The person who received the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Merle Anderson Award this year is one of the most humble geniuses you will ever meet.
Ron Alverson is a South Dakota farmer who helped found Dakota Ethanol and is considered to be the “carbon guru” of the ethanol industry. He was also a good friend of the man ACE’s most prestigious award is named after – the group’s “founding father” and first president. The Merle Anderson Award is presented annually to recognize an individual who has made distinguished and significant contributions to the advancement of the U.S. ethanol industry.
Alverson was a founding member (1987) and past president of SD Corn, served on the National Corn Growers Association board of directors, and is past president of the ACE board of directors. His leadership and generous enthusiasm for sharing knowledge about the vital role corn farming and ethanol play in helping reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is unparalleled. He also inspires everyone in the corn and ethanol industries to care about the importance and economic value of “counting carbon” through his tireless advocacy and invention of educational tools, such as the “ACE” Carbon Intensity Calculators https://ethanol.org/calculate-ci/.
Listen to an interview with Ron below:
2023 ACE interview Ron Alverson, Dakota Ethanol 4:54
At the ACE Conference in Minneapolis last week, Alverson also shared some of his knowledge during a panel session on “Cultivating Progress: Climate-Smart Farming for Carbon Markets.” ACE’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is working to validate the benefits farm-level practices have in reducing corn ethanol’s carbon footprint, enabling farmers and ethanol producers to benefit from clean fuel markets. Listen to his remarks and those of his fellow panelists involved with the project below.
Jonathon Lehman, Founder, Cultivating Conservation
2023 ACE Panel Jonathon Lehman, Founder, Cultivating Conservation 13:52
Brennan Lewis, Research Associate, South Dakota State University
2023 ACE Panel Brennan Lewis, South Dakota State University 12:29
Ron Alverson, ACE Board Member, Dakota Ethanol
2023 ACE Panel Ron Alverson, Dakota Ethanol 8:14