Monday October 25 Harvest Progress Report + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
 
For the week ending October 24, 2021, there were  5.9 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 8% very short, 32% short, 58% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 12% very short, 41% short, 45% adequate, and 2% surplus.
 
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 4% very poor, 7% poor, 18% fair, 44% good, and 27% excellent. Corn harvested was 60%, behind 73% last year, but ahead of 47% for the five-year average.
 
Soybeans harvested was 88%, behind 96% last year, but ahead of 77% average.
 
Winter wheat condition rated 2% very poor, 9% poor, 30% fair, 51% good, and 8% excellent. Winter wheat planted was 97%, equal to both last year and average. Emerged was 84%, near 82% last year and 86% average.  
 
Sorghum mature was 96%, near 98% both last year and average. Harvested was 72%, behind 79% last year, but ahead of 54% average.
 
Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 12% very poor, 19% poor, 53% fair, 15% good, and 1% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Harvest  was  in  full  swing  across  Iowa  until  precipitation  slowed  progress  over  the  weekend  and  limited farmers to 5.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 24, 2021, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Field activities continued to include harvesting soybeans and corn, fall tillage and applying fertilizer.
 
Topsoil moisture levels rated 7 percent very short, 23 percent short, 63 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Subsoil  moisture  levels  rated  14  percent  very  short,  31  percent  short,  53  percent  adequate  and  2 percent surplus.   
 
Sixty percent of Iowa’s corn for grain has been harvested, one week ahead of the five-year average. Producers across  much  of  the  State  have  approximately  two-thirds  of  their  corn  crop  harvested,  while  producers  in northeast and south central Iowa have more than half remaining to be harvested. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was 18 percent, unchanged from last week.  
 
Soybean harvest reached 83 percent,  six days ahead of the five-year average.  Although soybean harvest in the southern one-third of the State is still lagging behind, farmers in each of the southern districts harvested 18 percent or more of their soybean crop during the week ending October 24, 2021.
 
Pasture condition rated 32 percent good to excellent. Livestock were reported to be in good condition with some cattle grazing on stalks.  Muddy feedlots may be an issue following rain over the weekend.



USDA Reports Corn 66% Harvested, Soybeans 73% Harvested

Farmers took advantage of drier conditions most of last week -- before wetter weather arrived this past weekend -- to push corn and soybean harvest ahead by double digits, USDA NASS said in its weekly national Crop Progress report Monday.

After gaining 11 percentage points the previous week, corn harvest picked up speed last week, jumping ahead 14 percentage points to reach 66% complete as of Sunday, Oct. 24. That is 4 percentage points behind last year's pace but 13 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 53%.

Soybean harvest also accelerated last week, moving ahead 13 percentage points compared to 11 percentage points the previous week. An estimated 73% of soybeans are now harvested, 9 percentage points behind last year but 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 70%.

While the row-crop harvest continued to run ahead of normal last week, winter wheat planting maintained an average pace, reaching 80% complete as of Sunday, equal to the five-year average. Winter wheat emerged, pegged at 55%, was 4 percentage points behind the five-year average of 59%.

In its first winter wheat condition rating for the 2021-22 crop, NASS estimated the crop's condition at 46% good to excellent, up from 41% a year ago.

Also, USDA reports sorghum at full maturity was 96%, 3 percentage points ahead of average. Sorghum harvested was 71%, 11 percentage points ahead of average.



McVey, Vander Ley to lead UNL’s Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

Scott McVey, director of the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will also lead the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) near Clay Center as the interim director – a move that will more closely align the 30-year-old center that serves as a hub for the state’s beef industry with the university’s education mission.  

Brian Vander Ley, an assistant professor and veterinary epidemiologist, will serve as assistant director at the center, overseeing center facilities and local relationships, while continuing his research appointment.  

Over the past year renovation of student housing, addition of new team members, and creation of new internships opportunities have created a renewed focus on hands-on and experiential student learning opportunities at both the center, and at the adjoining U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), said Tiffany-Heng Moss, dean of UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.  

“The Great Plains Veterinary and Educational Center and U.S. MARC are two phenomenal platforms with a long history of serving the state’s beef and other livestock producers,” Heng-Moss said. More closely linking GPVEC with our school of veterinary medicine presents an incredible opportunity for our veterinary and animal science students to gain real-world experience and to become familiar with the many career opportunities available at both facilities and across our state. GPVEC is positioned to be the gold standard in food animal health and well-being educational training for veterinarians and those interested in integrated livestock production and health.”  

The new leadership structure opens the door to host veterinarians-in-residence or visiting faculty members from other universities with strong animal science programs, Heng-Moss said. The new structure also will strengthen UNL’s role in the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine, in which students complete two years of veterinary medicine education at UNL and then transfer to Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for the final two years of study, all while paying in-state tuition.  

“GPVEC has a tremendous legacy and has been a key component of the education of many food animal veterinary practitioners in Nebraska and North America for over 30 years,” McVey said. “It is exciting to continue this mission and find new, innovative approaches to be effective as educators. The integration of education, research, and extension occurs every day at the center.”

GPVEC opened in 1990 to serve as an information source for Nebraska’s beef industry. Its primary focus is to provide training for veterinary and graduate students, veterinary practitioners, beef producers, and industry stakeholders. UNL faculty members located at GPVEC are also engaged in both clinical research and extension work. For more information, visit http://gpvec.unl.edu.  

 

The Decision to Retain at Weaning During the Fall Calf Run
Elliott Dennis, Livestock Extension Economist, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

The CME futures market appears to be providing some incentives for producers to deliver cattle at later dates. As of October 25, 2021, there is about $2-3 per cwt. increase between contracts with Jan ’22 trading at $158.90 and Apr’22 trading at $163.38, all of which are higher than the Oct ’21 contract of $155.78 and the feeder cattle cash index of $153.35 per cwt.
 
So how does a producer take those signals and make a retention decision? One way is to combine CME futures price offerings with historical price data across different weights to calculate what is known as the “value of gain”. Then add current and expected feed prices to calculate the “cost of gain”. Finally, compare the calculated value and cost of gain - which provides a simple “feed/no-feed” decision. If the value of gain is greater than the cost of gain then there are financial incentives to retain and feed cattle. However, if the value of gain is less than the cost of gain then there are no market incentives to retain and feed cattle. That said, producers must consider unique factors that could either improve the value of gain or decrease the cost of gain such as additional premiums received from cattle at the time of sale or the ability to get cheaper feed resources from a relative or friend.
 
To illustrate this decision, I used a sample cow-calf operation in Nebraska that is looking to decide between selling 66 head of 450 lb. weaned steers calves in the middle of November or retaining these weaned calves and selling them in the middle of April at 750 lbs. Using this sample operation and current/forecasted feed prices, the calculated cost of gain was between $60-90 per cwt depending on the price assumptions and feed used with a 2 lb. per day gain. Using Beef Basis (https://beefbasis.com/) assuming the type of cattle and marketing dates, the calculated value of gain for that operation selling into the Lexington, NE livestock auction is $121.13 per cwt. Using this sample operation, there appear to be some financial incentives to retain cattle and put on additional weight.
 
Factors that Could Impact the Retention Decision
Weakening demand for beef and crop/forage conditions are two factors that could negatively impact the retention decision by either decreasing the value of gain or increasing the cost of gain. Strong retail and export beef demand has supported prices for livestock even given disruptions in the supply chain. However, beef exports have started to slow from their record-setting pace and as of yet, there are few advanced purchases for beef into 2022. This is one indication that the export markets have started to potentially move away from higher-priced US beef. In the domestic market, advanced purchases of wholesale beef from retail stores have also started to slow as well indicating that perhaps domestic retailers are more willing to live in the cash market and then adjust featured products in the short run. This is perhaps one of the first signs that the price of beef is just too high for retailers to take any longer.
 
High crop prices and decreased forage conditions are two factors that have been impacting cow-calf and feedlots during 2021. Harvest has started for corn and soybeans, and in some places already completed. Now everyone is looking to see what the actual yields are and how these factors into the feedlot’s cost of feed. This will have a large impact on what feedlots will be willing to pay for feeder cattle in the coming months and at what weight they desire to place feeder cattle. Lower yields and thus higher corn and soybean prices usually result in higher feed costs for feedlots reducing the price they are willing to pay for feeder cattle and creating higher premiums for heavier cattle relative to lighter cattle. Forage conditions, previous and future, continue to be a persistent concern for cow-calf producers. Some feeding regions are coming off two years of drought conditions and many producers have already sold off both feeder cattle and parts of the cowherd. National weather forecasts recently were updated and the probability of having another La Nina event this year is pegged at 90%. What this suggests is that weather will be colder in the Midwest and drier in the South and Southwest – not too dissimilar to 2020. If this weather forecast materializes, then the price for grass and hay will continue to rise, pasture rental rates adjusted higher, and likely continue the cow herd liquidation this has persisted over the last three years.
 
Protecting Output Price Under a Retention Decision
While the incentives to retain cattle and put on additional weight appear to be present this year in some locations, producers must calculate their operations value and cost of gain to determine if it is a correct decision. Using some form of risk management could be appropriate given the assumptions about volatility and price certainty. In situations where we are uncertain about the price direction, we need to know about the price volatility. If volatility is high (low) synthetic puts (LRP) is an appropriate tool to use. These risk management decisions could help limit some of the impacts of a negative price movement due to softening beef demand and potentially worsening crop/forage conditions under the situation where the producer decides to retain calves post-weaning.



UNL webinar to explore culling decisions for cattle producers

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability will host a webinar focused on the impact of price and management on culling decisions at noon on Nov. 4.

The webinar will look at price trends in cull cows and the impact of exports and domestic meat consumption on those prices. It will discuss what decisions need to be made for early cull or post-pregnancy-check cull cows, and address feed resource requirements.

Presenters from Nebraska Extension include Elliott Dennis, a livestock marketing specialist; Kacie McCarthy, a beef cow-calf specialist; and Karla Wilke, a range management cow-calf specialist.

To register for the webinar, visit the Center for Agricultural Profitability’s website at https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.



ADM, Gevo Sign MoU to Produce up to 500M Gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

ADM (NYSE: ADM), a global leader in nutrition and agricultural origination and processing, and Gevo, Inc., (NASDAQ: GEVO), a pioneer in transforming renewable energy into low carbon, energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons, announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other low carbon-footprint hydrocarbon fuels.

The MoU contemplates the production of both ethanol and isobutanol that would then be transformed into renewable low carbon-footprint hydrocarbons, including SAF, using Gevo’s processing technology and capabilities. About 900 million gallons of ethanol produced at ADM’s dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as its Decatur, Illinois, complex, is expected to be processed utilizing this technology, resulting in approximately 500 million gallons of SAF and other renewable hydrocarbons. The isobutanol is expected to be produced at a proposed new facility in Decatur that would employ ADM’s carbon capture and sequestration capabilities.

“The potential conversion of 900 million gallons of ethanol – more than half of our production capacity – to serve growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel would represent a major step in the continued evolution of our Carbohydrate Solutions business to focus increasingly on new, high-growth opportunities,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. “Carbohydrate Solutions is unlocking new value and meeting customer needs through the growth of our BioSolutions platform, with agreements like our LG Chem MoU; sustainable solutions supported by our carbon capture capabilities, like our net-zero carbon milling footprint in the U.S.; and the completion of our dry mill review, with the sale of our Peoria facility and this exciting collaboration with Gevo. Equally important, we’re continuing to live our purpose, with our entry into SAF representing another step in our strategic efforts to advance decarbonization and use our integrated value chain to deliver more sustainable, environmentally friendly products and services.”

“Our potential customer contract pipeline has grown to over 1 billion gallons,” said Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber, Ph.D. “By working with ADM, who already has committed to reducing their carbon footprint, we have the opportunity to accelerate scale. The technology to convert low carbon ethanol and isobutanol into SAF by Gevo is well developed and ready for world scale-commercialization. We look forward to working with ADM in the pursuit of Net-Zero fuels.”

Demand for SAF is expected to increase as major U.S. airlines, airports, shippers and the U.S. government have agreed to work together to advance the use of cleaner sustainable fuels. The U.S. and the EU have set goals that together would support almost 4 billion gallons of annual SAF production in 2030, and more than 45 billion by 2050.

The companies intend to work together to determine full commercialization plans and enter into definitive agreements enabling a timeline such that production of SAF can begin in the 2025-2026 timeframe.



2021 AFAN/WSA Annual Stakeholders Meeting Scheduled for Monday, Nov. 22

The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) and We Support Agriculture (WSA) will hold their joint 2021 annual stakeholders meeting Monday, November 22 at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in Lincoln.  

The meeting will open at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and conversation time, followed at 9:00 a.m. by the formal meeting. All AFAN and WSA partners and stakeholders are invited. A luncheon will follow and is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.  

A panel discussion will take place consisting of professionals in economic development who will share why agriculture processing is important and what a community must do to attract it. The AFAN/WSA meeting will include year-end reports by Steve Martin, Executive Director of AFAN and WSA, Kris Bousquet, Director of Livestock Development, and Rylee Stoltz, Director of Communications with AFAN. The reports will present the year’s accomplishments and provide a look into future opportunities for both organizations.  

Also included in the meeting will be the presentation of the Sand County Foundation’s 2021 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award to the Switzer Ranch of Loup County, Nebraska. Anyone interested in attending the annual meeting to learn more about AFAN and WSA and the future of animal agriculture in Nebraska must RSVP to Mindy Rix by November 15 by calling (402) 421.4472 or by emailing mindyr@a-fan.org.  



T-L Irrigation Co. Introduces Pro Version of Precision Point Touch Pivot Controller

T-L Irrigation Co. introduces Precision Point Touch Pro, an add-on board combined with a firmware upgrade that dials up simplicity, options and functionality for pivot system controls while decluttering the irrigation workspace.

The Pro board, which can be retrofitted to an existing Touch system or added as an option to a new pivot, combines into one simplified package:
     ·   Water pump control
     ·   Water-pressure triggered start
     ·   Two additional auxiliary equipment controls
     ·   Water pressure monitoring
     ·   Detailed safety readouts for easy troubleshooting
     ·   USB datalogging of multiple system parameters
     ·   Load control
     ·   Telemetry connect-ability

“Precision Point Touch Pro gathers functions once requiring several different systems and external hardware together into one simple, efficient full color touch-screen controller. Plus, the two auxiliary relays allow for greater flexibility and more precise management of the irrigation system as a whole,” says John Thom, T-L Irrigation Co. Vice President.

Besides eliminating the complication and expense of external hardware systems, Precision Point Touch Pro adds capabilities such as water pressure monitoring and management.

“You get a direct readout of water pressure on the panel,” says Neal Schlautman, T-L Irrigation Co. engineering manager. “You can also set a specific psi for the system to build to before the pivot kicks on, assuring the system is irrigating when it starts moving.

Safety inputs deliver specific readouts for troubleshooting. “It’s not just a ‘check-engine’ light, it’s a diagnosis of where the problem is,” Thom says.

Additional auxiliary relays that allow for specific degree inputs for turn on and shutoff makes it easy to dial in precise pivot management.

“A chemigation pump can be controlled to be on for corn and turn off when the pivot reaches the preprogramed spot where a split field switches to soybeans,” Thom says. The original Precision Point Touch has two end gun controls. With the Pro system, a producer can easily tie into the extra relays to control individual spans or an entire half of a pivot.

“The Pro panel upgrade just makes the whole irrigation process work seamlessly together,” Thom says.



USDA appoints Nebraska’s Bing to Food Safety Advisory Committee

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has appointed the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Bing Wang to serve two-year term on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).

Members of the committee are chosen based on their expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines. One individual affiliated with a consumer group is included in the membership of the committee to serve in a representational capacity.

“As we invest in strengthening our food systems by supporting improved production and processing, NACMCF members offer expert advice on scientific and technical food safety issues,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These individuals will play a significant role in helping to ensure the safety of our nation’s food supply.”

The activities of NACMCF are carried out, in part, by subcommittees that are focused on specific areas being considered by the full committee. NACMCF has made important contributions to a broad range of critical food safety issues. The committee reports provide current information and scientific advice to federal food safety agencies and serve as a foundation for regulations and programs aimed at reducing foodborne disease and enhancing public health. Federal food safety agencies involved with NACMCF are FSIS, FDA, CDC, Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service, and Department of Defense Veterinary Services.

The newly appointed NACMCF members to serve a two-year term are:
    Dr. Teshome Yehualaeshet, Tuskegee University
    Dr. Yaohua (Betty) Feng, Purdue University
    Dr. Bing Wang, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Dr. Randy W. Worobo, Cornell University
    Dr. Mahipal Kunduru, Topco Associates LLC
    Dr. Elisabetta Lambertini, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
    Ms. Joelle Mosso, Eurofins
    Dr. Max Teplitski, Produce Marketing Association
    Dr. Joseph (Stan) Bailey, bioMérieux
    Dr. Tanya Roberts, Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention
    Ms. Janell Kause, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
    Dr. Andreas Keller, HHS, Food and Drug Administration
    Lt. Col. Audrey McMillan-Cole, DVM, DoD, Defense Logistics Agency

NACMCF will hold a public meeting of the full Committee and Subcommittees from November 17, 2021 to November 19, 2021. The Committee will discuss the following two new charges: Enhancing Salmonella Control in Poultry Products and Cyclospora cayetanensis Contamination. For more details about NACMCF charges or to register to attend this meeting, go to FSIS’ website at www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices.



Students Leaders Prepare for the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo

FFA members and supporters from across the country will celebrate agriculture and agricultural education this week during the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

This time-honored tradition, which was held virtually last year, will once again be held in-person and hosted by the city of Indianapolis, Oct. 27-30, with some virtual components.

FFA members from across the country, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands are expected to participate in the event. Those who will not be able to participate in-person will have an option to participate in online components – ranging from the virtual FFA Blue Room to student and teacher workshops to general sessions. The FFA Blue Room will allow members to see how sustainability and innovation from the world’s brightest minds solve critical agriculture challenges. Students and teachers will be able to hear from industry leaders and more during workshops. They will be able to celebrate the achievements of their fellow FFA members as they watch the general sessions online.

Those attending in person will be able to participate in general convention sessions hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will be inspired by their peers who will be recognized for their accomplishments. They will be able to attend the expo, located in the Indiana Convention Center, and explore various career paths open to them. In addition, they can explore various careers by participating in career success tours and so much more! In addition, they will have a variety of entertainment opportunities open to them – from watching Brett Young, with special guest Alex Miller perform at the concert on Wednesday night to attending the rodeos on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

FFA members attending convention will also be able to participate in student and teacher workshops in person. They will hear from industry leaders, motivational speakers and more. Service has always been a part of the National FFA motto, and members will be able to participate in two new onsite service projects. The first will be the building of Little Free Pantries, which will be placed in and around Indianapolis to help improve access to food for those in need. The second opportunity will be to paint the Little Free Pantries or create uplifting cards for Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana.

FFA members who are unable to attend convention will still be able to participate in National Days of Service in their local communities through a virtual project that will last through the month of October. Chapters will need to register their chapter and report their service project and its impact on their community.

General convention sessions will be aired live on RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel, and streamed on FFA.org. FFA members and supporters can tune in and watch gavel-to-gavel coverage of the event. To learn more, visit convention.FFA.org.



ARS, Collaborating Scientists Tackling "Tar Spot" Threat to U.S. Corn

Helping farmers turn the tide on an emerging disease of corn called tar spot is the focus of a multi-organization team of scientists, including from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis, tar spot appears as black, roughly circular discolorations on the leaves, husks and stalks of corn plants. A tan halo sometimes surrounds the spore-filled spots, creating what's known as a fish-eye lesion. Outbreaks of the disease, which was first detected in northern Indiana and Illinois in 2015, can reduce grain yields by 20 to 60 bushels an acre. Tar spot is now also found in corn-growing areas of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, and southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Although fungicides offer the hardest-hitting counterpunch, resistance to tar spot disease in corn is far more preferable, according to Steve Goodwin, a plant pathologist with the ARS Crop Production and Pest Control Research unit in West Lafayette, IN.

There, in collaboration with fellow ARS scientists Raksha Singh, Matthew Helm and Charles Crane, Goodwin is working to manage tar spot on several research fronts:
-    Screening existing commercial corn varieties and germplasm lines for their resistance or susceptibility to tar spot so that growers can adjust their disease management practices accordingly.
-    Developing tools known as molecular markers to quickly and efficiently identify a gene known to confer tar spot resistance in corn, namely Qrtsc8. Identifying corn plants that lack the gene but are still resistant to the disease are also of interest, since an entirely new gene or genes unknown to science could be at play. Potentially, such sources of resistance could also prove useful in shoring up the crop's defenses even further.
-    Determining the biocontrol potential of a community of microorganisms known as the microbiome that was observed on tar-spot-resistant but not susceptible corn plants. "The main goal is to understand how environmental factors, plant growth stage and the associated corn microbiome affect tar spot disease progression and how all these factors are interconnected," said Raksha.  
-    Identification of several proteins the tar spot fungus uses to "short circuit" the defenses of susceptible plants—and how, in turn, these proteins could be exploited for better detection of different strains of the fungus and their severity in fields, noted Helm.    

On other fronts, university collaborators are conducting research to optimize the timing of fungicide sprays and evaluating rotations of corn with non-host crops to reduce the disease's severity and prevent the fungus from surviving the winter on debris from prior corn harvests.

Researchers are also pouring through existing literature on the biology of the tar spot fungus and building on what's known about it with genomic sequencing—a kind of decoding of its DNA playbook for causing disease in corn. One hope is that this will yield clues to new ways of controlling the fungus and preempting costly outbreaks like the one from 2018 to 2020, which claimed an estimated 241 million bushels of U.S. corn.

The effort is being carried out under the auspices of the National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS). Arising from a 2004 Homeland Security Presidential Directive, the NPDRS spotlights emerging plant disease threats and identifies what tools, infrastructure, communication networks and other resources will be necessary to protect U.S crops or recover from outbreaks that have already occurred.

Besides ARS, other partner organizations are Purdue University, Michigan State University, Iowa State University, The Ohio State University, University of Missouri, University of Florida and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico, where tar spot was first identified in 1904.



CHS expands E15 offering for the second time this year

The nation's leading agribusiness cooperative, CHS Inc., began offering E15 through 19 additional fuel terminals in early August 2021. CHS offers E15 at the following Magellan terminals: Alexandria, Minnesota; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Columbia, Missouri; Des Moines, Iowa; Doniphan, Nebraska; Fargo, North Dakota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Great Bend, Kansas; Mankato, Minnesota; Marshall, Minnesota; Mason City Iowa; Milford, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; Rochester, Minnesota; Springfield, Missouri; Waterloo, Iowa. The fuel will also now be available through the Nustar terminal in Jamestown, North Dakota; as well as the CHS terminal in McPherson, Kansas. In addition to these terminals, CHS already offers E15 at 10 Nustar terminals and one CHS terminal.  



New Ag Literacy Resource – Sharing the Story of Agriculture with Food and Farm Facts

Fascinating facts about food in America – how and where it is grown and who produces it – are at your fingertips in a new resource produced by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Order the new Food and Farm Facts book, map, pocket guide and related products in the series at Fb.org/store.

“With so many Americans interested in how our food system works, Food and Farm Facts is the perfect resource at the perfect time,” said Foundation Chairman Zippy Duvall, who also serves as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Food and Farm Facts helps answer questions that learners of all ages may have, including “Where does our food come from and who grows it?” The 32-page, full-color book features updated facts and easy-to-read infographics about U.S. agriculture that can be used in a variety of ways to help increase agricultural literacy. The book would be a valuable resource in the classroom, at fairs and events, for student leadership organizations and when creating social media posts.

The book is organized by section (Consumers, Modern Farmers, Trade & Economics, Environment and Production). New in this edition of the book is information on how farmers are producing more on fewer acres and how they sustainably manage and preserve soil.    

Copies of Food and Farm Facts may be purchased for $4.25 each (up to 49 copies). Price breaks are available for multi-copy purchases starting at 50: 50-99 copies, $3.50 each; 100 or more copies, $2.50 each. Each copy of the book includes a color “Abundant Agriculture” map poster depicting top agricultural products produced in every state. A pocket guide version of Food and Farm Facts (100 copies for $10) that features several popular infographics from the book is also available.

Additional Food and Farm Facts products created by the Foundation will be available later this fall. These include free classroom activity cards for grades 4-6 and a PowerPoint game for grades 7-12 developed using national learning standards and state “common core” standards that reflect the knowledge and skills young people need for success in college and careers.



Amid Energy Crisis, Attempt to Reduce Access to Low-Carbon, Low-Cost Biofuels is Shortsighted

Amid a global energy crisis and rising fuel prices at pumps across the country, members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Emily Skor released the following statement slamming the legislation for trying to reduce Americans’ access to homegrown, low carbon biofuels:

“Now, more than ever, we need to be incorporating more homegrown, low-cost, and low-carbon biofuels into our fuel supply. It’s tone deaf to introduce legislation to repeal the RFS during a global energy crisis while Americans are facing rapidly rising fuel prices at the pump.

“The RFS was signed into law over a decade ago to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and increase the blending of low-carbon biofuels, saving consumers up to $0.10 per gallon at the pump. Additionally, a recent study conducted by ABF Economics shows that moving to a nationwide adoption of  E15 -- a fifteen percent ethanol blend -- would save consumers $12.2 billion in annual fuel costs. We should be moving towards not away from homegrown solutions to lower fuel costs at the pump and fulfill our nation’s promise of more clean energy options.”

“We look forward to working with our champions in Congress to make sure this bill moves no further than introduction.”

Background
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was first signed into law in 2005 and renewed and expanded in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  

Sixteen years later, the RFS is one of America’s great energy success stories, and the bedrock policy that forged our nation’s global-leading biofuels industry. It provides consumers with real choices and savings at the pump, while strengthening our rural economy, lowering our carbon footprint, and delivering greater energy independence by requiring a modest but growing amount of biofuels be blended into our nation’s transportation fuel supply.   

Today, 98 percent of gasoline in the U.S. contains 10 percent ethanol.



RFA Stresses Tech-Neutral, Market-Based Approach to California Emissions Reduction

In comments submitted late last week, the Renewable Fuels Association reminded the California Air Resources Board that the state’s path toward achieving its carbon reduction targets should be technology neutral, inclusive of a broad array of low- and zero-carbon technologies. RFA also recommended that CARB rely on more realistic assumptions and feasible scenarios as it develops its plan to achieve statewide carbon neutrality by 2045 or sooner.

RFA submitted the comments in response to a CARB workshop on September 30, in which the agency laid out possible scenarios for meeting the long-term carbon reduction goals of Assembly Bill 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

“We have learned from the success of California’s LCFS that technology-neutral and inclusive approaches driven by market-based performance standards are the most effective,” wrote RFA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis. “Developing scenarios can be illustrative but should not be designed in a way to close out known and even unknown technologies that can contribute to meeting carbon neutrality goals.”

Davis also spotlighted the importance of efforts to achieve the greatest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and that ethanol can continue to play an important role for California.

“Ethanol blended into California gasoline at ten percent blends has delivered the single largest (35%) source of GHG reductions under the LCFS since its inception in 2011,” she wrote. “Higher blends of low carbon ethanol in the current gasoline pool represent the nearest term and most affordable path for immediate reductions of GHG emissions from the light-duty fleet.”

In addition, Davis told the agency that RFA supports California’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, and shared a letter sent to President Biden in July, signed by all RFA’s producer members, committing the industry to carbon neutrality by 2050. Many ethanol producers will achieve this result well in advance of 2050.

These new comments from RFA were submitted in addition to those filed earlier as a joint effort of  RFA, Aemetis Inc., Alto Ingredients Inc., Calgren Renewable Fuels, Growth Energy, the National Corn Growers Association, Pearson Fuels, Propel, POET and RPMG.