our great American farmers and ranchers who grow the food that helps feed the world.”
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 12/27

    Carrie Muehling

  • American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on the ping pong of court orders that ended with a court-ordered reprieve from Treasury Department reporting requirements for many small businesses. Earlier this month, a federal court halted the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirement from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. On Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reinstated the Jan. 1, 2025, deadline. In a third about-face, late last night, the court reversed that order until arguments can be heard, delaying the reporting requirement indefinitely.
  • Following the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) issued the following statement: “The American Relief Act provides necessary assistance for American agriculture, and is a lifeline for the men and women who feed, clothe, and fuel our great nation. While the process was a long one, the result is a bill that puts America first, and serves as reminder that when the agriculture community is united, we can punch well above our weight. I was proud to support its passage, urge the Senate to quickly pass it, and call on the Department of Agriculture to act swiftly in the delivery of these critical resources.”
  • Following votes from Congress on year-end legislation, National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. released the following statement: “Corn growers are deeply disappointed that a permanent, year-round E15 solution was not included in the end-of-year legislation package. This no-cost provision would have provided a market-driven solution to farmers experiencing low corn prices. We call upon legislators to address this matter quickly in the start of the new Congress and fix this issue once and for all.”
  • In a major win for the nation’s corn growers, a dispute panel ruled that Mexico violated its commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement when it issued a decree that banned genetically modified corn imports in early 2023. The decision was met with praise from the National Corn Growers Association and other corn grower advocates who had called on the United States Trade Representative to file the dispute.
  • The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to be the recipient of a $1,000,000 award from USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants. These programs are intended to help the U.S. agricultural sector diversify sales into export markets in regions with rising purchasing power, including Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, and South/Southeast Asia.
  • National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) invites you to join us for the 2025 NASDA Winter Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. The commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from around the nation will gather with federal agencies, congressional leaders and industry stakeholders to address pressing agricultural and food policy issues. Join us on Feb. 24 – 26, 2025!
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final approximately $300 million in assistance to distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act. Over the past two years, USDA acted swiftly to assist distressed borrowers in retaining their land and continuing their agricultural operations. Since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, USDA has provided approximately $2.5 billion in assistance to more than 47,800 distressed borrowers.
  • The Cooperative Communicators Association Communications Contest is live. Be sure to look over the checklists for each category to make your submission process as smooth as possible. View the contest portal for all the guidelines, recommendations, fees and important dates to remember, too.
  • The House Republican Steering Committee selected the Republican members who will serve on the House Committee on Agriculture for the 119th Congress.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) is accepting applications for the 2025 USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program. These fellowships introduce faculty and staff from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts to the vast array of USDA resources available to them. The fellowships take place during the summer of 2025, and applications are due by March 6, 2025.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    May You Be Blessed This Christmas

    Chuck Zimmerman

    “And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

    I know we used this image with some of our grand children last year, but . . . it’s so good and all I can say is that I think all Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to just be with him.

    ZimmComm Announcement

    Animal Ag News 12/24

    Carrie Muehling

  • Dairy checkoff initiatives of 2024 successfully increased dairy access in schools, expanded market share for U.S. dairy products domestically and internationally and supported the industry’s longstanding commitment to sustainability on behalf of U.S. dairy farmers and importers.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is pleased to receive $1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP). In October 2023, the USDA initiated the $1.4 billion RAPP program aimed at developing new export markets for U.S. food and agricultural products.
  • A record-breaking crowd of nearly 500 leading dairy producers and industry professionals from across the U.S. and Canada gathered at the 2024 MILK Business Conference to honor industry peers, learn strategies to improve their operations and network with stakeholders across dairy production systems.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is deeply disappointed in Congress’ decision to relinquish their responsibility to produce a new Farm Bill and an overdue federal solution for California Proposition 12.
  • Alltech Wisconsin is pleased to present the 2024 Most Valuable Employee (MVE) Award to Hector Lobato of Schilling Farms in Darlington, Wisconsin. This award recognizes one outstanding dairy farm employee in Wisconsin, Minnesota or northern Illinois each year. Nominations are made by a farm manager, dairy owner, farm consultant or nutritionist based on qualities such as work ethic, perseverance, honesty and integrity. The finalists were honored during the annual Alltech Dairy Summit on Thursday, Dec. 12, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6., and which requires that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing. The announcement represents the next step toward conducting complete nationwide surveillance under the NMTS and continues to build on measures taken by USDA and its federal and state partners since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Harold E. Ford Foundation (USPOULTRY Foundation) was pleased to once again sponsor the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. The Conference recognizes 4-H members who have excelled in their states in poultry learning experience activities. The activities and contests are designed to introduce participants to poultry and the poultry industry. Life skills are learned through preparation for the various contests. Participants are also made aware of careers in poultry and allied industries.
  • The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) recognized 23 dairy business operations for their outstanding achievements and improvements in worker safety in 2023 with the IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Award. This is the 21st year that IDFA has sponsored this program, highlighting the outstanding workplace safety achievements of U.S. dairy companies.
  • Thanks to a landmark climate-smart agriculture project, a new soybean processing facility will soon open its doors in western Kansas to process climate-smart soybeans. It is ultimately expected to help provide more climate-smart dairy products to consumers nationwide, according to project partners. The new facility is the result of a partnership between McCarty Family Farms and the Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain (Transform F2C) initiative. Transform F2C is a $70 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 12/20

    Carrie Muehling

  • The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces the addition of two prominent speakers to the agenda for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum, “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” scheduled for February 27-28, 2025. Jeff Schmid, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, will address the Forum with a plenary speech on the morning of February 27. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen will be the dinner speaker on the evening of February 27, where he will discuss his vision for making Nebraska a frontrunner in building a biobased economy while promoting practices that maximize the productivity of the state’s agricultural resources.
  • More than 1,000 seed professionals gathered December 10-13 in Orlando, Florida, for American Seed Trade Association’s 2024 Field Crop Seed Convention. Dan Basse kicked things off Wednesday morning with his ever-popular global ag economic forecast for 2025 with a standing room only audience, providing a look ahead for the American agriculture commodity sector.
  • Longtime member and past president of the American Society of Agricultural Consultants (ASAC), Michael Salisbury, was honored posthumously for his ‘steadfast commitment, thoughtful guidance and inspiring leadership’ during the organization’s recent annual meeting held in Ft. Myers, Florida. Salisbury passed away at his home in Kalamazoo, Mich., August 18.
  • Entries to the 2025 Golden ARC Awards contest are now being accepted. Find out how your work stacks up against the best in the business. This contest, run by the Agricultural Relations Council, provides an opportunity for agricultural communicators to have their 2024 tactics and campaigns evaluated by marketing and public relations (PR) experts, and receive valuable feedback. New for 2025 is the Grassroots Advocacy category. Its purpose is to recognize and celebrate the individual contributions of farmers, ranchers and independent advocates in public relations and consumer outreach for the agriculture industry.
  • CNH announces leadership changes designed to capitalize on current market opportunities in its Agriculture business in the North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. These developments will support the Company at this stage of the agricultural cycle, readying it for the upswing. Scott Harris will assume the role of President, North America, effective January 1, 2025. Markus Müller will join CNH as President, EMEA, effective March 1, 2025.
  • The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), an organization dedicated to lead, promote and support the growth of agricultural and rural lifestyle broadcasting, announces its 2025 Board of Directors. Elections were held at the recent NAFB Convention in Kansas City, where five agriculture leaders were elected to replace outgoing board members.
  • Farm Credit Council has selected Christy Seyfert to be President and CEO beginning in mid-January. Seyfert, currently Executive Director of Government Affairs for the American Soybean Association, was selected by the FCC Board of Directors following an extensive search process.
  • Farm Credit Administration Board Chairman and CEO Vincent Logan has selected Ben Mosely as director of the agency’s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs (OCPA). Mr. Mosely’s first day was Monday, Dec. 16. As OCPA director, Mr. Mosely will serve as FCA’s principal point of contact for Congress, the media, other government agencies, System borrowers, and the general public.
  • One new board member appointed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was sworn in, and three other producers began their second terms after reappointment by Secretary Vilsack during the United Sorghum Checkoff Program’s annual December meeting. The board also elected Ethan Miller of Columbia, Missouri, as the 2025 chairman.
  • Meyocks announces the appointment of three experienced professionals to key leadership positions: Beth Ann Boyd assumes the role to vice president of digital delivery, where she’ll leverage her deep understanding of the digital landscape to drive impactful campaigns. Beth Davis steps into the position of vice president of public relations, social media and content. Katie Schetzsle has been promoted to vice president of account service and brand strategy.
  • Kubota Tractor Corporation announced a one-year partnership to become the presenting sponsor of the American Rally Association (ARA) Championships for the 2025 season. With the partnership, Kubota becomes the Official Land Management Equipment of ARA and the presenting sponsor for the eight-event ARA National Championship, as well as the East, Central, and West Regional Championships.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Pivot Bio Launches New Retail Distribution Partnerships

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agtech company Pivot Bio has announced a new strategic distribution partnership with Hefty Seed Company, one of the largest independent ag retailers in the U.S. with a network of 49 retail locations in 10 states.

    Beginning in 2025, PROVEN® 40, a microbial nitrogen source powered by Pivot Bio’s patented gene-edited technology, will be available at all Hefty Seed Co. locations.
    In addition, Pivot Bio’s PROVEN® 40 for corn and RETURN® for sorghum, wheat and other small grains will be available to any interested farmers across the entire Hefty Seed Co. network.

    To assist farmers in effectively integrating this innovative technology for maximum benefit, Pivot Bio and Hefty Seed Co. are introducing a collaborative field support initiative. This dynamic partnership will provide customers with personalized nitrogen planning, field-tested insights, and data-driven recommendations—each tailored to the specific needs of their operations—delivered by Hefty’s trusted local advisors or Pivot Bio’s expert agronomy team.

    Additionally, Hefty Seed Company’s customers will have access to emerging programs like Pivot Bio’s N-OVATOR program designed to create new revenue opportunities through partnerships with downstream buyers. This approach not only supports better nitrogen use efficiency but also positions grain farmers to benefit financially from sustainable production practices.

    AgWired Precision, Corn, Precision Agriculture, Seed, sorghum, Wheat

    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