DWFI Podcast 51 – Protecting Groundwater Resources
When it comes to groundwater management, California was the wild west not long ago, with unrestricted pumping depleting many aquifers. But that changed in 2014 with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which created about 350 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) responsible for management of more than 140 of the state’s basins. Using a framework of local control, GSAs work to sustain groundwater resources for growers, industries, residents and ecosystems.
In this episode, guest host Renata Rimšaitė, Senior Program Manager at DWFI, sits down with Matthew Beaman, groundwater regulatory manager with the Merced Irrigation-Urban Groundwater Sustainability Agency in Merced County, California. A professional geologist, Matt works on regulatory implementation, groundwater accounting, data management and other requirements of the state’s groundwater law for the Merced Irrigation-Urban GSA.
Joining them is also Jim Schneider, technical expert in environmental infrastructure for Olsson, a national design and engineering firm that got its start in Nebraska. Jim is a hydrogeologist who consults for Merced and other GSAs in California and other states. He formerly served as deputy director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, where he developed expertise in groundwater modeling, interstate water compacts and water policy.
Matt and Jim discuss the challenges in sustaining groundwater and how local management in California and Nebraska is helping to address them. Both are well-versed in technology that has revolutionized our ability to measure water and leverage data in ways unimaginable when California’s water law was put on the books 12 years ago.
Plus, their appearance on the podcast is timely, coinciding with National Groundwater Awareness Week.
DWFI podcast episode 51 32:25The 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:
Agri-Pulse Summit Confirms Senate Ag Chair and EPA Admin
Agri-Pulse is pleased to announce that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) will be among the keynote speakers at the Ag & Food Policy Summit on March 23. Also previously announced, Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, will also be speaking at the summit.
This year’s Summit theme is: “Profit, Policy, and Possibility: Mapping the Future of Market Expansion for U.S. Agriculture.” Keynote speakers and panel discussions will cover everything from new value-added products, renewable fuels, the power of protein, trade, artificial intelligence and more.
The widely attended Agri-Pulse event is part of the celebrations surrounding National Agriculture Week and just one day before National Agriculture Day on March 24.
30th Commodity Classic Breaks Records
The 30th annual Commodity Classic, held last week in San Antonio, set another record for attendance with more than 12,000 farmers, exhibitors, industry stakeholders, and media.
More than 5,100 farmers attended the event at the Henry B. González Convention Center, accounting for nearly 43% of total attendance and representing a significant concentration of farm decision-makers. Commodity Classic has now achieved new attendance highs for four consecutive years, including recent shows in Denver (2025), Houston (2024), and Orlando (2023).
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins toured the trade show floor and delivered remarks during a highly attended General Session. The event featured more than 30 educational sessions, a full trade show spanning two floors, and policy meetings hosted by the sponsoring commodity associations. Attendees heard from leading farmers, policymakers, and industry experts on the issues shaping the future of agriculture.
The 2027 Commodity Classic will be held March 3–5 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Companies interested in exhibiting may submit inquiries to tradeshow@commodityclassic.com. Registration will open in November 2026. Follow Commodity Classic on Instagram (@CommClassic) and Facebook for updates.
Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is presented annually by the American Soybean Association and National Corn Growers Association in conjunction with the National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
Check out our virtual newsroom from Commodity Classic with Syngenta for photos and audio from the event.
Ethanol Report from 2026 NEC
The theme of the National Ethanol Conference this year was Ethanol Unleashed and the big topic of discussion was the continued lack of Congressional action to allow year-round, nationwide sales of E15.
This edition of the Ethanol Report podcast features a review of the conference with many of the participants, including comments from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper; RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development, Robert White; RFA Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs, Troy Bredenkamp; U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Aaron Szabo; RFA General Counsel and VP, Government Affairs, Ed Hubbard; RFA Policy Counsel and Director, Government Affairs, Jared Mullendore; RFA VP, Strategy and Innovation, Tad Hepner; and 2026 RFA Industry Award winner LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis.
Ethanol Report 2-26-26 26:14The 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.
The GHX Experience Makes Decision Making Easier
At the 2026 Commodity Classic, Syngenta Seeds’ head of agronomy Justin Welch shared how Golden Harvest is transforming farm decision-making with its AI-powered GHX experience, blending decades of agronomic expertise with cutting-edge digital technology.
In the past five years, Golden Harvest has doubled down on innovation by integrating digital products and services to help farmers turn massive amounts of field data into practical, real-time decisions. “Technology has allowed us to capture a lot of data, but then have we been really able to use that data?” Welch said in an interview. The challenge, he explained, is synthesizing information on weather, disease pressure, yield predictions, crop stress, and hybrid characteristics into clear recommendations that fit each grower’s operation.
“And we’ve done that with our GHX experience with farmers,” said Welch. Through advanced computational agronomy and AI, the platform summarizes complex data layers and delivers farmer-friendly insights. Dealer sales reps and agronomists use these tools to provide tailored advice on everything from seed selection and planting rates to nitrogen management and fungicide timing.
Welch says farmers love the results without having to become data scientists themselves. “They like the output; they’re not as much into doing it all themselves,” he said. The approach lets producers focus on what they love most—driving tractors, growing crops, and sustaining their family farms—while still making smarter, season-long decisions.
Learn more in this interview:
Classic26 - Justin Welch, Decision Agronomy Seeds (3:40)
Syngenta Invites Growers to Say Hello to Opello
After 12 years of research and development and more than 3,000 U.S. trials, Syngenta’s PLINAZOLIN technology at last received registration just three months ago from the Environmental Protection Agency and growers were able to learn more about Opello™, powered by PLINAZOLIN, at last week’s Commodity Classic.
Syngenta insecticides technical product lead Kevin Langdon says they are seeing a lot of interest in Opello, which is a fertilizer- compatible liquid at-plant insecticide for control of corn rootworm, wireworm and white grub. “There’s no really good option on the market that’s easy to use that you can apply through an open application system,” said Langdon. “The beauty of Opello is that it’s fertilizer compatible and you can actually pour the Opello directly in the fertilizer tank on the planter. So we’ve removed all need for injection-type equipment, and you’re going to get maximized performance relative to anything else that’s on the market today.”
Syngenta chemist Beth Williard was on-hand to talk to growers at the Syngenta exhibit and demonstrate the compatibility of Opello with fertilizer, which was very important for them to get right during development of the product. “We wanted a formulation that when diluted in fertilizer would be highly compatible, create a nice homogenous mixture, and then when you pour it through a sieve you don’t get any residue caught up so that you know all of your active ingredient is making it out onto the field,” said Williard.
While its highly tank-mix compatible formulation allows growers to leave equipment clogs and slowdowns in the past, perhaps the best benefit to growers of using Opello is that trials consistently showed it increased corn yield up to 27 bu/A more than untreated.
Learn more in these interviews from Commodity Classic:
Kevin Langdon, Ph.D., insecticides technical product lead
Classic26 - Kevin Langdon, Syngenta (3:40)
MyLand Warranty Program Guarantees Grower ROI
Soil health innovator MyLand has announced the launch of its new crop warranty program, in partnership with Growers Edge, designed to remove financial risk for growers adopting MyLand’s Soil Health Service, supporting apples, pistachios, and almonds across U.S. growing regions in 2026.
The program is focused on proven grower success, supported by strong ROI results from the MyLand Service. It offers a guaranteed benefit of at least $250 per acre based on yield and quality outcomes with the MyLand Service.
“Soil health is the foundation of a farm’s long-term productivity and profitability,” said Dane Hague, Co-Founder and CEO of MyLand. “The Growers Edge warranty reinforces our confidence in MyLand’s outcomes and our commitment to standing alongside growers as they invest in their soil.”
The Growers Edge program evaluates performance between MyLand-serviced acres and control blocks through side-by-side field trials conducted over a crop season. The program guarantees at least $250 in increased value per acre based on measured yield and quality outcomes. Growers Edge verifies field data (using a third-party verification process), yield results, and payouts. The crop warranty plan protects growers by guaranteeing a minimum ROI.
Enrollment for the 2026 crop season is now open for almonds and pistachios in California and apples in both California and Washington. Deadlines to enroll vary by crop and region. Growers interested in participating can contact their MyLand representative or call 877-556-3774.
Cotton Trust Protocol Opens Enrollment for 2026
Enrollment in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is now open for the 2026 crop year with a new Field Partner Program offering expanded opportunities for growers demonstrating responsible production with measurable data.
The Trust Protocol is the voluntary, field-level sustainability program and traceability platform for U.S. Cotton. Participating growers receive a unique set of data and resources to support informed decision making, meet growing demand for responsibly produced U.S. Cotton, and help them compete successfully in the global market.
The new Field Partner Program is a voluntary opportunity that helps growers evidence regenerative farming practices using the existing Trust Protocol system, while providing brands and retailers access to verified, traceable regenerative U.S. Cotton at scale. Participation in the Field Partner Program is optional, but growers must be enrolled in the Trust Protocol for the 2026 crop year to be eligible to participate.
The Trust Protocol is celebrating five years of advancing sustainability in the cotton industry. Marjory Walker, recently appointed as co-director of the program, says it has grown rapidly since it launched in July 2020. “We actually have 2,500 global members representing 25 brands in 26 countries,” said Walker. “We have 2,800 mills and manufacturers. We’ve had a 14% increase in our grower enrollment. We encompass 2.58 million acres. So that is quite an accomplishment for a little five-year-old program.”
Growers interested in participating in the Trust Protocol for the 2026 crop year are encouraged to visit TrustUSCotton.org to enroll now and begin preparing required farm and field information. Growers who are also interested in the optional Field Partner Program can explore eligibility and next steps after completing Trust Protocol enrollment.
ZimmCast 757 – 2026 National Ethanol Conference
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I’m Chuck Zimmerman.
In this episode of the podcast I’m going to share some audio from the National Ethanol Conference. While Laura McNamara worked with Syngenta Seeds at Commodity Classic, which overlapped with the NEC, yours truly drove to Orlando and took photos, interviews and session audio in a custom virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire.com.
To start out with, Patrice Banks, Founder of Girls Auto Clinic, who spoke at the NEC Women’s Leadership Breakfast, also spoke at one of the sessions. Hers was titled, Cultivating a New Crop of Ethanol Advocates.
Renewable Fuels Association staff member, Kendra Coulson, Marketing and Membership Manager, helps with educating new audiences and she has worked with Patrice and her audience.
On a different topic RFA has scholarships given out at the NEC. I thought you might like to hear how one winner of the Young Professionals Network scholarship is Verena Hopkins.
If you would like to hear more about what is going on in the renewable fuels world and specifically, ethanol, check out our virtual newsroom. We’ve got plenty more and besides the newsroom you can see stories from it on Energy.AgWired.com and the latest episode of The Ethanol Report. You can find pictures of the NEC that I took in this online album.
Listen to the episode here:
ZimmCast 757 - 2026 NEC (25:21)
That’s the ZimmCast for now. If you have some exciting news in the agrimarketing world, feel free to contact me for the next episode. Just email Chuck at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.
We hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.
Subscribe to the ZimmCast in: