2025 Agri-Marketing Conference

Clean Fuels Celebrates Conference in Important Market

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2025 Clean Fuels Conference is being held this week in a very important market for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel – California.

“Biodiesel and renewable diesel have displaced 75% of all diesel sold in the state,” said Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen in his opening remarks Tuesday. “It’s now harder to find diesel fuel in California than our fuels. Our industry is responsible for 45% of California’s progress under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard so far.”

However, Rehagen says the accelerating growth in the industry has created a unique challenge, the need for more feedstock.

“Our industry’s rapid growth, more than doubling production capacity in the last four years, has outpaced domestic feedstock availability – at least for now. By our calculations, current volumes of domestic feedstocks would support about 3.3 billion gallons of fuel production,” said Rehagen. “As we’ve seen growing amounts of imported feedstocks coming in to fill the demand, it has generated angst with domestic feedstock growers and processors.”

Rehagen says it will be an active and challenging year for the clean fuels industry. “We must remain unified…We will need engagement from this industry as the impacts of 45z begin to take effect, and RVOs are set…all under a new administration. We’re going to need everybody to participate. If we win on these two things, 2025 and 2026 could be among our finest years yet.”

Listen to Rehagen’s comments:
Clean Fuels opening remarks Donnell Rehagen, CEO (27:21)

2025 Clean Fuels Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Clean Fuels Alliance

CattleCon to Feature World Without Cows Screening

Cindy Zimmerman

World Without CowsWhat would a world without cows be like? It would certainly be a different world for the people who raise cattle, so Alltech is offering an exclusive screening of the World Without Cows documentary at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, CattleCon. The screening will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. CST in the General Session Room of the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, TX.

“World Without Cows” is a feature-length 85-minute documentary that was filmed in 40 global locations over three years, exploring the impact of cattle on economies, ecosystems, cultures and human nutrition. It is written and directed by two award-winning journalists, Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth who have spent the past three years exploring a fascinating question: Are we better off in a world without cows? This thought-provoking documentary dives into the cultural, societal, and environmental significance of cattle, examining their vital role in nourishing the world and combating climate change.

To find out more about this documentary, we talked with the filmmakers to learn their journey that took them to 22 different countries and five different continents. “It was over 300 conversations with experts in various fields, farmers, scientists, researchers, climatologists around the world kind of asking those really basic questions of what is a world without cows look like to you?” says Whitworth.

“Tveryone will tell you that cows make methane. And guess what? They do. Not a single person we talked to denied that cows do have an impact on our climate,” said Michael. “What we found was that it was a much smaller impact when you look at the way methane is measured. But I think the most surprising thing is it’s not just that cows have an impact on the climate. They have this incredible potential to help us capture carbon and really save the planet for the future.”

Listen to the interview here:
World Without Cows filmmakers Michelle Michael and Brandon Whitworth (17:56)

For more information, visit worldwithoutcows.com. Also, be sure to follow “World Without Cows” on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, and follow filmmakers Michelle Michael (@farmfilmmaker) and Brandon Whitworth (@theagstoryteller) for their unique insights.

You can also hear more from Michelle and Brandon about their experience in this video, “The Making of World Without Cows”

Alltech, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Environment, Livestock

Conference Highlights Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel and SAF

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2025 Clean Fuels Conference is underway in San Diego bringing together industry leaders in the biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel markets with the theme “Accelerate.”

Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen says the meeting theme refers to the rapid growth and transformative progress of the biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel industries. “We’re now a 5 billion gallon year industry. We’ve doubled in size in the last four years,” said Rehagen. “So we’re we’re expecting to have probably about 1000 people gathering San Diego.”

Clean Fuels Communications Director Heather Buechter says they are very excited about the conference agenda which will highlight the role that clean fuels plays in California. “It’s worth noting that biodiesel and renewable diesel now make up 75% of California’s diesel pool under the low carbon fuel standard.”

Mainstage session topics include:

California Dreamin’: Clean Fuels’ Time to Shine: The current and future role of biodiesel and renewable diesel in California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Acceleration of Change: Clean Fuels Policy, Plus Renewable Diesel Deep-Dive: What to expect from the new administration on fuel policies and what that could mean for businesses
All Aboard: Rail Contemplates Life After Diesel: How biodiesel and renewable diesel are helping the rail industry reach clean-fuel goals
Detour Ahead?: New Emissions Regulations Driving OEM Product: Clean fuel regulation and challenges for Original Equipment Manufacturers and fleets
Feedstock Revolution: Unleashing the Power for Clean Fuels: How conventional and new feedstock supplies are developing to meet new demands for clean fuel

The Clean Fuels Vehicle Showcase Wednesday evening will feature a range of heavy-duty equipment and technologies with representatives on hand to answer questions.

Follow coverage of the conference on the Clean Fuels Conference Blog.

Interview with Heather Buechter, Clean Fuels (9:09)

NAFB24 Donnell Rehagen, Clean Fuels (2:54)

2025 Clean Fuels Conference Photo Album

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Clean Fuels Alliance, SAF

Animal Ag News 1/20

Carrie Muehling

  • The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program is seeking applicants for its Animal Care, Environmental Stewardship and Workforce Development Task Forces for the July 2025 to June 2028 term. FARM will accept nominations until March 31; new task force members will be announced by June 15.
  • The Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin’s leading advocacy group, elected a new president during the group’s annual business meeting at DBA’s Dairy Strong conference. Greg Siegenthaler, vice president milk marketing, sustainability and sourcing for Grande Cheese in Fond Du Lac, Wis., was elected president. Siegenthaler is a long-standing DBA member and previously served as the organization’s vice president.
  • Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the country based on milk volume, elected a new president during the group’s annual business meeting at the 2025 Dairy Strong conference.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation congratulates President Donald Trump and the leaders of the new Congress and administration and is ready and eager to work on a wide range of challenging issues as the new government takes shape.
  • Conrad Schelkopf of Geneva, Nebraska, and Tyler Thomas of Baker City, Oregon, have each been awarded a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF). The annual W.D. Farr Scholarship program recognizes outstanding graduate students for their academic achievements, leadership and commitment to the advancement of the beef industry. The scholarship recipients will be recognized during CattleCon 2025, Feb. 4-6, in San Antonio, Texas.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) welcomed the withdrawal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule entitled “Fair and Competitive Livestock and Poultry Markets,” announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. This harmful regulation would have dismantled current cattle marketing agreements, reversed decades of innovation in the cattle industry, and threatened producer profitability.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Pork Board (NPB) are excited to announce the Class of 2025 for the Pork Leadership Institute (PLI), a premier program dedicated to equipping pork producers with the knowledge and skills to lead the industry into the future. This year, 17 exceptional individuals from across the country have been selected to join the program, representing a diverse group of leaders poised to drive innovation and advocacy within the pork sector.
  • Intelligent nutrition company Novus International, Inc. has entered a strategic co-development partnership with innovative biotechnology company Resilient Biotics to create a novel feed solution that supports immune health and helps reduce the risk of respiratory challenges in pigs.
  • The African Swine Fever (ASF) “I Protect Pigs” photo contest is back and now accepting entries. Brought to you by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), this contest promotes the importance of good biosecurity behaviors by encouraging the public to submit a photo of owner/pig safety practices in action. Prevention is the only cure for ASF, and we want to see pig owners show off their best biosecurity behavior for a chance to win!
  • The International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) announced that it will proceed as planned, Jan. 28-30, 2025 in Atlanta, following recent detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Georgia. On Friday, the Georgia Department of Agriculture suspended all poultry exhibitions that display live birds, shows, swaps, meets and sales (e.g., flea market or auction market). However, Commissioner Tyler Harper confirmed that this does not apply to IPPE, given that no live birds will be present.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    ZimmCast 740 – Outlook for U.S. Cotton

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    ZimmComm is now entering its 21st year. Who would have thought?

    We officially announced our company at the 2004 National Agri-Marketing Conference. We had our first booth at the conference in 2005 which means we’ve exhibited for twenty of them! I thought you might like to hear the first audio podcast I recorded in January of 2005. We were just starting to figure out what we could do with our AgWired blog. It’s a short episode. I share more audio after it. So, that was the start and it has sure changed over the years.

    So, let’s look at this year. I was working at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans and thought I’d focus on the outlook for cotton. I would not be surprised if there are some changes after the presidential inauguration. But I’m going to start with Gary Adams, CEO of the National Cotton Council. He talks about the cotton industry outlook and then moves onto the farm bill.

    Following Gary is Daren Abney, Executive Director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. He talks about the last year of the sustainability program and an outlook of what’s next.

    You can find a lot of photos as well as interviews and session audio on the AgNewsWire virtual ag newsroom here.

    I’m heading out next to San Diego for the Clean Fuels Conference and hoping the weather doesn’t cause too many travel problems. It’s looking like I’ll miss the mess though.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 740 - Outlook for U.S. Cotton (13:38)

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. Please let us know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    Ag Groups, Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton, Farm Bill, ZimmCast

    Industry Ag News 1/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs including the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). Agricultural producers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from Jan. 21 to April 15 and for DMC for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31.
  • Farm Journal’s annual Top Producer Summit, agriculture’s premier educational and networking event for forward-thinking farmers and ranchers, is set for Feb. 17-19, at the Loews Hotel in Kansas City. The event will bring producers of nearly a dozen commodities together to share business opportunities and ideas for taking their operations to the next level.
  • Ranking Member Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, announced that the following Democratic Members of Congress were approved by the House Democratic Caucus to serve on the House Agriculture Committee.
  • Join the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit on March 17 in Washington, D.C., to learn from leading industry experts about how these changes could impact you and your businesses. This year’s theme – “Navigating Taxes, Trade and Technology: What’s Ahead for Food & Agriculture?” – will feature keynote speakers and panelists focused on these topics and provide plenty of time for networking with speakers and other industry leaders. The Summit will be held at the National Press Club, offering in-person and virtual attendance options. Registration is now open and you can take advantage of early bird registration rates here. The tentative agenda is available here.
  • President-elect Donald Trump made three nominations for positions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Richard Fordyce to serve as the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC), Dudley Hoskins to serve as the USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) and Luke Lindberg to serve as the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA).
  • CNH announces the appointment of Luis Abreu as Chief Information Officer (CIO). In this role, he joins the Company’s Global Leadership Team (GLT), which is empowered to carry out the fast and effective delivery of CNH’s strategic priorities for profitable long-term growth globally.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) published its 2025 Corn Competitiveness Report providing a roadmap for the incoming Trump administration and the new Congress to bolster the economic outlook for farmers and rural America. The report comes as corn growers are forecasted to face a third year of negative returns in 2025.
  • The American Soybean Association is accepting applications for the Valent and ASA Ag Voices of the Future program, which will be held July 14-17 in conjunction with the ASA summer board meeting and Soy Issues Forum in Washington, D.C.
  • National Farmers Union (NFU) proudly supports the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the attorneys general of Minnesota and Illinois against John Deere & Co., alleging the company’s repair restrictions violate competition laws. NFU filed a formal complaint with the FTC and has long been at the forefront of the fight for farmers’ right to repair.
  • The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) elected Pat Clements as President during their 2025 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Clements is a 6th generation wheat grower and livestock farmer from Springfield, KY, and has spent 47 years in the farm supply business.
  • The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has announced Alexis Taylor will become the association’s chief global policy officer. Taylor, who has most recently served as the Under Secretary of Trade & Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will join the organization after nearly two decades of public service in trade and agriculture policy.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Farewell to USDA Secretary Vilsack

    Cindy Zimmerman

    First photo of Sec. Vilsack at 2009 NAFB Washington Watch

    Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack leaves a job this week that he has held for 12 of the past 16 years, and as he goes, he says it has been both an honor and a privilege to serve.

    “Only one other person in the history of the country has had this job longer than I have and only five other people in the history of this country have had a cabinet position longer than I have,” said Vilsack during his final press conference this week. “I will tell you that I am very proud of the work that’s been done by the folks at USDA.”

    Last photo of Sec. Vilsack at ACE Conference in August 2024

    “The fact we’ve seen rural populations begin to increase again. The fact that we’ve seen persistent poverty decline. The fact that we’ve seen job growth increase, the fact that we have had cumulatively four of the best years in farm income in history. We’ve had record exports. We’ve opened up new opportunities for farmers to benefit and to profit regardless of the size of their operation or the commodities that they’re producing. And that we’ve created the opportunity through climate smart agriculture and local and regional food systems for farms and farm families to be able to say to the next generation there’s real opportunity here.”

    Sec. Vilsack farewell comments (1:53)

    Vilsack, who turned 74 last month, said he is “excited for the next chapter” of his life. Besides his tenure as agriculture secretary, Vilsack served as governor of Iowa, a member of the Iowa Senate, and mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. During the four years between the Obama and Biden administrations, he was president and CEO of the US Dairy Export Council.

    Watch this week’s episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers for an in-depth exit interview with him.


    Audio, USDA, Video

    Pivot Bio Expands Retail Network with Logan Agri-Service

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agtech company Pivot Bio has announced a retail distribution partnership with Illinois-based Logan Agri-Service.

    Through this partnership, Pivot Bio’s microbial nitrogen solution PROVEN® 40 will be available across all of Logan Ag’s locations, including Griggsville, Winchester, and Perry, O’Fallon and Bowen, IL; Paris and Knox City, Monticello and Wayland, MO; and Pittsburg, OH.

    “For more than seven decades, Logan Agri-Service has built a reputation for delivering exceptional service and full-system solutions tailored to their customers’ needs,” said Jason Hoag, head of North American commercial distribution at Pivot Bio. “By combining their deep agronomic expertise and extensive reach with our proprietary technology, we’re creating more opportunities for farmers to optimize nutrient management and strengthen their operations for long-term resilience.”

    With a robust infrastructure and a skilled team of agronomists, Logan Ag is well-positioned bring PROVEN® 40 to a wide range of farming operations. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to providing farmers with agronomically sound solutions that drive productivity, boost profitability, and support their continued success.

    AgWired Precision, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture, Technology

    Cotton Industry Facing Big Challenges

    Cindy Zimmerman

    At the start of 2025, the U.S. cotton industry is facing some tough times right now, according to National Cotton Council president and CEO Gary Adams.

    “It’s tough from an economic standpoint for producers,” said Adams this week at the Beltwide Cotton Conferences in New Orleans. “We have seen costs that have increased substantially over the last several years. In fact, as we look at the comparing, say this year relative to 2018, we’re probably up on average about $200 per acre on cotton cost of production.”

    Adams says getting a farm bill done is a big priority with the new Congress and new administration this year. “Our message to Congress in general is one, let them know the challenging economic circumstances that are out there,” said Adams. “We feel good, certainly with I some good friends to the cotton industry that now chair both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Senator John Bozeman takes over the helm of the Senate Agriculture Committee and Congressman GT Thompson, although not from a cotton belt state, has certainly been supportive of the cotton industry.”

    The National Cotton Council will hold its 2025 Annual Meeting February 14-16 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, in Dallas, Texas.

    Listen to an interview with Adams and his remarks on the state of the U.S. cotton industry and outlook for the farm bill from the Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

    Beltwide interview Gary Adams, National Cotton Council 5:49
    Beltwide farm bill update Gary Adams, NCC 19:09
    Beltwide industry update Gary Adams, National Cotton Council 12:34

    Find more photos and audio from Beltwide:
    Beltwide Cotton Conferences Virtual Newsroom

    Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

    Precision Ag News 1/16

    Carrie Muehling

  • Syngenta and the pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) company TraitSeq are combining forces to use the full power of AI for the development of innovative, high-performance biostimulants. Syngenta, a world leader in developing the next generation of biologicals products for agricultural use, will use its extensive knowledge of crop biology to complement TraitSeq’s proprietary AI methods to identify highly specific indicators of a plant’s cellular state called biomarkers. When activated, these biomarkers can indicate how well a plant is responding to efforts to boost its health or to block the effects of external, abiotic stressors.
  • The results are in for World Ag Expo’s 2025 Top-10 New Products Contest. The winners will be showcased February 11-13, 2025 during the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.
  • Customer-inspired Ag Tech and Engineering solutions from CNH’s Case IH and New Holland brands have won ten AE50 2025 awards. These awards honor the year’s 50 most innovative products and systems engineered for the food and agricultural industries. Winners are determined by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).
  • A CNH chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game when it comes to helping dealers support customers. The CNH AI Tech Assistant tool is already at work at over 300 authorized agriculture and construction dealer groups in North America, Australia and New Zealand, with global expansion underway. It works by simulating conversations to provide a diagnosis and repair plan for CNH brands’ machines. This first-of-its-kind tool was developed with dealer feedback.
  • Summit Agro announced that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has approved the use of Regev hybrid fungicide in the state. This action by the CDPR gives California growers a unique new tool in their battle against many fungal and bacterial diseases.
  • MyLand, a leader in soil health innovation, is proud to announce the launch of a new Educational Hub in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a leading Texas research agency in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences. The Education Hub will feature six online courses designed to educate individuals on the importance of soil health. Each will include expert contributions from both MyLand and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. The first course, “Introduction to Soil Health,” is now available with the remaining courses to follow. Each course will be open to anyone with an interest in learning about optimal soil health — from growers and ranchers to educators and environmental advocates.
  • Agrauxine by Lesaffre announces its new bio-nematicide, Atroforce, to the marketplace. The active ingredient is Trichoderma atroviride strain K5. It is applied as a seed treatment as well as in-furrow, drip or sub irrigation. It is labeled for use on soybeans, corn, cotton and potatoes as well as other cereal grains, brassicas, cucurbits and fiber type plants.
  • According to new data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), U.S. sales of Ag tractors and combines fell in December 2024 compared to the year before. U.S. Sales of Ag tractors fell 11.3 percent while combine sales fell 26.4 percent in December 2024 compared to 2023.
  • Researchers have been updating the map of known soybean cyst nematode (SCN) distribution regularly since 2000, and with each update, the threat spreads. The latest update, spearheaded by Iowa State University (ISU) nematologist Greg Tylka, reveals 31 counties in 10 U.S. states reporting SCN for the first time during the 2020 through 2023 timeframe. In Canada, 10 rural municipalities in Quebec and three counties across Manitoba and Ontario reported SCN for the first time over that three-year span. Most of the primary soybean-producing areas in the U.S. and Canada overlap the SCN distribution map. In the U.S., SCN is in every county of Illinois and Iowa, the top two soybean-producing states.
  • Ceradis B.V., a global developer and marketer of environmentally friendly plant nutrition and crop protection solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lon Kreger as its new Sales and Marketing Leader. Kreger will succeed Jan Stechmann, who is leaving Ceradis to pursue an executive management position outside the agriculture sector.
  • Stine Seed Company is proud to announce the launch of its new lineup of soybean blends. These products combine elite genetics with advanced trait packages to deliver unmatched yield stability, disease tolerance and adaptability across a wide range of environments.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture