Winter may deliver more than snow sports and hot chocolate, thanks to some remarkable breakthroughs and partnerships. Camelina, and winter oilseeds like brassica carinata, winter canola and a modified variety of pennycress are all budding big time as a potential new source of oil for producers, a third cash crop for farmers, and a carbon-sequestration tool – without bringing new land into production. Unlike past feedstock-wannabes, you’ll learn how these cool lipids have buy-in from all supply chain points. With demand growing for clean fuels, and the 3-billion-gallon Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge in place, we just can’t luge!
Speakers:
Michelle Starke
Director of Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs
CoverCress Inc.
Dr. Michelle Starke is the Director of Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs at CoverCress Inc. Her role encompasses the multiple regulatory and stewardship efforts needed to bring CoverCress®, a new winter annual oilseed crop that will be used as a feedstock for renewable fuel and high protein animal feed to market. She has over 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry. Previously, Michelle held roles at Monsanto and Bayer in regulatory affairs, commercial stewardship and stakeholder outreach for agricultural seed products.
Michelle received her Ph. D. from University of Kentucky. She grew up on a small family farm in Southern Illinois. She currently lives in St. Louis with her husband and two children.
Scott Hedderich
North America Policy & Government Affairs Director
Nuseed
After nearly 30 years in Public Affairs related roles, Scott Hedderich joined Nuseed early 2023 in the role of North America Policy & Government Affairs Director. He leads our government relations initiatives to advance U.S. policy in support of Nuseed Carinata being grown in the Southern United States as a cover crop to regenerate soil plus increase farm income and harvested for lower carbon oil to help replace fossil oils and reduce emissions.
Chad Berghoefer
Global Product Director - Biofuels
Corteva
Focuses on establishing new cropping systems for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. He engages collaboratively across teams in Commercial, Research & Development and Seed Production in developing existing and new feedstocks used in the biofuels space. He has been with Corteva for 22 years. Chad also worked for Cargill, Dekalb and Walt Disney World. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a B.S. in Agronomy and a M.S. degree in Soil Science. Chad grew up on the family farm in north central Iowa raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa, feeder cows and cow/calf operation.
Moderator:
J. Alan Weber
Founding Partner
M4 Consulting
J. Alan Weber is a founding partner of MARC-IV, a consulting company that fosters the development of biobased innovations, and has been involved with biodiesel commercialization activities since 1991. He currently helps lead the annual economic effort to examine the impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which have helped to quantify the economic benefits associated with increased biodiesel & renewable diesel use and create markets for US farmers. Weber is a nationally-known economist with extensive experience in the soybean industry. He also is a producer himself, farming almost 900 acres with his family in Central Missouri.