by Jon Doggett and Bob Dinneen (Des Moines Register/National Corn Growers Association/Renewable Fuels Association) To put it bluntly, farmers and renewable fuel industry workers who take the time to read the Project 2025 recommendations on agriculture and energy are likely to be
crop insurance
Back TO HOMEUS Farmers Want to Adapt to Climate Change, But Crop Insurance Won’t Let Them
by Miranda Jeyaretnam (Bloomberg/Yahoo!) ... (Gail) Fuller is one of a growing number of farmers who are uninsured or under-insured because the industry doesn’t support switching from traditional to regenerative farming, an approach that has the potential to sequester enough carbon
July 29, 2024 Read Full Article
A Crop Insurance Provider's Advice for Adding Sustainable Practices
by Cheyenne Kramer (AgWeb) With the adoption of sustainable farming practices on the rise, more producers may be looking at how double or relay cropping fits into their operations. Sheila Backer, assistant vice president of underwriting at Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance,
July 02, 2024 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Improvements to Camelina Pilot Insurance Program
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced improvements to the camelina pilot crop insurance program for the 2025 and succeeding crop years. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding coverage options by allowing enterprise units and increasing
June 28, 2024 Read Full Article
SAF Still an Open Issue for Agriculture
(NAFB News Service/Matt Kaye/Berns Bureau/American Ag Network) Sustainable Aviation Fuel tax treatment remains in limbo despite months of regulatory efforts and, most recently, a push to include the treatment of SAF crops in the House farm bill. Biofuel producers and feedstock
June 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Avoiding SAF Flight Cancellation: Airline Industry, Others Stress Need for Sustainable Aviation Fuels to Take Off
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Airlines and businesses tied to the bioeconomy are stressing how critical the right policies will be to help fully develop a market for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) that can help create a new market for
March 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Bold Actions to Accelerate the Bioeconomy: Report from Ottawa Meet-up of the Bold Goals Action Group
by Jim Lane (REenergize the Gulf Coast) In Ottawa, on the sidelines of the Jeff Passmore’s SCALING UP meeting, a coalition of the willing known as the Bold Goals Action Group refined and amended a series of 37 Bold Actions that must be
December 05, 2023 Read Full Article
Bold Actions to Accelerate the Bioeconomy: Findings from the Bold Goals Action Group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In San Francisco on the sidelines of the ABLC NEXT 2023 meeting, a coalition of the willing called the Bold Goals Action Group outlined a series of 31 Bold Actions that must be taken by industry
October 31, 2023 Read Full Article
Crop Insurance Rules Challenge Airlines' Ambitious Biofuel Plans
by Jana Rose Schleis (Agri-Pulse) America’s airlines have ambitious plans for using more biofuel, and the feedstocks in their sights include obscure oilseed crops such as camelina. However, crop insurance policy stands in the way. READ MORE
July 26, 2023 Read Full Article
USDA Helps Agricultural Producers Meet Demand for Camelina
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it will expand insurance for camelina in direct response to the anticipated increase in demand for the crop for biofuel production. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding
July 12, 2023 Read Full Article
NRDC: COVER Act Will Finally Make Cover Crop Benefits Accessible to All Farmers
(Natural Resources Defense Council) A key bicameral bill to incent the use of cover crops across the country was re-introduced today (May 18, 2023). The Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience (COVER) Program Act, which would provide a $5 per
May 31, 2023 Read Full Article
The Next Farm Bill Could Be a Historic Climate Law – if Congress Can Agree on It
by Max Graham (Grist) Will the legislation help turn agriculture, a climate problem, into a climate solution? ... But environmental groups and some farmer advocacy organizations are lobbying Congress to turn this year’s bill — due for an update by October —
April 04, 2023 Read Full Article
Yield10 Bioscience and Mitsubishi Corporation Sign MOU to Evaluate the Establishment of a Partnership to Supply, Offtake and Market Camelina as a Feedstock Oil for Biofuel
(Yield10) Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN) (“Yield10” or the “Company”), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced that it has signed with Mitsubishi Corporation (“Mitsubishi”) a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to evaluate the establishment of a partnership to supply, offtake and market Camelina
February 01, 2023 Read Full Article
Bacon Demands Administration 'Defend the Midwest'
by Lydia Johnson (Agri-Pulse) Speaking on this week’s Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon said biofuels, trade, crop insurance and research are among his top issues for the farm bill and discussed his role in finding common ground in the House with
January 30, 2023 Read Full Article
Cover Crop Bill Could Turn Over a New Leaf in Sustainable Agriculture
by Elina Lingappa and Savannah Bertrand (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In July 2022, Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.) introduced the Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program (COVER) Act (H.R.8527) to increase the adoption of cover crops. Cover crops are not harvested for sale or consumption, but
December 07, 2022 Read Full Article
Climate Change Threatens to Unbuckle U.S. Corn Belt — Study
by Daniel Cusick (Politico Pro) Even under moderate-emission scenarios, the Corn Belt of the Upper Midwest will become "unsuitable to the cultivation of corn by 2100," research shows. The U.S. Corn Belt may no longer grow its namesake commodity by century's
May 28, 2022 Read Full Article
Cover Crop Series Articles
(Agri-Pulse)1. Saving the planet by saving the soil: Can cover crops fulfill their promise? 2. Making cover crops pay off: what it takes to cover the cost 3. Cover crops as cash crops: Farmers angle to profit off the practice 4. Direct checks could ignite cover
December 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Dollars in the Dirt: Big Ag Pays Farmers for Control of their Soil-Bound Carbon
by Rod Nickel and Karl Plume (Reuters) The biggest global agriculture companies are competing on a new front: enticing farmers to join programs that keep atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide in the soil. Fertilizer producers Nutrien Ltd (NTR.TO) and Yara (YAR.OL), agribusiness giant Cargill Inc (CARG.UL), and
October 25, 2021 Read Full Article
With Assistance, Agriculture Can Help with Climate Change
by Collin Peterson (Minneapolis Star Tribune/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) ... According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agriculture accounts for just 10% of U.S. CO2 emissions, with livestock accounting for just 4%. On a net basis, agriculture and forestry actually eliminate more
July 07, 2021 Read Full Article
The Great Success of the Virtual 2020 Algae Biomass Summit
(Algae Biomass Organization) The virtual Algae Biomass Summit concluded last week, and the most significant takeaway was that the new online format provided a more dynamic collaboration than ever before, and with larger group of participants spread across the globe. Speakers, poster presenters,
October 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Congresswoman Pingree Introduces the Agriculture Resilience Act to Promote Farmer-Driven Climate Solutions Legislation Sets Goal of Reaching Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in U.S. Agriculture by 2040
(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. “Farming has always been a
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Sizzlin’ Summit: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Algae in the 2019 Farm Bill
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At the hot and happenin’ Algae Biomass Summit in Orlando, Florida,Steve Mayfield, Director at UCSD California Center for Algae Biotechnology and Martin Sabarksy, CEO of Cellana, gave this illuminating introduction of some of the latest
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
All About Algae: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to ABO
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae Biomass Organization advocates for algae-advancing policy and funding, serves as a hub for innovation and networking, and drives demand for “made with algae” products and services. Mark Allen, Chairperson of ABO, offers this enlightening overview of
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Hemp Is Hot! The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial Hemp
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Holland & Knight, a law firm based in Washington, D.C. and in the know of the fast changing federal regulations and rules, spoke at the Digest’s webinar this week about the road ahead for industrial hemp.
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Why Democrats Should Visit Farm Communities
by Jennifer Rubin (Washington Post) A new report confirms that President Trump is causing the most pain in areas of the country that were the most supportive of his 2016 campaign. Personal income for farmers fell by the most in three years in
May 01, 2019 Read Full Article
The Next Chapter for Algae: The Farm Bill of 2018 Recognizes Algae as a Crop for the First Time. Will We Be Bold Enough to Treat It Like One?
by Rebecca White (iWi (Qualitas Health, Inc.)/Biofuels Digest) This Wednesday marks a major milestone in the history of the American algae industry: the first meeting in which the Biomass R&D Board Technical Advisory Committee officials will discuss algae as an agricultural crop. Up
March 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Rural America Is Ready for Some Sort of a New Deal, Preferably Green
by Art Cullen (The Guardian) Here in farming country we have the opportunity to rethink our approach to renewable energy and food production -- ... Meanwhile, we’re losing our precious topsoil and polluting our rivers – killing the Gulf of Mexico in
March 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Environmental Benefits of Energy Crops: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to University of Illinois Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been researching the economic incentives and policy implications of energy crops such as miscanthus and switchgrass. Madhu Khanna, from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, gave this illuminating overview of the environmental benefits of energy crops
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Algae Agriculture Triumphs in Farm Bill Compromise
(Algae Biomass Organization) In a historic day for the algae industry, the U.S. Senate Tuesday approved a Farm Bill compromise that dramatically expands federal support for algae agriculture. The bill sets U.S. farm policy through 2023. It is expected to pass the House
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
New Report Finds EPA Could Be Doing Much More to Unlock Growth of Low-Carbon Biofuels
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The industry has been unable to produce the volumes called for under the advanced and cellulosic categories due to a variety of reasons – including the pace of technology, falling petroleum
December 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Laws of Biofuels Deployment, and TACs that Whack: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI Annual Meeting
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... This year, the TAC (Technical Advisory Committee of the Biomass R&D Board) did something about as audacious and rare as shouting loud praise of open markets and democratic values on the streets of Pyongyang. The
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Four Market and Policy Opportunities to Increase Agricultural Resilience
by Suzy Friedman, Colleen Willard and Stephanie Mercier (Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Farm Journal Foundation (FJF) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)) In July 2018, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Farm Journal Foundation (FJF) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) convened, “Market
December 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Put Algae in the Farm Bill!
(Algae Biomass Organization) ... Algae are fast becoming a significant component in food and health products, and it is time that this new crop was afforded the support by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that other crops have seen for decades. Thanks
August 30, 2018 Read Full Article
McConnell Introduces the Hemp Farming Act of 2018
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On April 12, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, bipartisan legislation that aims to legalize and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list
April 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Ag Policy Blog: Senators Detail Farm Bill Goals
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee are getting ready to move ahead on drafting a farm bill, ideally in April, and will seek to avoid the rancor over food assistance that has tied up
March 22, 2018 Read Full Article
Ag Secretary to Roll out Farm Bill & Legislative Principles in Pennsylvania
(Wisconsin State Farmer) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be in Pennsylvania Wednesday, Jan. 24 to roll out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Bill and legislative principles for 2018. READ MORE Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pulls back the curtain on the
January 24, 2018 Read Full Article
In Fulton, a Malt House Is Ready to Open -- in an Ethanol Plant
by Payne Horning (WRVO) Nearly 20 years after the Miller Brewing Plant in Fulton closed its doors, a new craft malt house is opening in the same factory. The 1886 Malt House is setting up shop in what is now the
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Farm Bill: Lower Expectations
by Jerry Hagstrom (DTN Progressive Farmer) About two-thirds of a bipartisan group of around 50 lobbyists said this week they expect Congress not to finish the farm bill until 2019 and think that it will spend 10% below the current
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Gearing Up for Farm Bill Season
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) EESI will take periodic looks at the ongoing debate surrounding the anticipated 2018 Farm Bill. This article is the first in the series. -- ... Amidst a backdrop of plunging commodity prices and
January 06, 2017 Read Full Article
USDA to Pay Farmers More than $7 Billion Due to Low Crop Prices
by Tom Polansek (Reuters) The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay more than $7 billion of taxpayers' money to farmers this fall to keep them afloat in the face of low crop prices, agency officials said on Tuesday. The USDA released the
October 05, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA Results: Powering America with a More Sustainable Energy Future
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) ... The Obama Administration has pursued a carefully balanced approach, deploying technologies that improve the very best of our existing energy sources, while rigorously implementing policies that invest in the second and third generations of tomorrow’s fuels. ... In
October 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Crop Insurance Gives Farmers More Planting Flexibility
(US Department of Agriculture) Insurance Changes Expand Farm Safety Net for Double Cropping -- Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse today announced that the federal crop insurance program will provide additional flexibility to farmers. The modifications center on the
June 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Insurance for New Biofuel Crop Now Available
(US Department of Agriculture/PRMediaRelease) Carinata Producers Need to Make Insurance Decisions Soon -- USDA’s Risk Management Agency today announced that producers in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota can insure carinata by written agreement under the canola and rapeseed insurance plans.
January 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Unearthed: A Rallying Cry for a Crop Program that Could Change Everything
by Tamar Haspel (The Washington Post) ...It’s crop-neutral insurance. But, dull as it sounds, it might be the key to getting our agriculture policy more in line with public health priorities. That goal is getting some attention. There’s broad-based discontent with the
February 06, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA Provides Greater Protection for Specialty Crop Growers
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that greater protection is now available from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for crops that traditionally have been ineligible for federal crop insurance. The new options, created
December 16, 2014 Read Full Article
Milo Poised to Help Water Woes in Western Kansas
by Tim Unruh (Salina Journal) Grain sorghum could be among the keys to reducing the massive mining of water in western Kansas, once it’s deemed economically desirable. Long an ugly stepcousin in the family of Kansas staple crops, grain sorghum —
December 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Benjamins for Biofuels in the 2015 Obama Budget: The Digest’s 7-Minute Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Vitally interested in President Obama’s proposed 2015 budget and the 411 on grants, incentives, tax credits, loan guarantees and R&D support — but haven’t got the time to read all 1653 glorious pages? Try the
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
White House Proposes Cuts to 2015 USDA Budget
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) The White House proposed Tuesday nearly $24 billion in discretionary spending for the U.S. Agriculture Department in its fiscal year 2015 budget proposal, a decline of close to $2.5 billion from the prior year. ... The
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Declining Corn Prices Hurting South Dakota Farmers
by Jeff Natalie-Lees (Aberdeen News) Corn is about one-half the price it was a year ago, a movement that will dramatically impact farmers' bottom lines. The cash price for corn at North Central Farmers Elevator in Ipswich on Monday was $3.71 per
October 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuel Crop in Need of Insurance Protection, Says University Professor
by Claire Everett (Daily Illini) ... Jody Endres, professor in environmental, natural resources and energy law, said while the USDA and other government agencies employ a variety of methods to encourage the growing of miscanthus for biofuel production, there is no crop
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Corn Growers Place Policy Priorities On Legislators' Desks
by Janell Baum (Farm Futures) National Corn Growers President Pam Johnson says NCGA membership ready to move forward on the farm bill; reinforces stance on Renewable Fuel Standard It's a common refrain at the 2013 Farm Progress Show – what will
August 29, 2013 Read Full Article
For Montana Biofuel, It's Not Easy Being Green
by Tom Lutey (Billings Gazette) When it was first promoted as a biofuel source perfect for the Montana plains, camelina looked to many like a weed. Seven tough years later, its persistence is being tested. Acres planted in the crop have plummeted
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Environmental Activists Attack Crop Insurance Industry
by David Rogers (Politico) ...At issue are government-backed premium discounts designed to make the insurance more affordable to farmers. While not truly cash subsidies, the costs have soared in recent years and fit neatly into the environmental narrative that Washington
June 01, 2012 Read Full Article
North Dakota State University Partner in $1 Million Energy Beet Project
(AgWeek/NDSU Agriculture Communication) A project that will develop an advanced biofuel from energy beets and provide growers across North Dakota with a new industrial crop is taking another important step forward, fueled by a significant two-year North Dakota Renewable Energy
February 03, 2012 Read Full Article
Risk Management Agency Announces Pilot Crop Insurance Program for Camelina
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) The USDA’s Risk Management Agency has developed a pilot program to insure camelina. The program, which will be available in selected counties in Montana and North Dakota for the 2012 crop year, will have a
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Camelina Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) Biofuel sources currently under development include algae, jatropha and camelina. Of the three, camelina is increasingly emerging as the frontrunner in attracting initial investment worldwide, as global demand for aviation fuel for passenger flights is now
December 06, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Announces New Insurance Pilot Program for Biofuel-Friendly Oilseed Crop with Potential to Create Jobs, Stimulate Rural Economies
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new pilot program of insurance for camelina beginning with the 2012 crop year. Camelina is an oilseed crop with the potential to create
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels' Potential to Transform the Global Economy
by John C.K. Daly (Oilprice.com) After years of existing largely as an environmentalist's fantasy, commercial production of biofuels for the world civil aviation industry is slowly becoming a fact, with production starting up across three continents. The leading contenders for biofuel