Minnesota farmer and Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) board member Dale Tolifson passed away April 23. He was 73 years old.

Tolifson was a founding member of CVEC and had served on the board since 1996. He was chairman of the board from 1997 until 2009. Dale also served on the board of directors for Minnesota Corn Growers and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE). Last year he was presented with the ACE annual Grassroots Leadership Award for his efforts to cultivate interest in higher ethanol blends in both their community and throughout the country.

“In his quiet and humble way, Dale Tolifson has made an everlasting mark on the U.S. ethanol industry,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings. “During the 1980s farm crisis, Dale helped lead the effort for farmers to band together and form the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Cooperative. He was an original board member of CVEC when they began grinding corn in the mid-1990s. Never one to complain, Dale has suffered more than his fair share of health setbacks, but he was also a fighter. He fought to make life better for farmers, and by virtue of the fact that CVEC’s original shareholders have received more than 10 times their investment, he succeeded in fighting for farmers. About the time CVEC began operating, Dale lost both of his kidneys, but he successfully received a transplant and was able to live a long, happy and meaningful life. He was a true grassroots pioneer for farmers and U.S. ethanol. I’ll always have fond memories of working alongside Dale when he was a leader with CVEC, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and of course, during his time as a board member with ACE. My heart aches for his wife Sandy and Dale’s family, but I also have the comfort of knowing that Dale is at peace.”

Listen to an interview with Tolifson when he received that award at the 2018 Annual ACE Conference –
ACE18 Interview with Dale Tolifson, CVEC