Our friends at the Farm Foundation are at it again, bringing a variety of folks together to offer differing viewpoints to come up with workable solutions. Last month, I had a chance to sit in on their Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Impacts Conference in St. Louis where I heard many sides of the issues facing the biodiesel …

Growth Energy Formed
America’s ethanol producers have formed a new organization based out of Washington, DC. It’s called Growth Energy. Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse …
BBI Moving Headquarters
BBI International is moving to bigger headquarters nearer to an international airport. BBI has maintained its corporate headquarters in Salida and neighboring Cotopaxi, Colorado for nearly 15 years. Maintaining its operational hub in the geographically remote community became increasingly difficult for the 90-person international company, according to company president Mike Bryan, especially being three hours from Denver airport. The company …
Mr. Ethanol Looks To Future
Mr. Ethanol, Jeff Broin, CEO, POET is looking to the future and a new organization that will help open new markets for the renewable fuel. I spoke to Jeff at last week’s Project LIBERTY field day and asked him what he thinks about the results of our Presidential election. He says, “President-Elect Obama, is going to be I think very, …
Former Ag Secretary on Ethanol Company Board
Former Secretary of Agriculture John Block recently was named to the board of directors for California-based potential cellulosic ethanol company AE Biofuels, Inc. “AE Biofuels has a winning strategy and a strong management team. The company’s patent-pending cellulosic ethanol plant in Montana is producing ethanol from agricultural waste, and its 50 million gallon biodiesel facility in India is supplying large …
Case IH Collecting Cobs
When it comes to harvesting equipment for Case IH, Scott Acker is who you want to talk to. He’s their Director, Harvesting Marketing. I spoke with him at POET’s Project LIBERTY field day right after he answered a bunch of questions from farmers who were attending. Sam says POET approached them with the idea of collecting cobs to make ethanol …
Farm OEM’s Developing New Equipment
The Director of Business Development for POET is Scott Weishaar. He was the guy who told us about the various equipment options on display at their Project LIBERTY field day. That’s because he works directly with the farm OEM’s. He says the response from the OEM’s is phenomenal. There are several systems already being tested and they should be available …
Big Equipment Finance Options
Someone had to provide assistance to get all this big machinery to the POET Project LIBERTY field day last week. That someone was MachineryLink, represented by Landon Morris, Vice President, Marketing. Landon says they’re in the business of leasing late model combines and that they heard about the project a year ago. So what they’re doing is leasing machines directly …
Conoco to Offer Propane at CleanFuel Pumps
Alternative fuels might be getting a boost as a major fuel retailer will help make propane more available. This story from Greentech Media has details: Today, for instance, ConocoPhillips said it will help with CleanFuel USA to install propane dispensers over the next three years at 76 stations. Conoco will supply the propane and CleanFuel will put in the pumps. …