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Introducing SD Soybean’s New Curriculum

Soybeans hold immense potential not only in South Dakota fields, but also in South Dakota’s agriculture classrooms. Thanks to the support of the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff, a new agriculture curriculum launched in July for agriculture educators across the state.

This new curriculum places soybeans at the forefront of learning. With ten topics spanning various agricultural pathways, it integrates state standards while offering a fresh perspective on the versatile crop. From exploring soybean composition and diseases, to delving into soy’s applications in aquaculture, food processing, and biofuels production, each lesson promises engaging, hands-on experiences that will resonate with learners across the state.

Within the curriculum, an array of resources awaits educators, offering a comprehensive toolkit for classroom instruction. From detailed guides for teachers to reading materials for students, instructional aids, worksheets, supplementary resources, and engaging projects, each component is designed to enrich the classroom experience. The curriculum provides a wealth of information in different formats so educators can adapt the topics to their own classrooms and learners.

This curriculum project also includes funding for lab kits, curated to equip teachers with essential materials to implement the ten topics into their agriculture classroom. Each kit includes a copy of the curriculum and the materials for five hands-on labs for up to twenty students.

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Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

Video: Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard

On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 12 noon–1:00 ET, the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC), presented this webinar in the Understanding Agricultural Law Educational Series, a course designed to develop subject matter literacy and competence on fundamental issues of agricultural law for attorneys and business advisors who work with or represent agricultural or rural clients but may not necessarily specialize in agricultural law:

“Understanding the Basics of the Renewable Fuel Standard”

The Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, or advanced biofuels. Established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS is implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This webinar provides an overview of the legal authority and structure for the RFS program and explain how it works, including the program’s system of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and categories of renewable fuels. Additionally, this webinar addresses EPA annual volume requirement rulemaking and associated recent legal issues.