A Missouri plant that turns agricultural waste products into fuel pellets is the first to receive a payment from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This USDA press release says the Show Me Energy Cooperative of Missouri conversion facility will get the funds aimed at paying producers for biomass materials for collection, harvest, storage and …
USDA Highlights Missouri Biomass Plant
The Obama administration’s Rural Tour last week highlighted the Show Me Energy Cooperative in Missouri as an example of how crop residue can be used to create energy. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the biomass facility is taking wood, corn stalks and other crop residue and converting it into pellets that can be used to produce energy or a substitute …
Winners of $6.3 Million for Biofuels Research Selected
And the money keeps a coming. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the joint selection of awards of up to $6.3 million towards fundamental genomics-enabled research leading to the improved use of plant feedstocks or biofuel production. The seven projects announced came after the end of the green jobs …
USDA Reduces Forecast for Corn Ethanol Use
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the forecast for corn expected to be used for ethanol this marketing year in the latest report out on Friday. Corn for ethanol use in 2008-2009 was lowered by 100 million bushels in USDA’s July World Agricultural Supply and Demand report, to 3.65 billion – which is still up more than 600 million bushels …
USDA Small Wind Turbine Grants Due July 31st
There has been speculation as to when some of the funds dedicated to developing renewable energy will come to fruition. It looks like this is finally happening. Farmers, ranchers and rural business owners have until July 31, 2009 to apply for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants. The grants provide funds to purchase and install small wind …
Farmers Eligible for Wind Energy Grants
Some farmers might be eligible for federal grants to cover the cost of putting in a wind energy turbine. This ZDNet blog entry says farmers and ranchers in rural areas with fewer than 15 employees have until July 31, 2009 to apply for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants: The grants can be used to cover 25 …
Plenty of Corn for Ethanol
Many are surprised by theUSDA’s planted acreage report out this morning that estimates the second largest corn crop since 1946 at 87.0 million acres, up 1 percent from last year. USDA grains analyst Jerry Norton says the number was much higher than the trade was expecting. “It’s a big number,” Norton says, especially considering the planting delays in Illinois and …
USDA Loan Helps Minnesota Biodiesel Plant Expand
A Minnesota biodiesel facility is getting a $25 million USDA Rural Development loan that will help the refinery expand the number of feedstocks it is able to turn into the green fuel… including the by-product of another green fuel: USDA Rural Development is providing SoyMor Biodiesel a $25 million guaranteed loan to purchase equipment that will enable SoyMor to convert …
USDA Meets Obama Biofuels Objective
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says USDA has met President Obama’s 30-day directive to expedite and increase the production of biofuels. “Further developing the biofuels industry helps create jobs and stimulates rural economies, an important part of getting our economy back on track,” Vilsack announced. “President Obama and I are committed to advancing clean and renewable energy as it creates jobs …
More Corn for Ethanol and Exports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting more corn to be made into ethanol and exported overseas this year, but less to be fed to livestock. According to the May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released on Tuesday morning, total U.S. corn use for 2009/10 is projected to be three percent higher than the current year with higher expected …