MADISON, Wisconsin, April 15 -- The Agronomy Journal, a peer-reviewed international journal of agriculture and natural resource sciences from the American Society of Agronomy, published research articles, including the following topics, in its January/February 2020 issue: * Cropping pattern changes diminish agroecosystem services in North and South Dakota, USA ARTICLES: * Relationship between internal morphology and physiological quality of pepper seeds during fruit maturation and storage *  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 16 -- The American Coalition for Ethanol issued the following news, dated April 13: On April 13, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to utilize its authority and allocation of additional funds provided to the Commodity Credit Corporation through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to aid ethanol producers suffering from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond an immedi  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 17 -- The American Coalition for Ethanol issued the following statement: In response to governors of five U.S. states requesting a nationwide waiver exempting oil refiners from their Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations due to the coronavirus, American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings pointed out that ACE's letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this month provides the counterpoint -- EPA must adjust the percentag  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 15 -- Sanford Health issued the following news: Sanford Research will be at the forefront, leading the way when it comes to testing for a treatment or a cure for the novel coronavirus, according to David Pearce, Ph.D., president of research and innovation for Sanford Health. In the meantime, Sanford Research is operating "as close to normal" as it can. "We are not going to let this slow us down. That's the right thing for us to do," Dr. Pearce said. His team   more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 16 -- Missouri River Energy Services issued the following news release: Eleven public power utilities that are members of Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) and one associate have earned national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2019. Certificates of Excellence in Reliability were awarded by the American Public Power Association (www.PublicPower.org), a trade organization that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-o  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Food and Water Watch issued the following statement: Over the weekend, Smithfield Foods announced that it will be closing its Sioux Falls, South Dakota pork processing facility indefinitely in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The Sioux Falls plant produced four to five percent of pork production in the U.S., but its focus was on export markets. In response, Tony Corbo, Sr. Government Affairs Representative for Food & Water Action issued the following statement:   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy issued the following news release: The announced closing of Smithfield's Sioux Falls, South Dakota meatpacking plant due to a COVID-19 outbreak affecting over 600 workers is a vivid example of the vulnerability of a highly concentrated meat production system that exploits farmers, workers and rural communities, said family farm groups based in four Midwest states. The groups based in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Missou  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 16 -- Sanford Health issued the following news: Sanford Research scientists hope to have results from their clinical trial of a COVID-19 drug within six months, Dr. Allison Suttle told CNN on Wednesday. John King interviewed Sanford Health's chief medical officer via WebEx during King's live show, "CNN Newsroom." "What we're trying to answer is the question around hydroxychloroquine: Does it work, or does it not work?" said Dr. Suttle. "We look at this disease  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, April 14 -- Sanford Health issued the following news: Sanford Health, the largest provider of rural health care in the country, will lead a comprehensive clinical trial investigating the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, to understand its role in treating and potentially preventing COVID-19. The controlled study initially will include 2,000 outpatient individuals exposed to COVID-19, including frontline health care workers and other high-risk patients. There are  more