ACE Conference 2026

SunPower Biodiesel Fuels Tractor Pull Winners

Cindy Zimmerman

The power of the sun wins tractor pulls.

Tractors fueled by SunPower Biodiesel took both first and second place in Northern Wisconsin Tractor Pull event, part of Almena Fun Days, and first in the Turtle Lake Fair Tractor Pull, also in Wisconsin. The winning tractors were running on B99 – a 99% biodiesel blend.

The winners were from DRM Farms and Schep’s Dairy, which also use SunPower Biodiesel in their off-road and on-road equipment and vehicles. SunPower Biodiesel, LLC produces premium cold flow biodiesel made mostly of canola.

Biodiesel

Ag Secretary to Visit Florida Advanced Biofuel Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is scheduled to pay a visit to a Florida advanced biofuel plant on Thursday afternoon.

Vilsack will tour the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy facility in Vero Beach. The company received a $75 million USDA loan guarantee earlier this year to help build and operate a biorefinery capable of producing eight million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol and six megawatts of electricity from waste. The plant broke ground in February and is expected to be complete by spring of 2012.

At INEOS, Vilsack will announce a series of joint USDA and Department of Energy grants to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy crops.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA, Waste-to-Energy

Ethanol is Small Part of The Andersons Business

Cindy Zimmerman

The Andersons has an ethanol division that operates three ethanol plants in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio that are collectively capable of producing 300 million gallons of ethanol, but that is just a small part of the 60-year-old company’s diverse business interests

I learned a lot about The Andersons this week on the Conservation Technology Information Center 2011 Conservation in Action Tour in northwest Ohio. The diversified company, which was started in the late 1940’s by Harold Anderson, has various business divisions including the grain and ethanol, plant nutrients, railcar leasing and repair, turf products production, and consumer retailing industries.

Al Bensch, vice president of northern operations for The Andersons Plant Nutrient Group, spoke on one of the three tour buses as we drove past much of the company’s Maumee, Ohio operations. “We’re basic in commodity markets, grain and fertilizer,” he said. The Grain Division operates grain terminals in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska with storage capacity of 107 million bushels.

They got into the ethanol business as a natural extension of the grain division back in 2005, starting with a joint venture in Michigan, then adding the Clymers, Indiana plant and finally the one in Greenville, Ohio. “We are not the majority owner of those (plants), we’re a minority,” said Bensch. “Marathon is a partner in one and I think that was the first time a major oil company got involved in the ethanol business.” (See our post from November 2006)

Listen to some of Al’s comments here: Al Bensch, The Andersons

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Mrs. South Dakota Knows Ethanol’s Importance

Chuck Zimmerman

Here’s Lori Visker, Mrs. South Dakota, with two of the guys on the team that’s promoting Ethanol, Fueled with Pride, at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I met Lori last night during an industry partners reception and we chatted about her participation in the rally and ethanol. Like me Lori is a first timer at Sturgis and she brought her own bike to ride.

When it comes to ethanol she knows that it is important to the economy, especially in rural America. She says it helps us take care of ourselves and the environment.

Listen to my interview with Lori here: Interview with Mrs. South Dakota

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association
Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Sturgis

Buffalo Chip Owner Runs His Vehicles on Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman

The owner of the Buffalo Chip Campground is Rod “Woody” Woodruff, seen here at a press conference during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The focus of the concerts and events is The Chip as it’s called.

I visited with Woody in his office and learned how he got this event started out here on the property that’s just three miles outside the city of Sturgis. Woody was born in South Dakota but had moved to San Francisco. He came back and wound up staying. He says the city fathers were kind of fed up with the Rally and he thought it would be “just like throwing a keg party in high school,” so he started one just outside of town.

Woody says the relationship with the Renewable Fuels Association as a sponsor of the Rally was a natural fit. He says that a long time ago a local co-op told him he should use the fuel. “I’ve been using it in my own vehicles for however long that’s been and exclusively.” He says he even notices getting better fuel economy!

Listen to my interview with Woody here: Interview with Woody at The Chip

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association
Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Sturgis

Rupert Loves Home Grown Fuel

Chuck Zimmerman

His name is Rupert Boneham but everyone knows him as Rupert, winner of Survivor. Rupert is one of the folks I’ve had the pleasure to meet here at the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In the photo he’s being interviewed on the street before the Legends Ride. I ran into him again out here where I’m staying at the Buffalo Chip Campground.

Rupert has a charitable organization called, “Rupert’s Kids” which is “dedicated to serving an easily overlooked population of youth: those that have become too old for the youth social service system, but are not old enough for the adult social service system. We teach these youth valuable skills and trades, while also empowering them to discover their inner strengths, passions and interests.” I heard him speak about the work his organization is doing and the fact that they’ve never taken any government money. That message alone was well worth bringing to your attention. With donations lagging due to the economy he’s turned to some very creative ways to create funding that includes his own branded video games.

Rupert is from Indiana and is also a big supporter of home grown fuel like ethanol!

Listen to my interview with Rupert here: Interview with Rupert

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association
Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Sturgis

Safety Issues at a Biorefinery

Chuck Zimmerman

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think the biggest safety issue is at a biorefinery?” Here’s what you said. 43% said interaction with chemicals, 34% said, slips, grips and falls, 14% chose equipment and 9% other. We’ll be delving into this issue more in a series of stories that are in production now. Thanks for your input!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What do you like best about farm radio?” Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Butamax Awarded Patent

Joanna Schroeder

Butamax has been granted another patent – number 7,993,889. This patent protects foundational methods for low-cost production of biobutanol. Currently, Butamax has over a hundred patent applications pending in addition to those already granted and several of the applications are under accelerated review in the USPTO Green Technology Pilot Program. The company says its intellectual property encompasses advances in technology across the renewables value chain including the production, purification and use of biobutanol as a renewable fuel component.

“The strength of Butamax’s patent portfolio is a testament to our company’s innovation capability and is a critical asset as we commercialize the most significant new fuel molecule since ethanol,” said Paul Beckwith, CEO of Butamax.

Peter Matrai, COO of Butamax added, “Butamax’s comprehensive intellectual property estate offers licensees a unique commercial opportunity underpinned by a fully proprietary technology package.”

In other Butamax news, they announced the filing of a second patent infringement against Gevo, Inc. for its unlawful use of Butamax biobutanol technology. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S District Court in the District of Delaware and is based on Gevo’s infringement of U.S. patent no. 7,993,889 that was granted to Butamax just this week.

Beckwith said of the patent infringement, “The success of any new technology start-up is dependent on protection of innovation. It is our obligation to assert our intellectual property rights in order to defend value for our partners and to protect the viability of this emerging industry.”

biobutanol, biofuels, Company Announcement

Sturgis Legends Ride

Chuck Zimmerman

Each year at the Legends Ride, now in its 4th year, photographer Michael Lichter, takes a photo of the participants in front of the famous Franklin Hotel in Deadwood, SD. He gets a little higher angle than I did but these are the folks that were about to take off on their bikes for the ride yesterday.

Rfa’s Robert White has his bike here and took part in the ride. At the end of this video clip you’ll see him wave as he rides by me on the street.

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association
Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Sturgis, Video

Sturgis Legends Press Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

During the Legends Ride activities here at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a press conference was held. The lineup of speakers included personalities like Rupert, one of the winners of Survivor. Also on the list was Robert White, Renewable Fuels Association.

I recorded Robert speaking to the standing room only filled room of media. You can listen to Robert’s statement here: Robert White Press Conference

2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Photo Album

Domestic Fuel coverage of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by The Renewable Fuels Association
Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Sturgis