http://brownfieldagnews.com Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:29:43 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A few years ago, Illinois soybean grower Darryl Brinkmann chaired the National Biodiesel Board and is still on the governing board of the organization. His involvement and that of soybean growers all over the U.S. was prompted by what the renewable fuel might do for soybean oil demand. It did ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/09/biodiesel-board-past-chairman-reflects-on-growth/ Brownfield’s Ken Anderson had the opportunity to sit down with Nebraska Senator and former U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns last week. Ken asked the Senator about his reaction to the President’s proposed budget. AUDIO: Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraska (3:00 MP3) http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/09/sen-johanns-on-the-budget-and-spending/ Although most biodiesel in the U.S. starts out as soybeans, that’s not the case with biodiesel coming from the Direct Fuels plant just outside of Dallas in Euless, Texas. Biodiesel Operations Director Mark Farrer explains that beef tallow, a plentiful commodity in Texas cattle country, is the preferred feed stock ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/texas-biodiesel-maker-uses-beef-tallow/ As a renewable fuel, biodiesel counts among its friends environmentalists, farmers and people who get a kick out of the U.S. producing a fuel that displaces imported oil. Adding to the kind words is John DeRosa with the American Lung Association. He’s all for increasing blend rates and usage of ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/biodiesel-has-fans-at-the-american-lung-association/ A bipartisan bill to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases has been introduced by Congressman Ike Skelton and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri, along with Chairman of the House Ag Committee, Collin Peterson of Minnesota. Their bill would amend the Clean Air Act to take out regulation of ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/bipartisan-bill-would-block-epa-ghg-regulation/ There are more positive reactions to last week’s announcement by USDA to pull back and regroup on its National Animal Identification System, NAIS. A farm policy research analyst says the USDA’s announcement that the NAIS will be replaced is a “victory of the nation’s family farmers over the political power ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/usdas-nais-decision-called-rare-victory/ The National Pork Producers Council has a lot of questions about the new USDA proposal for a scaled-back version of the National Animal ID Program. Last week, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a plan which would only require animal identification for animals which cross state lines. The plan would also ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/nppc-still-supports-mandatory-nais/ Soybeans hit one and a half week highs on technical and speculative buying, along with short covering and some outside market direction. The Dow was down for most of the trading day but the dollar was lower and gold and crude oil were higher. Analysts expect USDA’s monthly supply and ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/grains-and-oilseeds-higher-ahead-of-usda-numbers-february-8-2010/ The International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) is appealing for “international solidarity with the farmers and people of Haiti” in the aftermath of last month’s devastating earthquake. The IFAP says farmers in Haiti are the backbone of that society. It’s estimated, as of late January, that over 20-thousand of the ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/ifap-appeals-for-aid-for-haitian-farmers/ Cattle country was typically quiet on Monday with significant trade volume not likely until mid-week or later. The new show lists appear to be generally smaller than last week with only Texas showing more offerings. Negotiated sales last week were confirmed at 158,130 head. Live cattle in the South last ... http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/02/08/lean-hogs-settle-sharply-higher-on-outside-markets/