Thank You America’s Farmers

In Current News, Food vs Fuel, Sustainability by Chuck

It’s that special day of the year when we have a chance to thank America’s farmers and ranchers for all they do to help feed us and the world. You can find lots of good facts and figures on the National Ag Day website which is coordinated by the Agriculture Council of America. For example: From a team of horses …

Outlook Focus on Ethanol

In Current News, Ethanol, Farming, Food vs Fuel, Sustainability by Cindy

Biofuels were in the spotlight last week at USDA’s 2008 Outlook Forum with the theme “Energizing Rural America in the Global Marketplace.” The opening plenary session included Paul Schickler of DuPont/Pioneer Hi-Bred and Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association, who made up half the panel talking about biofuels and new technology increasing yields to meet the demand for both …

Investigate the Golf Courses

In Environmental, Ethanol, Sustainability by Ken

NCGA has a wealth of information when it comes to the use of water in corn and ethanol, and one of the factoids we use is that the average-size ethanol plant uses about as much water as a municipal golf course. Regarding this subject, I found this recent article from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association made a good point. Snippet: The …

Book Discusses Sustainability of Ethanol

In E85, Ethanol, Sustainability by Ken

Every now and then someone sends us at NCGA a book to read … and every now and then we actually get the chance to review it. A few weeks ago, we received Sustainable Ethanol, by the brothers Jeffrey and Adrian Goettemoeller. Ethanol will be big news in the years ahead, and this book helps lay out arguments why it …

In ethanol story, Journal forgets journalism

In Current News, Ethanol, Sustainability by Ken

In typical glass-is-half-empty reportage, Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal featured a front-page story on ethanol that emphasized the negative while skirting around all the positive sides of the issue that would have made for a much more balanced discussion. It is sad that a paper the caliber of the Journal would recite, without checking the facts, the usual litany of complaints …

Compare Fertilizer Use Correctly

In Environmental, Sustainability, Video by Chuck

A subject that is very misunderstood when it comes to growing corn is fertilizer. Here’s another installment of our Corn Commentary video series that was produced at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention. In it NCGA CEO Rick Tolman helps you better understand what’s going on in corn production as it relates to fertilizer. For example, Rick says …

Could Biofuels Benefit the World’s Hungry?

In Environmental, Ethanol, Food vs Fuel, Sustainability by Cindy

Now here’s a story that flies in the face of the whole food versus fuel flap. Worldwatch Institute, “an independent research organization that works for an environmentally sustainable and socially just society,” has just authored a new book called Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture. In it, the authors make the startling claim that the …

Genetically Engineered Sustainability

In Biotechnology, Environmental, Sustainability by Cindy

This photo from the image library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows crops or products that have either already been genetically engineered or are involved in ongoing or planned transgenic studies. Biotechnology and genetic engineering are often a source of controversy because of fears that modifying crops genetically could impact human health or biodiversity or something. But a recent …