This Earth Day, American Ethanol Joins Effort to Give Back

In honor of Earth Day, racing season shifts gears this April to focus national attention on environmental awareness with the NASCAR RACE TO GREEN™ campaign. As part of this effort, American Ethanol is joining NASCAR in further bolstering the industry's sustainability efforts to help reduce the sport's carbon footprint.

Over the course of April, the RACE TO GREEN campaign is hosting a National Tree Planting initiative for in which industry partners and fans can participate. Racing teams, tracks, drivers, partners and fans are encouraged to pledge to plant a tree - or several - on Earth Day, Monday, April 22 to help offset carbon emissions produced over the three national series over the season. Through the course of one mature tree's lifetime, it absorbs about one metric ton of carbon dioxide - the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a NASCAR Sprint Cup™ car driving 500 miles.

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American Ethanol Races into Spotlight this Weekend in Kansas

American Ethanol will be showcased at the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway this Sunday, April 21, when fan-favorite Jeff Burton sports the black and green paint out on his No. 31 car.

"It is fitting to feature American Ethanol on Earth Day because ethanol is the only viable renewable fuel in the marketplace today, and NASCAR made the switch to Sunoco Green E15- a fuel containing 15 percent ethanol- three years ago because of its environmental benefits and superior performance," said Jon Holzfaster, a farmer from Paxton, Neb. who serves on the National Corn Growers Association Corn Board. "Part of American Ethanol's goal is to remind the public of the jobs created by domestic ethanol, the significant economic benefits and of its contributions to our energy security."

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NCGA Responds to White House Plan for Managing Oceans

The White House on Tuesday issued its final plan for managing the oceans, outlining a strategy that aims to coordinate the work of more than two dozen agencies and reconcile competing interests including fishing, offshore energy exploration and recreational activities.

The National Oceans Policy was created by an Executive Order from President Obama on July 19, 2010. This week's publication of the implementation plan comes on the heels of more than two years of outreach to various stakeholders, including engagement with USDA and farm groups.

Click here to read NCGA's full statement and further information on the plan.

IRM Calculator App Takes Valuable Tool into the Fields

NCGA understands that many farmers must change planting plans to accommodate for the changing circumstances around them. To make updating refuge planting plans easier, NCGA now offers the Insect Resistance Management calculator in a handy mobile application.

To find out how the calculator works and why complying with refuge requirements is important to all farmers, Off the Cob spoke with NCGA Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmermann, a farmer from Rosendale, Wisc. A strong advocate of the responsible use of biotechnology, he began by explaining what the tool actually does.

To listen to the full interview, click here.

The IRM calculator app is available for the iPhone through iTunes. The Android app is available through Google Play. To access or download the NCGA calculator, please visit www.irmcalculator.com.

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USFRA Biotechnology Event Features NCGA President

NCGA President Pam Johnson will take part in a special Food Dialogues panel discussion on biotechnology next week in Chicago, hosted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance in conjunction with the BIO International Convention.

The April 22 USFRA program, "The Straight Story on Biotech in Agriculture: The Media and its Impact on Consumers," will consist of a panel of experts from multiple disciplines, including farmers, media, industry and academia, who will answer some of the toughest questions surrounding GMOs. Panelists will also discuss what more can be done by all sides - including those who are not in favor of this technology - to give consumers access to information that matters.

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2013 Direct, Counter-Cyclical and ACRE Program Signup

As Congress has extended the 2008 farm bill for one year, farmers have an opportunity to enroll in the Average Crop Revenue Election program and Direct Cyclical and Counter-Cyclical programs in 2013. With sign-up for the programs closing on June 3 for ACRE and August 2 for DCP and CCP, those interested are urged to consider which option better suits their risk management needs and proceed accordingly.

"It is important for farmers to remember that, while a new farm bill has yet to pass, they still have a variety of options to manage risk during the 2013 crop year," said NCGA Public Policy Action Team Chair Jim Reed. "As farmers, we all understand the importance of formulating a strategy to manage risk and selecting the right tools. While you work in the fields , we will continue our work in Washington to ensure that the best possible risk management tools are available for farmers and our safety net remains strong."

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Survey Supports Need for Continued Food Conversation

According to a new survey, American moms may be building their grocery lists based on misinformation about how their food was grown and raised.

The Gate-to-Plate survey of more than 1,000 moms was commissioned by CommonGround, a grassroots coalition of farm women who want to foster conversations among all women - on farms and in cities - about where our food comes from and how it is raised. Survey results, which have been distributed nationally to a wide variety of media outlets, highlight the amount of confusion surrounding the labels attached to certain foods and what some production practices actually mean.

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Fuels America Highlights Sustainability of Renewable Fuels from the Farm to the Fuel Tank

This week, Fuels America hosted an informational session for the media that provided an all-encompassing look at the sustainability of the biofuel supply chain. "From Farm to Fuel Tank: Sustainability in Renewable Fuel" featured a series of presentations from industry experts on the impressive strides in sustainability that the U.S. renewable fuel industry, in partnership with American Farmers, has made, allowing them to provide feed, fuel and fiber for the country in an environmentally sensitive manner.

Despite impressive gains in water use, energy efficiency, and soil and land conservation, renewable fuel opponents continue to spread falsehoods about the sustainability of oil alternatives. This briefing provided information about sustainable farming practices, new harvest technologies, innovations in renewable fuel production processes, and cutting-edge partnerships leading the way.

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Planting Progress Lags During Cool, Wet Spring

A cool, wet spring has delayed planting progress across much of the country according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With only two percent of total corn acres planted by April 14, progress lags far behind this time last year, when 16 percent of U.S. corn acres were already in the ground and trails the five-year average for this point by a full five percentage points.

"Planting is running somewhat behind normal in most areas, but slow progress this early in the season should not be seen as a cause for alarm," said National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson. "Last year, planting flew by quickly, but the severe drought that plagued much of the country damaged the overall crop. With many areas getting much needed rain, a slight delay at this point could still produce an excellent crop which will be buoyed by the near-record acreage farmers intend to plant to corn."

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