A National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy study suggests that biotechnology plays a vital role in meeting the increased demand for corn production for food, feed and fuel. According to the study, U.S. farmers gained an additional 8.3 billion pounds of yield last year due to biotech crops, including an extra 7.6 billion pounds of corn production, a 29 …
Ethanol Plant Converting to Biomass
Broin Companies of South Dakota plans to build a cellulose-to-ethanol production facility in the state of Iowa with a completion date expected in 2009. The announcement came during a joint press conference Monday at the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines with Jeff Broin, CEO of Broin Companies, Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsack, and Iowa Governor-Elect Chet Culver. Voyager Ethanol, located in …
25 x ’25 Could Help Rural Economy
The alliance known as 25X’25 has just completed a study that outlines the positive impact producing 25 percent of the nation’s energy supply from renewable sources by 2025 could have on rural America. According to J. Read Smith, co-chair of the 25x’25 Project Steering Committee, “Not only would reaching the goal drastically reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, it …
The Andersons Run With Marathon
Marathon Oil Corporation and The Andersons, Inc. are planning to start construction immediately on an ethanol plant in Greenville, Ohio. According to a joint press release, the Greenville site will be the first to be constructed by The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between The Andersons, Inc. and Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of …
Ethanol Plant Permit Applications Abound in Illinois
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is snowed under with air permit applications from ethanol plant projects. According to a story from the Illinois Farm Bureau publication FarmWeek, there were 13 applications in September alone. On average, an ethanol project receives a permit about six months after submitting an application. Permits for controversial projects or those that go through a public …
Three More Nebraska Ethanol Plants Planned
Nebraska-based Central Bio-Energy has announced plans to build three 100 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plants in Seward, Howard and Chase counties in Nebraska. According to a press release, the announcement was made in the Nebraska State Capital Rotunda in Lincoln on Thursday. These plants will employ 150 full-time staff, with combined annual payroll in excess of $6 million. This investment will make …
Survey Shows Importance of Ethanol Information
An informed consumer is the ethanol industry’s most effective tool for increasing awareness of the cleaner, renewable fuel. A national survey by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, or EPIC, found that when respondents are provided with relevant information about ethanol, their interest to purchase increased by nearly 20 percent. “These findings demonstrate that when consumers are presented with the …
Biofuels Big at NAFB
The National Association of Farm Broadcasters annual meeting in Kansas City brings about 100 broadcasters and a few hundred more agricultural industry company and organization representatives together each year. Hundreds of interviews are done in a span of six hours during an event called “Trade Talk.” Ethanol and biodiesel were especially big topics at Trade Talk this year – at …
Talking Biofuels in Kansas City
Cindy and I are attending the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention in Kansas City this week. It follows the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Agribusiness Forum. I’m sure we’ll have several posts for you over the next few days that will include interviews with some people we hope you’ll find interesting. For example, at yesterday’s Forum session one of the presenters …
Make That Six Times
Mark Thomas is now a six-time International Hot Rod Association Funny Car champion. Thomas, a farmer from Louisville, Ohio, won the International Hot Rod Association Alcohol Funny Car Division world championship once again this year, beating his nearest opponent by more than 100 points. The World Champions will be crowned Saturday, December 9, at the 2006 IHRA Awards Banquet in …