Social Media Award for @Bayer

#CUTC16– Sustainability Should be Expected

Kelly Marshall June 10, 2016

Rob Meyers recently attended a panel discussion on sustainability at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference on behalf of his company, PepsiCo. His message: sustainability should be expected.

Across the supply chain, he says, we’ve reached the point that once happened with food safety. Everyone came together, everyone worked to make food safer. Once again collaboration will be an important part of taking sustainability to the next level, and that level shouldn’t leave consumers confused about how their products are grown or raised.

“It is the responsibility of consumer package goods companies like ourselves to just embed sustainable practices within our products,” says Meyers. “I don’t think it needs to be a consumer choice, it just needs to be an expectation and obligation for consumer companies to deliver.”

PepsiCo knows first hand how confusing food information can be. Recently the company asked consumers: what is in a bag of Lays potato chips? Answers included many things, including some sort of chemical reaction needed to make a chip. To bring people a little closer to an understanding of where food comes from, the company added bar codes to packages that introduced the grower behind that bag of chips.

Some consumers are driven to local farmers and markets in order to make that connection, but PepsiCo thinks they can accomplish the same goal in a different way. Its up to big companies to let the consumer know what is happening with their food, Meyers believes.

Listen to more of Meyer’s interview here: Interview with Rob Meyers, PepsiCo

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album;

Agribusiness, CUTC, Sustainability

ASA Hires New Communications Manager

Kelly Marshall June 10, 2016

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is pleased to welcome Jessica Wharton as the new State Policy Coordinator and Communications Manger. She began working out the D.C. office this week.

“We are excited to welcome Jessica to the ASA team,” said (ASA) CEO Steve Censky . “Her previous industry experience and communications knowledge will play a major role in coordinating ASA’s policy objectives and successes with our state affiliates.”

Previously Wharton worked for the American Farm Bureau Federation, coordinating policy communications and media relations.

“Jessica will fill a much needed position on our staff,” said John Gordley, director of ASA’s Washington office. “Linking producer support to ASA’s policy initiatives through our member states will make all of us more effective in getting soybean priorities acted on by Congress.”

Wharton is originally from Akron, Ohio and attended Palm Beach Atlantic University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations.

Ag Groups, ASA

Got Corn? Make Momomers Says DuPont at #CUTC16

Joanna Schroeder June 10, 2016

Got corn? Then you can make some amazing things. For example, attendees at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC16) that took place in St. Louis this week learned about making new momomers for corn? Say what? Let’s get some insight from biomaterial expert Michael Saltzberg who is the business director for DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ biomaterials business.

Saltzberg spoke on the Biorefining II panel where he discussed a new product they are developing in collaboration with ADM. They are working on a new momomer that uses fructose, from corn, as the raw material. It’s a process that uses chemical catalysis in a several step process that takes fructose to a momomer that’s called furan dicarboxylic acid methyl ester or FDME.

What’s exciting, said Saltzberg, is that this momomer can be used to make exiting new polymers especially in the packaging area. For example, helping soft drink and beer manufactures downgage their packaging but offer the same shelf life is important for them he said.

So what does this mean for the biorefinery industry? Saltzberg noted a major focus of the conference is to see what other applications can utilize some of the corn fractions. “This is a great way to take corn starch to fructose to a very valuable chemical out of it. So I think for the ag processing industry and for farmers it offers that kind of opportunity,” he said.

And for a company like DuPont, added Saltzberg, being able to develop new momomers through renewable raw materials and creating new polymers out of them enables them to assist their customers in solving some of their challenges.

To learn more about emerging momomers and their applications, listen to Chuck’s interview with Michael Saltzberg: Interview with Michael Saltzberg, DuPont

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album.

Audio, Corn, CUTC

New Oil Recovery Technology Featured at #CUTC16

Joanna Schroeder June 10, 2016

Many ethanol plants across the U.S. are getting more out of each kernel of corn by producing corn oil as a by-product of ethanol production. However, there is a new oil recovery technology emerging that was discussed by Scott Kohl with White Energy during his presentation on the Biorefining I panel at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference (CUTC). The event takes place every two years and focuses on emerging and new technologies using corn.

Kohl said the dry grind ethanol industry represents about 80 percent of the U.S. capacity today and recovering oil from the process has become financially important for facilities. Approximately 80-85 percent of ethanol plants are recovering oil (corn oil) and this, Kohl noted, raises the plant’s bottom line.

However, one of the more important and interesting developments of late, Kohl said, is the technologies being crossed from traditional oil refining for human cooking oil to distillers oil and the quality of corn oil coming out of ethanol plants that adopt this technology will be substantially higher. Kohl said the oil looks similar to soybean oil in properties for biodiesel type applications, and he believes the raw value of the oil will be 8-10 cents a pound more. This is because the corn oil will be easier to refine into biodiesel than the current corn oil on the market.

In a nutshell, what’s happening, Kohl explained, is the dry grind industry is taking a process from one industry, wet milling, to another industry, dry milling, in an economical fashion. He said there is only one facility that he knows of today using this specific process and that’s Corn Oil One in Iowa – the first of its kind. The biorefinery has been running for a little more than a year and Kohl said the product is performing well. He added that he expects the model to be replicated over time as more data emerges from the early technology adopters.

On another note, Kohl said White Energy is doing extremely well and noted the company is most focused today on producing ever lower carbon renewable fuels.

To learn more about recovering oil and White Energy, listen to Chuck’s interview with Scott Kohl: Interview with Scott Kohl, White Energy

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album.

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, CUTC, Ethanol

#Biofuel Supporters Rally for Higher Blends at Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman June 9, 2016

Over 120 biofuels advocates spoke out today at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) field hearing on proposed 2017 targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and several high profile supporters spoke at a Fuels America press conference.

Among the supporters was Nebraska governor Pete Ricketts. “A strong RFS means more jobs here at home, greater energy security, and a cleaner environment,” said Ricketts. “The biofuels industry supports more than 852,000 American jobs and creates fuel we need to help our country become energy independent.”

Missouri agriculture director and farmer Richard Fordyce was pleased to welcome the hearing to his state. “Missouri is the proud home of six majority farmer-owned ethanol plants, providing a vital market for our crops and affordable fuel options to our consumers,” said Fordyce. “As a fourth-generation farmer, I know how important these jobs are to our community.”

Among the farmer leaders who testified was Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association. “Farmers, along with the ethanol industry and U.S. Department of Agriculture, have invested millions in new ethanol pumps and fuel infrastructure so that drivers can access affordable, renewable fuel choices,” said Bowling. “Now it’s up to the EPA to deliver on its promises. We have the resources to meet all our needs, spur investment in rural communities, and create more high-tech jobs.”

The hearing even featured Iowa celebrity farmer Chris Soules, star of The Bachelor. “The ethanol market provides financial stability to our family farm and guarantees that we can pass on our traditions to future generations,” Souls said during the press conference. “American consumers are winners from this policy, too. Protecting choice at the pump means offering consumers a clean, homegrown, and less expensive product.”

Others who spoke at the RFS press conference included Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor, Iowa farmer and former state representative Annette Sweeney, and Brian Sowers, Missouri sportsman and Co-Host of Crappie Masters TV.

Listen to the full press conference here: Fuels America RFS Hearing Press Conference

Check out the EPA Hearing Photo Album.

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

RFA Urges EPA to Get #RFS Back on Track

Cindy Zimmerman June 9, 2016

Over 100 biofuels supporters were in Kansas City today for a public hearing on the EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Chuck has been on the ground there all day along with farmers and representatives from agricultural and biofuels organizations.

Up on the first panel was Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen who had strong words for the EPA.

“We encourage EPA to truly put the RFS ‘back on track’ and finalize the 2017 conventional renewable fuel renewable volume obligation (RVO) at the 15-billion-gallon statutory level. EPA’s proposed rule for the 2017 RVOs marks an improvement over the final rule for 2014-2016 RVOs, but it ultimately falls victim to the same legal malady that plagued your last rulemaking,” Dinneen testified. “Simply put, EPA continues to allege that ‘supply’ somehow equates to the capacity to distribute or consume renewable fuels. However, the statute does not allow EPA to consider imagined constraints on distribution when deciding whether to utilize a general waiver of the volumes. The intent of Congress was abundantly clear: if the physical supply of renewable fuel exists to satisfy statutory volumes, then EPA must enforce the consumption of those volumes. And it is beyond dispute that the industry is providing an adequate supply to meet the statutory mandate for conventional biofuels.”

Listen to Dinneen’s full testimony statement here: RFA CEO Bob Dinneen EPA hearing testimony

Check out the EPA Hearing Photo Album.

Coverage of EPA RFS Hearing made possible by

Audio, EPA, Ethanol, RFA

#CUTC16 Addresses the Value in Big Data

Kelly Marshall June 9, 2016

Jeremy Wilson works for Crop IMS and knows a thing or two about big data. In his presentation, Data Share and Share Alike at the Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, Wilson addresses the information recorded on a farm and who should be given access to it.

On his own farm Wilson says they share all their information with someone, because there is a third party who can offer value for every bit of data collected. But that doesn’t mean he’ll hand over valuable numbers to just anyone. The key is finding the company or service that will interpret that data in a way that enhances the overall operation. Data should equal value, in other words.

And because data is valuable its important that data collection is of good quality. Every person who operates a monitor should understand how it works. Most systems will allow a driver to punch a couple of buttons, engage the GPS and take off, but that doesn’t mean the information collected is sound. This diminishes the the quality of information a third party can give back to a grower.

“Yield data, applications data, planting data; you only get one chance each growing season to get good, quality data. And if we loose it, its gone. We never get to get it back,” Wilson emphasizes.

Hopefully in the future user interfaces will become more friendly. Organizations on the machine and data side of the issue are working to create data standards, making it easier for an operator to know if all is well on a monitor. Great strides have been taken in the last 3-5 years– the next few years should make data collection a simpler task, Wilson encourages.

You can hear Chuck’s full interview here: Interview with Jeremy Wilson

Check out pictures from the conference: 2016 CUTC Photo Album.

Agribusiness, CUTC, data

New Pork Board CEO Bill Even at #WPX16

Cindy Zimmerman June 9, 2016

Earlier this month the National Pork Board named Bill Even as their new CEO. No stranger to the agricultural community or swine industry, Bill sat down with me at the 2016 World Pork Expo to discuss their key components focusing on people, pigs and the planet.

The people component is centered around connecting with consumers while building trust. The pig highlights how producers care for their animals and the importance of relaying that to the consumer. And finally, the planet ensures we have the best sustainable practices in place and always striving for continuous improvement.

“When I think about implementing our strategic plan and look at my first 90 days on the job, there are a lot of people in the industry that I need to meet and connect with. The World Pork Expo has given me fantastic opportunities to meet all the key players in the industry throughout the U.S. and globally.”

Listen to my complete interview with Bill here: Interview with National Pork Board CEO, Bill Even

View and download photos from the event here:2016 World Pork Expo Photo Album

Audio, Pork, World Pork Expo

Flinn Joins Brownfield Ag News

Kelly Marshall June 9, 2016

Andrew Flinn is joining Brownfield Ag News as an anchor/reporter in his home state of Ohio. For the past 15 years Flinn has been reporting new and agriculture, 14 of those with Brownfield affiliate WKTN.

“Andrew’s years of experience covering news and agriculture for local radio stations in Ohio makes him a great addition to the Brownfield team,” says Cyndi Young-Puyear, Director of Brownfield & Ag Operations.

Flinn holds a degree from the University of Findlay in communications and public relations, as well as an associate degree in broadcast production and engineering. He has a been involved in agriculture in a variety of ways, serving as a member of the Hardin Country 4-H Advisory Board, Hardin Coutry Agriculture Hall of Fame Committee and the Hardin County Ag Council. He has also been involved in the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce & Business Alliance and the Kenton Kiwanis Club.

Agribusiness

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