Presidential candidate Barak Obama visited the nation’s number one ethanol producing state over the weekend. During his visit to Davenport, Iowa, he did an interview with local television station WQAD-TV during which he was asked about his support for ethanol, in light of the current high price of corn.

“I think what we’re seeing is the market for alternative fuels expand and there’s going to be some growing pains,” Obama answered. While he admits that hog farmers are being affected by higher feed prices, he believes ethanol is the most promising way for the U.S. to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

“What we’re going to need to do is set up a distribution system. Gas stations need to be carrying E-85 gasoline. We had a bill last year that I introduced, that passed, that would provide incentives for stations to start having E-85 pumps. We’re going to have to continue creating a science that makes ethanol more efficient as the distribution systems and production start aligning, then I think we’re going to see this to be one of the most promising areas to wean ourselves off Middle Eastern oil but there’s going to be periodic disruptions as a consequence that the market for ethanol is not fully developed.”

Read the full interview with WQAD.

The picture found on Senator Obama’s website is from an appearance he made in August at the Bunge Plant in Cairo, Illinois after the company announced that it would begin building a new bio-diesel plant.