When you’re attending a farm event it’s always nice to get a farmer’s perspective on things. That’s what I did at the POET Project LIBERTY field day when I spoke with Todd Mathisen who farms just east of Emmetsburg, IA. I asked him what he thought of POET’s idea to harvest corn cobs for cellulosic ethanol production. He said, “I …
Ethanol Conversations
The executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) recently unveiled her new blog, Ethanol Conversations. Toni Nuernberg’s site focuses on spurring conversations and debates on the continued growth of ethanol in the United States and around the world. EPIC is also utilizing new media in other ways, including a page on Facebook, and a YouTube channel featuring …
Corn Cob Harvesting Will Be Economical
The Director of Project LIBERTY for POET is Jim Sturdevant. He oversees all the activities across the company that are “pulling together to transform this ethanol plant into one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol plants.” The plant he’s referring to is POET’s Emmetsburg facility where they held a field day yesterday. He says they intend to replicate what they’re …
Deere Designing Corn Cob Harvest Equipment
There are several farm equipment manufacturers working with POET on corn cob harvesting solutions. One of them is John Deere. Of the current options for harvesting/collecting the cobs, Deere is working on the corn cob mix kit (CCM) option. It’s basically an attachment to the combine according to John Deere’s Barry Nelson, who was attending the POET Project LIBERTY field …
Patriot Ethanol is Processor Preferred
Illinois’ newest ethanol plant adds to a growing list of facilities that are part of the Monsanto Processor Preferred Network. Patriot Renewable Fuels CEO Gene Griffith says they hope to use as much corn as possible from local farmers to produce ethanol at the new 100 million gallon per year plant. “We will need approximately 215,000 acres worth of corn …
Jeff Broin at Project LIBERTY Field Day
At today’s POET Project LIBERTY Field Day, Jeff Broin, CEO, spoke to a large group of farmers who attended to see just what the company is planning in the production of cellulosic ethanol from corn cobs. We were supposed to see field harvesting demonstrations with prototype equipment to show the different ways that farmers will be able to collect the …
POET Wants LIBERTY From Foreign Oil
Jeff Broin is CEO of POET and his company just continues to make innovations in the ethanol production business. Lately they’ve been very focused on what they call Project LIBERTY. The goal is to make cellulosic ethanol out of corn cobs. The company held a field day to showcase some of the equipment that companies like John Deere, Case IH …
POETry In Action
As I was driving into Emmetsburg, IA last night I saw this plant off in the distance. I’m pretty sure this is the POET Emmetsburg ethanol plant. Actually, it’s the AGP soybean processing plant. The POET plant is behind it from the direction I took the photo. I’m here in town for today’s Project LIBERTY field day. We’re supposed to …
One VeraSun Plant Opening Delayed
The opening of one VeraSun ethanol plant is now in limbo since the company filed for bankruptcy. VeraSun announced that it is indefinitely delaying the startup of its 110 million gallon per year ethanol biorefinery in Janesville, Minnesota but will continue operations at its 14 facilities across an eight-state region. Construction on the Janesville facility is nearly completed and the …