New Driving Ethanol Podcast from Growth Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

The past two years have been among the most challenging for the ethanol industry, and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor has been at the front lines of the battles which are continuing stronger than ever.

In this edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast, Skor reflects on her two years at the helm of the industry organization and talks about what is going on today, particularly as it relates to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and his granting of waivers to refineries. She outlines five major answers that Pruitt should provide to the industry during his travels this week meeting with farmers and ethanol producers in Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

Growth Energy Driving Ethanol Podcast 6-13-18

Subscribe to the Driving Ethanol podcast

Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts

Paul Jr. Gets Ethanol Education Building RFA Bike

Cindy Zimmerman

The slick, custom-made motorcycle that runs on 85% ethanol was a big hit at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop Tuesday and so was its creator Paul Teutul Jr., who spent two hours at the Renewable Fuels Association trade show booth taking photos with FEW attendees.

Teutul is the owner and master-designer of Paul Jr. Designs and one of the stars of Discovery’s American Chopper, which revealed the new bike during Monday night’s episode. In the process of designing the motorcycle for RFA, he became an ethanol advocate. “There seems to be a misnomer about ethanol and motorcycles. It is almost like people that ride motorcycles think ethanol messes up their bikes, and the research that I have done tells me that is just not true,” Teutul Jr. said.

The partnership with Teutul evolved from the RFA’s new Fuel Your Knowledge campaign aimed at educating bikers, boaters, and other small engine users about ethanol. RFA wants bikers to know that only ethanol blends up to E10 are approved by every motorcycle manufacturer, and the custom motorcycle simply demonstrates the functionality and compatibility of ethanol.

Chuck Zimmerman caught up with Paul Jr. at the RFA booth yesterday to learn all about the making of the ethanol bike and what he learned in the process. Interview with Paul Teutul Jr. at FEW18

2018 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photos

Fuel Ethanol Conference content sponsored by

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Syngenta Enogen

Audio, Ethanol, RFA

Precision Ag Bytes 6/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Lindsay Corporation and Farmers Edge have announced a partnership that will deliver an unmatched suite of ag tech and digital agronomy solutions for their customers. This collaboration between Lindsay Corporation and Farmers Edge provides farmers with a simple solution to easily access field-centric data and deep insights they need to make informed decisions and get the most out of every acre.
  • The Soil Health Institute seeks up to six scientists and a statistician/database manager to join the Soil Health Institute team. The professionals will assist in the evaluation of soil health indicators at long-term agricultural experimental sites across North America.
  • The Soil Health Institute has released the Agenda for its Third Annual Meeting, August 1-3 in Albuquerque. National and international leaders will address such contemporary topics as achieving corporate sustainability goals and environmental markets through soil health, recent advances in understanding the soil microbiome, links between soil health and human health, federal and state policies for advancing soil health, enhancing research-farmer connections for greater adoption, and others. Click here to register.
  • Broadgnss announced at the 9th China Satellite Navigation Conference a new high precision satellite position receiver with patented RAC (Real-time Array Calibration）technology. It features positioning accuracy closer than one meter (up to 10cm) by receiving only single frequency (GPS L1) satellite signals, the RAC technology in high precision satellite positioning which frees the dependence on traditional augmentation network and significantly reduces the cost, making way for high precision satellite positioning in large-scale applications.
  • AgbioInvestor announces that subscriptions are now available to its AgbioCrop and AgbioSeed services. In addition to these reports, AgbioInvestor’s range of services also includes sigma Select and AgbioNews.
  • Midwestern BioAg has launched a wholesale and ag retail sales strategy through a partnership with Vivid Life Sciences. Vivid has an extensive wholesale and ag retail distribution network and together the two companies will introduce the TerraNu Nutrient Technology products throughout the United States.
  • Agrian has added a new feature to its field scouting app – a pest trap counting solution. The new functionality will allow for more automated and seamless information sharing, empowering field staff, agronomic advisors and growers to easily monitor activity and look at aggregated data to make decisions on the fly as it relates to pest threats. The upgrade is already available and ready for immediate use to all current Agrian scouting clients.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Show-Rite on Site at World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

Show-Rite®, which is part of Hubbard Feeds family, provides nutrition programs formulated specifically for breeders and exhibitors who want their show animals to perform their very best.

Ryan Sites was at World Pork Expo last week as part of the technical support team for Show-Rite and had a chance to talk to many of those who were participating in the Junior Nationals. “This is a great avenue for us to explain a lot of the new products we have coming out,” said Sites. “We’ve got a couple new additive products coming out that look real promising from the trials we’ve done.”

Sites says Show-Rite® Show Feeds is dedicated to both providing great nutritional products for show animals and offering expert knowledge for their customers.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Ryan Sites, Show-Rite

2018 World Pork Expo photo album

Coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by World Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by AlltechWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by showriteWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by hubbard
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Audio, Nutrition, Swine, World Pork Expo

Growth Energy CEO Keynotes #FEW18

Cindy Zimmerman

Two years ago, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor was brand new to the job and the Fuel Ethanol Workshop was her first public introduction to the ethanol industry. Today, Skor keynoted the industry event again as an ethanol professional who has been seasoned by fighting for the fuel during some very difficult battles.

“The battles ahead are tougher, and higher-stakes, and we need to remind ourselves that we have what it takes to win,” said Skor. “And we’ll keep on fighting, from the EPA to the halls of Congress, where other oil-backed lawmakers have already announced their latest plans for so-called reforms of the RFS.”

Skor highlighted the victories over the past year and the challenges the industry continues to face. Listen here:
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor #FEW18 Keynote

Fuel Ethanol Conference content sponsored by

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Syngenta Enogen

Audio, Ethanol

Hubbard Showcases Blueprint Swine Program at #WPX18

Cindy Zimmerman

Success is often achieved by simply following the blueprint.

At last week’s World Pork Expo, Hubbard Feeds showcased its Blueprint® program for swine, a species-specific program to help producers identify ways to improve efficiency and maximize genetic performance.

“For pigs, we designed different sow, nursery, and finisher programs that include between six and 12 different Alltech technologies,” said Dr. Stewart Galloway, Senior Swine Nutritionist. “Our goal is to improve gut health, immunity in the pigs, milk production in sows, decreased death loss…and ultimately more pigs going to market at full value.”

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Dr. Stewart Galloway, Hubbard

2018 World Pork Expo photo album

Coverage of World Pork Expo is sponsored by World Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by AlltechWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by showriteWorld Pork Expo virtual newsroom sponsored by hubbard
AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Audio, Swine, World Pork Expo

American Chopper Unveils Ethanol Bike

Cindy Zimmerman

The highly anticipated debut of the custom Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) ethanol motorcycle created by Paul Jr. Designs on Discovery Channel’s American Chopper revealed a masterpiece with a patriotic theme that runs on E85.

“The bike encapsulated everything we were hoping to get,” said RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White. “Patriotic theme, running on 85 percent ethanol, E85 – it’s perfect.”

Bike designer Paul Teutel Jr. said it was easier than he expected to make the chopper run on E85. “The only thing we had to do was up the jets about 30 percent and advance the timing a little bit and the thing runs like a top.”

Teutel says the whole effort is to help educate people about ethanol. “The same way I got educated about ethanol through the process of building a bike for RFA,” he said. “It’s about public awareness and letting them know that ethanol is a good product – matter of fact it’s a very good product and it works very well in motorcycles.”

The custom motorcycle is the centerpiece for RFA’s new consumer-focused educational campaign called “Fuel Your Knowledge” to educate and inform consumers about the proper use of ethanol-blended fuels in boats, motorcycles, lawn and garden equipment and other off-road engines.

Teutel was with White last night at a viewing party in Omaha for the big reveal and today will be at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop meeting and greeting folks at the RFA booth from 11 am to 1 pm. The bike will be on display at the booth as well.

Click here to see more photos of this awesome motorcyle.

Ethanol, RFA

ASTA Elects 2018-19 Officer Team

Cindy Zimmerman

2018-19 ASTA Chair Jerry Flint

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to announce its 2018-19 officer team, officially elected during the ASTA Policy & Leadership Development Conference in Washington, D.C.

The members of the 2018-19 ASTA officer team are:
• Chair – Jerry Flint, Corteva Agriscience™
• First Vice Chair – Wayne Gale, Stokes Seeds
• Second Vice Chair — John Latham, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds

Newly-elected Regional Vice Presidents are: Rick Falconer, Rijk Zwaan (Western Region Vice President), and John Romines, WinField Solutions (North Central Vice President).

Incoming Chair Jerry Flint leads Global Initiatives and Sustainability for Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. Throughout his 25-plus year career, Dr. Flint has served on several committees and held leadership roles to support and promote the seed and crop protection industry.

In addition to serving as an ASTA officer for the past two years, Dr. Flint is a member of ASTA’s International Executive Committee. He also serves on the Crop Life International Plant Biotech Steering Committee, the Biotechnology Industry Organization Food and Agriculture Governing Board and is a member of the National FFA Sponsors Board. Dr. Flint earned his Bachelor of Science in agriculture from Purdue University and his Master of Science and doctorate in crop science from the University of Kentucky.

Learn more about Dr. Flint in this USFRA podcast: SMART Farmer Podcast with Jerry Flint

AgWired Precision, ASTA, Audio, Seed

Crops & Chemicals USA 18 Agenda Features Industry Experts

Cindy Zimmerman

The full agenda is now available for this year’s Crops & Chemicals USA meeting, July 23-25, at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, NC.

The agenda for the meeting provides attendees with the critical science, technologies and contacts needed to accelerate the development and regulatory approval of biostimulant, biopesticide and agrochemical products.

Included on the program this year are industry experts representing Mosanto, BASF, Bayer, DowDuPoint, Syngenta, EPA, USDA, FDA and many more. The program is designed to offer key strategies, industry insights and connections needed to overcome today’s biggest challenges:

Developing targeted, efficacious and economical biocontrol products for use in IPM programs
Creating new offerings, support product claims and dispel misconceptions around biostimulants and biofertilizers
Enhancing the compatibility and delivery of your active ingredient to ensure optimal efficacy

More information and registration details for Crops & Chemicals USA is available online.

Register by June 15 and save $300. Save an extra 10% when you register here using the VIP code AGNEWSWIRE (new registrations only).

Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, BASF, Bayer, Biologicals, Crop Protection, Events

ZimmCast 587 – IFAJ Congress 2018

Chuck Zimmerman

In this week’s program we’ll get a preview of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists annual Congress which will take place in the Netherlands this year. I spoke via Skype with one of the organizers of the Congress, Jacqueline Wijbenga, Adjunct-uitgever, Eisma Businessmedia. We discussed the program and the theme of this year’s Congress. Here is some more information.

The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) annually organizes a world congress. Alternately, the congress takes place in Europe and on another continent. After previous editions in Germany (2016) and South Africa (2017) the conference will take place in the Netherlands in July 2018. The congress organization is appointed by the IFAJ at the request of the NVLJ, the Dutch Association for Agricultural and Horticultural Journalism. The conference will hook on to the centenary that Wageningen University & Research (WUR) celebrates in 2018. The congress organization is controlled by the independent foundation Dutch Roots, which is based on the voluntary commitment of NVLJ members and a conference manager who partly receives paid hours of work.

The Dutch Roots board has set Dutch Roots: small country big solutions as the denominator for the Dutch agricultural product chains. The starting point for the IFAJ2018 World Congress program and the route towards it, is that the foundation and its activities provide a platform for numerous journalistic productions for (agricultural) journalists worldwide.

Looking ahead, the IFAJ Congress in 2019 will be held in the United States in the Minneapolis, MN area. More information on that will be forthcoming.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 587 - IFAJ Congress 2018

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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Audio, IFAJ, International, Media, ZimmCast