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Secretary Naig announces 33 renewable fuels infrastructure grants to expand E15 access across Iowa
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board approved 33 ethanol infrastructure grants during its quarterly meeting on March 11, supporting new and expanded biofuel infrastructure projects at fuel retailers in 25 counties across Iowa. The approved ethanol projects represent more than $2.12 million in state cost-share grants and will help fuel retailers install or upgrade equipment needed to offer E15 (Unleaded 88),...
South American conditions look to hold for the near future
Last week, we looked at how the American weather models were shaping up as we head into the winter. Our concerns are mostly with replenishing water in our soils. We aren?t only paying attention to the weather in the United States. In South American production areas,...
Ethanol production hits lowest level since 2020
The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output dropped to the lowest level in more than two years, while inventories were down slightly during the last week of 2022. Production dropped to an average of 844,000 barrels per day. That?s down from 963,000...
U.S. Export Sales Report (1-6-23)
There wasn?t anything extravagant in the first export sales report of 2023. Corn was slightly bearish to neutral, while soybeans had a somewhat favorable report. Allendale commodity broker Greg McBride provided an analysis of the latest U.S. Export Sales...
New WOTUS rule could push input costs even higher
Reaction from agriculture groups across the country to the Environmental Protection Agency?s new Waters of the U.S. rule has largely been negative.Critics say that the new rule still leaves a lot of uncertainty and unanswered questions. In addition, the new rule could...
Several trade issues surfacing for 2023
With two newly confirmed ag trade officials- Doug McKalip and Alexis Taylor- the U.S. has a significant trade agenda for 2023. Dave Salmonsen, American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Government Affairs Director, said the Biden administration is engaged in several...
Farmers and others don?t get a snow day
Winter has been doing all it can to make our lives difficult fo the past few weeks. Since right before Christmas, we have been getting snow dumped on us. Folks in the north have seen more than the rest of us. I just got out of Minnesota for my Christmas visit before...
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Grill pork this Labor Day holiday
The first tailgating weekend and the final summer holiday are right around the corner, so what locally grown meats will you be putting on the grill? Iowa is the number one pork producing state, so if that’s your protein of choice this weekend, National Pork Board’s...
Vilsack defends administration’s ethanol policy and climate-smart programs
Today, at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the Biden Administration's approach to supporting family farmers and the biofuels industry. Vilsack touted the department's Climate Smart Agriculture partnerships during his...
More affordable input costs providing options for growers
Even though harvest is just around the corner in the state of Iowa, it’s never too early to start thinking about the spring. Mike Howell, senior agronomist, with Nutrien says that once the grain is in the bins it is time to start the fact-finding process and...
Farm futures releases 2024 planting estimates
Farmers are gearing up for the 2023 harvest season with an eye already on next year’s crop. A Farm Futures August survey finds growers are expecting to plant 93.1 million acres of corn in 2024, down one percent from this year’s total acreage. Shrinking revenue...
Ag group asks Congress to evaluate trade policy in Farm Bill
Today we are one month from the deadline of the Farm Bill. We need to have the 2023 Farm Bill in place or extend the current bill until a new Farm Bill is voted on. All recent signs point to the fact that the new legislation is on the front burner, but there is only a...
