Alden, Iowa-based Summit Group announced a project to build the first modern corn ethanol plant in Brazil during the 2014 Farm Progress Show. The project will consist of a US$140 million ethanol plant near Lucas do Rio Verde in Mato Grosso, a leading agricultural state in west central Brazil and the country’s largest producer of corn and soybeans. The project … Read More
Iowa Governor Visits Farm Progress Show
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad paid a visit to the 2014 Farm Progress Show Tuesday and met with some of the show’s international visitors. “I do a lot of international travel to promote what we produce in Iowa,” said Branstad. “We are the leading corn producing state, leading soybean producing state, leading pork producing state, leading egg producing state, we also … Read More
Hick Chick Chat from The Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip
Last week I crossed one thing off my bucket list thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association and ZimmComm. I was able to attend and cover the 2014 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. The Legendary Buffalo Chip opened for the first time in 1981 hosting the Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling (TM) and the Best Party Anywhere (TM) There’s … Read More
Hick Chick Chat: Rolling into Sturgis
I’m really excited to announce that Chuck and Cindy have offered me a bucket list opportunity to attend the 74th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I’ll be joining the team from the Renewable Fuels Association and their quest to bring more awareness to the motorcycle community about E10 in their fill-ups. They will have their “free fuel happy hours” again this … Read More
Syngenta & QCCP Talk Cellulosic at Iowa Speedway
Our Joanna Schroeder covered last week’s NASCAR racing activities at Iowa Speedway. Here’s one of her stories on the Saturday race sponsor: Syngenta and Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) are collaborating to produce cellulosic ethanol from corn kernels as well as to license the technology to other ethanol plants. The first-of-its-kind technology is known as Adding Cellulosic Ethanol (ACE Project) … Read More
Hick Chick Chat about Illinois Ethanol Bill
The Illinois Corn Growers Association and Illinois Renewable Fuels are supporting legislation that would allow consumers more choice at the fuel pump. Consumer Fuel Choice for Illinois (SB 52/HB 165) would eliminate the 20% Illinois state sales tax incentive for E-10 and establish a 10% Illinois state sales tax incentive for E-15, which models the successful program originally created by … Read More
REPREVE Launches Precision Biomass System
A North Carolina-based biomass company has launched a brand new system for the production of high-yielding energy crops that can be used to make renewable, bio-based products. REPREVE® RENEWABLES LLC is collaborating with farmers and landowners across the country to use the innovative biomass crop system grow giant miscanthus grass on marginal and underutilized land. REPREVE developed a comprehensive solution … Read More
Childress: Ethanol a Winner for Racers & Farmers
The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing this week on advanced biofuels. One of the witnesses at the hearing was NASCAR team owner Richard Childress who talked about the many benefits of corn-based biofuels, such as the higher fuel performance he has seen in more than five million miles of racing since the E15 ethanol blend was introduced in the … Read More
Ag Secretary Visits NAFB
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack made a trip to Kansas City to visit with farm broadcasters during the 70th National Association of Farm Broadcasting Annual Convention. The Secretary centered his comments around the RFS announcement, record levels of exports, drought issues and of course, the farm bill. Vilsack started off by thanking all the farm broadcaster for the work that they do … Read More
New Holland Helping Farmers and Ethanol
Farmers who provide corn for ethanol plants can get special discounts on New Holland equipment and help the ethanol industry at the same time. New Holland district sales manager Bob Kacher says their American Ethanol Producers Club is an initiative they developed two years ago with Growth Energy to help both growers and the ethanol industry. “It offers the opportunity … Read More