**EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt sent a letter looking to calm the nerves of frustrated lawmakers, but is it?

Addressed to seven farm state Senate Republicans, the letter pledges to implement the Renewable Fuel Standard according to the language passed by Congress after several concerned lawmakers expressed concerns that Pruitt was going back on his word.

Iowa Republican Joni Ernst told Agri-Pulse, “We’ll continually remind them … and we expect not just the letter of the law to be upheld, but also the spirit of the law.”

**The USDA says producers continued their aggressive placement on cattle on feed in September. At 2.15 million head, the total was up 13% from the record low placements figure from a year ago. Pasture conditions have declined in many key areas, but feed costs remain relatively cheap.

According to Brownfield, the overall numbers look at least somewhat bearish for cash and futures trade.

**Monsanto filed a complaint Friday about the Arkansas Plant Board’s rejection of Monsanto’s petition to stop that state’s ban on the company’s XtendiMax dicamba herbicide for 2018. In a statement to Brownfield, Monsanto’s Scott Partridge says the complaint filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court claims the plant board overlooked “extensive volatility data, including data the EPA used in its registration decision.”

Earlier this month, the EPA announced it was making the dicamba products Restricted USE Pesticides for the 2018 growing season because of crop damage reports this growing season.

More From News Talk KIT