RFA Ethanol Podcast

AgGateway Members Get Policy Update

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The 2026 AgGateway Annual Meeting & Conference this week in Nashville featured an ag policy update from one of the most well-respected analysts in the industry. Mary Kay Thatcher has been working for agriculture in Washington D.C. for over 40 years between her work with American Farm Bureau and then Syngenta.

Considering the new Congress that will be taking over in January, Thatcher says there’s a lot of opportunity for agriculture to educate some new members. “We’re going to have more new members of Congress than we’ve had in a very long time, 20% in the Senate, new members, and 25% in the House. So certainly it’s going to be a lot of work to get to know those folks, to do some education, to try to get them on our friendship side, but the opportunities are really great,” said Thatcher.

While there will be many new faces on the agriculture committees, Thatcher says there are many other committees that impact the industry. “It’s always sexy to say who’s going to be on the Senate Ag Committee, who’s going to be on the House Ag Committee, and certainly those are important, but the fact is a lot of the issues that we really care about in agriculture don’t go through the Ag Committee,” Thatcher said. “Think about immigration policy, taxes, trade, water resources and all the money for transportation issues, environmental regs, oversight of EPA, none of those things come through the Ag Committee. They come through commerce and energy and commerce and environment and ways and means, et cetera. So we need to focus on making sure that we have people who understand agriculture represented on those committees, too.”

As far as the rest of this Congress goes, Thatcher does not expect much. “I don’t look for a lot to happen in lame duck, hence the name lame duck, but there are some things. I mean, we run out of federal government funding on December 11th, so we have got to pass an extension of that or the government shuts down….And then I think we have to do a farm bill extension. Everyone would like there to be a full skinny farm bill or farm bill part two, whatever you call it. I think that’s less likely than an extension. Extension will get done. And then beyond that, it’s kind of anybody’s guess about how hard do people really want to work.”

Hear more of MKT’s election reaction and comments on ag policy in this interview:
Interview with Mary Kay Thatcher 12:40

2026 AgGateway Annual Meeting photo album

AgGateway, Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Policy, politics

Students Network at AgGateway Annual Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

L-R: Sharma, Hicks, Boyd, Platt, Britt, Bernstein, and Davu

Seven students from four universities have been attending the 2026 AgGateway Annual Meeting and Conference this week in Nashville, engaging with attendees, sitting in on educational sessions, and learning more about the many career opportunities that agriculture has to offer.

The students are part of the Gateway to Ag Careers program, hosted by AgGateway and sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable, with additional support from Syngenta.

“It’s been a really successful program for us over the years, and we’ve got a cohort of seven this year that have just knocked it out of the park,” said Brent Kemp, AgGateway President and CEO. “They’re embedded, they’re having a great time, they’re asking questions, and they’ve got some really exciting stories to share. I look forward to keeping up with them in the future.”

The following students (pictured from left to right above) are:
Aryan Sharma, Purdue University
Madison Hicks, North Dakota State University
Anslee Boyd, Mississippi State University
Kristen Platt, Arizona State University
Ella Britt, Mississippi State University
Eleanora Bernstein, Arizona State University
Avyukta (Avi) Davu, Purdue University

AgGateway started the program because agriculture’s long-term sustainability will rest on its ability to attract the best and brightest among the next generation of college graduates to build long-term careers in the industry. The nomination process requires students to submit an essay and a letter of recommendation and additional supporting documentation from their instructor or adviser.

Listen to brief interviews with each of the students here:
Interview with AgGateway scholarship winners 5:59

2026 AgGateway Annual Meeting photo album

ag retailers, AgGateway, Agribusiness, Audio, Education

AgGateway Driving the Future of Connected Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

CEO Brent Kemp addresses AgGateway conference

Ag policy and artificial intelligence are in the spotlight this week at the AgGateway Annual Conference in Nashville.

“I can say that the energy is high, the conversations are very positive and engaging, and I think we’ve been successful at ruffling a few feathers and we always get some really great work when people’s feathers are ruffled,” said AgGateway president and CEO Brent Kemp.

AI is obviously having a major impact on agriculture just like any business, while policy issues are always changing. “We’re not here to influence policy. But it is important for our attendees to understand the environment in which they operate,” said Kemp. “And some of the work that we do in data interoperability is reflected in ongoing legislation and discussions that get into data ownership, data portability, data sovereignty. So the work that we do is very adjacent and very informed by that legislation.”

Kemp makes an analogy of what AgGateway does in the agribusiness industry to plumbing.

“We live in a world here in the United States where we turn on the tap and water comes out. And we don’t worry about the plumbing under the sink. We don’t worry about it being connected to a civic water supply or a well,” said Kemp. “We just know that there’s water and we can do things with it. We can wash the car. We can cook dinner. We can bathe. We can make lemonade…And if we at AgGateway do our job right, we’ve connected the plumbing and data flows like water. And then it’s up to the user, to the marketplace, to determine how they’re going to make the best value out of that.”

Listen to this interview to learn more about what AgGateway has been doing lately.
Interview with Brent Kemp, AgGateway 17:00

2026 AgGateway Annual Meeting photo album

ag retailers, AgGateway, Agribusiness, Audio

Victrato at the Ready to Fight Red Crown Rot in 2027

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Red Crown Rot (RCR) spread into new soybean-growing regions across the United States in 2026, reported in 35 new counties across eight states this year, including first-time reports in Iowa and Alabama. With no in-season treatment available, Syngenta advises growers that post-harvest is an important time to identify affected fields and incorporate those insights into their 2027 management plans.

Dale Ireland, Ph.D., technical product lead at Syngenta, notes that the above-ground symptoms of RCR often resemble Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), making accurate diagnosis more difficult as both soilborne diseases cause interveinal leaf chlorosis, stem discoloration and root rot. “As agronomists and growers are looking closer, fields that were assumed to have SDS are sometimes turning out to be RCR. If you suspect RCR in your fields, collect a sample and send to your local diagnostic laboratory for analysis and confirmation,” said Ireland.

Confirming RCR is the first step in preparing for next season. Victrato® seed treatment is the first federally labeled seed treatment for RCR suppression.

“Harvest gives growers a clearer picture of where disease affected performance and where they need added protection from a seed treatment like Victrato,” Ireland said. “Confirming RCR now and documenting where it occurred can help growers and build a more informed management plan for the future.”

This was the first year that Victrato was available for soybean growers and Ireland says the return on investment is fantastic. “Because something like sudden death syndrome, for instance, or nematodes, you can’t reach back and treat those. If you don’t proactively treat, prophylactically treat, you don’t have a chance to protect yourself against those. And the same is true with red crown rot. So if you’re aware that that is even a potential, it’s something that you need to do and get your seed treated with these products.”

Learn more in this interview with Ireland from the 2026 Commodity Classic.
Classic26 - Dale Ireland, Syngenta (6:11)

AgWired Precision, Audio, Commodity Classic, Soybean, Syngenta, Technology

Ethanol Report on Midterm Election Results

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

As the dust is beginning to settle on the midterm election blow-out putting Democrats back in charge of Congress, what will this mean for the ethanol industry going forward?

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses the results of the midterm elections and what might happen in the lame duck session to address high gas prices and a suffering farm economy.

Ethanol Report 11-6-26 20:02

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, Podcasts, politics, RFA

AgGateway Announces New Regional Director for Europe

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

AgGateway leadership is pleased to announce that Matthias Nachtmann has been appointed as the organization’s Europe Regional Director, effective January 1, succeeding Conny Graumans, who is retiring at the end of the year.

An agriculture engineer and digital agriculture executive, Nachtmann brings more than 25 years of international experience in digital farming, agriculture data interoperability, and value chain collaboration, including more than a decade leading digital initiatives at BASF Agricultural Solutions.

Matthias Nachtmann

“In Matthias, we have a Regional Director experienced in digital agriculture and familiar with our organization from his work at BASF,” says Brent Kemp, AgGateway President and CEO. “I’m excited the welcome him to the staff, knowing he’ll bring passion, expertise, and energy to our collaborative work.”

“AgGateway has a strong history of bringing the agricultural industry together to enable efficient data exchange and interoperability,” says Nachtmann. “Building on the foundation Conny has established in Europe, I see a tremendous opportunity to extend connectivity beyond traditional business transactions to the growing range of data needed across agricultural operations and value chains for efficient farm operation and sustainable productivity.”

“Matthias has great knowledge about data sharing developments and challenges in agricultural production chains and brings an enormous network covering agricultural industries, research institutions, and governmental bodies,” says Graumans. “I have known him personally for many years and I am very pleased that he will be leading AgGateway’s efforts in the region in the years ahead.”

AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, International

Industry Ag News 11/2

Carrie Muehling Leave a Comment

  • President Donald J. Trump, alongside U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $8 billion available for one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs. Similar to the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, the Harvest Fuel Relief (HFR) program will provide simple, proportional support to producers using a uniform formula to cover a portion of modeled losses during the 2026 crop year.
  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins visited Giesenschlag Farms in Caldwell, Texas, where she announced two new actions under the Great American Cotton Plan to strengthen support for American cotton producers. To learn more, please view the Great American Cotton Plan.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is awarding $86.6 million in grant funding to support the specialty crop industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The program funds innovative projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. For more information and to view a complete list of funded projects, visit the AMS SCBGP webpage.
  • 5by5, part of the 3LS Inc. family of employee-owned Changemaker companies, together with C.O.nxt and Jigsaw, the agencies of The Charleston Orwig Collective, announced that the award-winning marketing and communications agencies will join forces.
  • Woody Larson, of Okeechobee, Florida, has been selected as the overall winner of the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year award for 2026. Growing up in a dairy farming family, Woody Larson always knew he wanted to farm. As a young child he’d sweep the feed room floor, bagging the sweepings to feed the dry cows for 15 cents a day. While his family roots run deep in agriculture, he knew he would have to make his own path to continue his family’s legacy. Through buying, selling, and saving on the side, all while working full-time at the dairy, he slowly but steadily developed his farming portfolio. Fifty years later, he is an owner and serves as President of Larson Dairy Inc. and several cattle ranches.
  • The Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) released its 2026 Consumer Trends Research, finding that Americans’ interest in plant-based products continues to grow, with 87 percent of consumers viewing plant-based products favorably and 75 percent saying they are familiar with products and materials made from plants.
  • The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) announced that Dr. Keri Jacobs will join the organization effective January 1, 2027, as the vice president of education and the executive director of the NCFC Education Foundation.
  • Syngenta North America Crop Protection is proud to announce that Kathy Eichlin, Head of Corporate & Crop Protection Communications, North America has been awarded the Talent & Workforce Leadership Award presented by Women in Agribusiness.
  • The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced the first measured outcomes of U.S. Regen™ Cotton at the Textile Exchange Conference in Vancouver. U.S. Regen™, introduced in 2025, is grown under the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, builds on the program’s established Principles and Criteria, and adds regenerative requirements. Field-level data was collected from 59,094 harvested acres on 469 fields across seven major U.S. cotton-growing states through the Field Partner Program pilot. The findings show that U.S. Regen™ cotton was produced with 20 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions, 30 percent greater soil carbon sequestration, 75 percent lower soil loss, and a 49 percent improvement in water-use efficiency compared to the established baseline.
  • American Farmland Trust (AFT) announces the winners of the 18th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration™, a national event honoring the role of farmers markets, which ran between August 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026. Ten markets receiving the most public votes are declared the national winners.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    DWFI Podcast 57 – Lab Director Dan Snow to Retire

    Cindy Zimmerman

    After nearly four decades of pioneering work in water science, Dan Snow, director of the Water Sciences Laboratory at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, part of DWFI, is preparing to step down and transition into retirement.

    From his early days cleaning out his family’s farm well to leading advanced water quality research through mass spectrometry, Dan’s career has significantly advanced nitrate isotope fingerprinting, regional groundwater tracking and global scientific collaboration.

    Join Dan and host Frances Hayes as they reflect on his enduring legacy of environmental stewardship and international research partnerships.

    DWFI podcast episode 57 32:07

    The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.

    How to subscribe:

    Audio, people, Podcasts, Water, Water for Food

    USDA Funds Eight Domestic Fertilizer Projects

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins this week announced the selection of eight fertilizer manufacturing projects to receive funding through USDA’s Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) Program.

    The eight selected projects represent more than $1.34 billion in total proposed investment, including approximately $573 million in proposed USDA funding, to strengthen domestic fertilizer manufacturing, reduce America’s dependence on foreign suppliers, and increase long-term fertilizer availability for American farmers.

    “What this means is that 32 thousand farmers, farming over four million acres all across America, they’re going to have fertilizer at a lower cost and made by American hands right here in the United States of America,” said Vance at a campaign rally in North Platte, Nebraska.

    The eight projects selected to move forward in the FIELDS funding process include:
    TalusAg – Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota
    Peace Valley – Florida
    PCI Nitrogen – Texas and Oregon
    Intrepid Potash – New Mexico
    AdvanSix – Virginia
    SUL4R-PLUS Illinois – Illinois
    True Organic Products – California, Oregon, and Arizona
    Agriculture Project Holdco – Kansas and Indiana

    USDA economic analysis estimates that the additional production could reduce nitrogen fertilizer prices by 4.4% and potash prices by 5.3%, while increasing domestic nitrogen production by 3.7% and potash production by nearly 40% once the projects are operational.

    During a press briefing on the announcement, Sec. Rollins admitted it will take some time before prices come down significantly. “We used to produce about 80% plus of our own fertilizer in America,” said Rollins. “Now we only produce about 50% of our own, so we think by the time we walk out of office will have shifted that 50% significantly higher, especially with some of these big capacity plants that were breaking ground and building. But I believe we’ll see a significant drop in fertilizer prices once the Iranian conflict is wrapped.”

    Listen to the announcement from VP Vance and press briefing by Sec. Rollins below:
    JD Vance announcement in Nebraska 4:19

    Sec. Rollins fertilizer press conference 24:29

    Farming, Fertilizer, USDA

    Precision Ag News 10/21

    Carrie Muehling

  • U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a $180 million investment to launch the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Seed Sovereignty Initiative, a major effort to both strengthen U.S. agricultural security by protecting the plant genetic resources that underpin American agriculture and enable breakthroughs in U.S. agricultural innovation.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is issuing approximately $1.8 billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) payments to agricultural producers and landowners for their participation in key conservation programs for 2026. These payments include Grassland CRP payments that play an important role in the Trump Administration’s Ranchers First Initiative announced by USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins that includes sweeping actions focused on rebuilding the Great American Cattle Herd and putting America’s ranchers back at the center of our nation’s food supply.
  • BranValt, formerly Bushel Plus, introduces the Dual Narrow Pan, a new field-ready SmartPan System™ add-on that helps farmers accurately and safely measure combine grain loss in crops with tall, dense, or uneven stubble.
  • Oracle and Wild Bioscience announced a collaboration to advance agricultural resilience and crop-based carbon removal using AI. As part of the partnership, Wild Bio plans to use Oracle Cloud and Oracle IoT technology to support its field research.
  • AgGateway members are invited to the next Inside AgGateway webinar on “Harnessing AI Tools to Accelerate Working Groups” October 27 at 10 AM Central Time. Click here to register. Portfolio Manager Ben Craker will share his experiences working with AI, and how it is currently helping to streamline the Working Group process.
  • Syngenta and Kyoyu Agri Co. Ltd. announced a strategic collaboration to bring high-performance herbicide solutions based on the active ingredient Cyclopyranil, which is a novel active ingredient developed by Kyoyu Agri, to selected rice markets across Asia.
  • Kubota Tractor Corporation unveiled its all-new sub-compact tractor line, the BX90 Series. As the pioneer of the sub-compact category, Kubota introduced the original BX Series in 2000, and 26 years later, the company is once again reinventing the segment by introducing five new models with three trim levels: the BX2190, BX2390 Deluxe, and BX2690 Premium, plus the backhoe-equipped BX2390S and BX2690S Premium. The new BX90 Series represents a complete platform redesign built specifically around what property owners want: all-day comfort, real loader power, and exceptional mowing performance, all in one sub-compact machine.
  • Envu® announced the launch of Entune™ Quinclorac herbicide for range and pasture customers, which offers broad-spectrum control of noxious broadleaf and grass weeds like leafy spurge, crabgrass, and foxtail. Entune Quinclorac joins a broad portfolio from Envu, further equipping customers with tools to restore their rangeland and increase healthy forage.
  • Corbet Scientific announced IRRAMAX, a polymer-based irrigation enhancer designed to improve water distribution and moisture retention in the crop root zone. The company introduced IRRAMAX at the California Association of Pest Control Advisers conference in Anaheim, California.
  • Greeneye Technology announced it is establishing its North American headquarters in Salina, Kansas. The investment follows a 2026 season of expanded commercial use: Greeneye-equipped machines have sprayed more than 500,000 acres across 12 U.S. states with a weed detection accuracy rate of over 98 percent. Use of the system’s unique dual-line design achieved an average non-residual herbicide savings of 81 percent, saving an estimated six million gallons of chemical across field operations.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture