Author: staff

By Ryan Hanrahan Reuters reported earlier this week that “California lawmakers on Wednesday voted to allow the sale of a higher-ethanol gasoline blend that could help bring down fuel prices in the largest U.S. auto market. The sale of E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol, would be allowed immediately once the bill is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. California had been the only U.S. state that did not allow sales of the fuel.” “The move likely will benefit biofuel producers and corn farmers, as it will expand the market for their products to the most populous U.S. state,” Reuters reported.…

The California Legislature has approved a bill to authorize the immediate sale of E15, a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol, but the measure still needs the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration signaled strong opposition to advancing E15 ahead of a California Air Resources Board regulatory review. In testimony at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month on Assembly Bill 30, California Department of Finance officials labeled the bill as duplicative and unnecessary. A budget official pointed to the $2.3 million and 10 positions the Legislature approved this year for CARB to implement the new E15 standards, resources that will not be…

There was widespread degradation of drought conditions across areas of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor. The Lower Midwest saw some of the largest rainfall deficits, ranging from 3 to 5 inches. Short-term dryness and drought impact reports from the agricultural sector led to degradations in isolated areas of the Southeast and South. For the week, most of the eastern half of the U.S. experienced unseasonably cooler temperatures, while temperatures out West were above normal, especially across the Pacific Northwest and Desert Southwest. The temperature outlook shows above normal temperatures for much of…

Alex and Paul Mitchek grew up on a farm near Kit Carson, CO. During their senior year of high school, the brothers lost both of their parents to cancer. Determined to keep farming together, they began implementing regenerative practices and launched a cattle company. In addition to farming, Alex is earning an agronomy business degree and Paul purchased, remodeled, and reopened a cafe and motel in town. Watch Our Interview Meet the Mitcheks Kit Carson is a community of around 250 people in the High Plains of eastern Colorado. “There were nine kids in our graduating class, and we were…

Congress has returned to Washington after the August recess. House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson told Agri-Pulse Newsmakers he still wants to take committee action on “farm bill 2.0” in September and is eyeing including farm aid payments funded through tariff revenue. During the conversation, some of the top issues facing agriculture this fall were discussed: Farm income, trade, ag labor reform, the USDA reorganization plan, and his priorities in “farm bill 2.0.” Then, Callie Eideberg with the Vogel Group and Tom Sell with Combest, Sell & Associates discussed the USDA’s farm income forecast, trade, and the possibility of…

Key Takeaways Weather split the state — Northern Illinois had late-August rains supporting crop fill, while the southern two-thirds had one of the driest Augusts on record.Corn is ahead of average growth stages — More Illinois corn has reached dough, dent, and mature growth stages compared to respective five-year averages, though disease pressure like southern rust and tar spot may slightly impact yields.Soybean conditions lag behind the national average — Most fields are setting pods and dropping leaves earlier than average, but overall crop ratings show more stress in Illinois compared to the national average. USDA published the latest Crop…

Key Takeaways Some states are thriving — certain regions report over 80% of their corn and soybean crops in top condition.Others are struggling — a few states are seeing just about half their crops rated good/excellent. The USDA reported the most recent condition ratings for corn and soybeans earlier this week. There are clear “winners” — states with the highest rated crops — and “losers” — states with the lowest rated crops.  Read more about which states came out on top, and which are trending the wrong way just before harvest. Corn Winners: Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin As of Aug. 31,…

By Tom Polansek CHICAGO, Sept. 4 (Reuters) – Tyson Foods TSN.N sought to reassure investors that it has succession plans in place on Thursday, after announcing this week that an executive seen by some analysts as a possible future CEO left the company over conduct violations. The meatpacker said late on Tuesday that Chief Supply Chain Officer Brady Stewart, who has also overseen its beef, pork and prepared foods businesses, ran afoul of its code of conduct. Tyson representatives have not responded to questions about the violations. The company appointed Devin Cole, who led its poultry and international businesses, as chief operating officer and said he will oversee those…

By Jacob Orledge The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality is advising the public to avoid a 2-mile stretch of the Cannonball River in Hettinger County after a chemical spill Wednesday.  The spill, which included 200 gallons of diluted herbicides and approximately 15 gallons of diesel, occurred Wednesday morning when a tractor and sprayer fell into the Cannonball River roughly a mile west of New England in southwest North Dakota.  “From the sound of everything I was getting, I think he just got too close to the bank and the bank gave way,” said Bill Suess, manager of the Department…

Researchers led by Ken Shirasu at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science in Japan have identified an ancient protein that has the potential to help defend plants against tens of thousands of different bacteria and other pathogens. Dubbed “SCORE,” this receptor detects cold-shock protein — variations of which are found in more than 85 percent of known bacteria, as well as fungi and insects. Experiments published Sept. 4 in the journal Science revealed that simply swapping out key sections of SCORE with substitutes can predictably change the type of cold-shock protein, and thus pathogen, it recognizes. This strategy could…