Iowa’s newly-elected Secretary of Agriculture says the ethanol industry can help the state regain its dominance in beef production.

According to a story from the Brownfield Network, Bill Northey told members of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association meeting Thursday that widespread availability of ethanol co-products like dry distillers’ grains could make Iowa the number one beef producing state again like it was just over 30 years ago.

“From an Iowa perspective, we have great opportunities to bring cattle feeding and the cattle industry back to this state in greater numbers,” said Northey. “And part of that is absolutely because of ethanol and renewable energy.”

Northey said investments in Iowa’s value added agriculture industries, including ethanol and biodiesel plants, were creating an entirely new economic climate in rural Iowa. “We’ve had in the last three years $4.4 billion invested in Iowa in ag processing,” Northey said. “These are businesses that will have jobs that’ll process our products that are creating a brand new dynamic in some of these small towns that haven’t seen a new ag job in many, many years and we’re not done yet.”

Read the whole story and listen to Northey’s comments from the Brownfield Network.