Members of the Missouri Renewable Fuels Association (MoRFA), an organization comprised of the state’s six farmer-owned ethanol plants and the Missouri Corn Growers Association, have selected Ryland Utlaut of Alma, Mo., as the organization’s 2009-10 president.
Utlaut, president and general manager of Mid-Missouri Energy, a majority farmer-owned ethanol plant in Malta Bend, Mo., assumes the new leadership responsibilities Oct. 1. He succeeds Gene Millard, chairman of Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, Mo.
“As a founding board member for Mid-Missouri Energy, and now the plant’s general manager, Ryland has a deep understanding of the industry and a great vision for the future of the Missouri Renewable Fuels Association,” said Millard. “He will be an exceptional leader for the organization and a strong advocate for the state’s renewable fuels industry and Missouri farm families.”
MoRFA was established in 2006 for the purpose of building and maintaining a positive environment for Missouri’s ethanol plants through political action and consumer education.
According to a summary on the 
The lowly alfalfa crop could play a role in the future of cellulosic ethanol. 
Pioneer Director of Alfalfa Research Dave Miller says they believe cellulosic ethanol will need multiple feedstocks and alfalfa is a good fit for a number of reasons. “It’s great for crop rotation, its environmental benefits in terms of lack of soil erosion because it’s deep rooted and a perennial are well known, and it fixes nitrogen.”
Clear your calendar for a 
Algae is all the rage as the next great feedstock for biodiesel… although the longtime champion for the green fuel, soybeans, might not be ready to give up its crown to the green pond scum.
One the one hand, you have guys like Riggs Eckelberry, the CEO of 
Leonard Kosar, CEO of 
One of the most oil-rich countries in the world will be making ethanol from excess dates. Iraqi government has approved a plan to produce the clean burning alernative in attempt to boost their economy. 
Prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq, the country produced more than 900,000 ton of dates per year. The country only used about 150,000 ton so the remaining was exported. However, since 2003 the market for Iraqi dates has dried up to the point where only about 350,000 ton of them are produced annually.
The Sundance award winning documentary, 
Snapping a photo of his daughter stopping to smell the flowers paid off for Rich Johnson of Omaha, Nebraska who has been named the winner of the 
As the winner, Johnson received a $1,000 fueling card, presented by RFA Director of Market Development Robert White. “Educating consumers is all about engaging them where they live and in ways that motivate them to act,” said White. “Based on this contest alone, tens of thousands of Americans were exposed to ethanol-related information, many for the first time.” White says Heather Litton of Westerville, Ohio, won the Most Voted Award and $100 in fuel for her photo entitled “Ethan.”
In what’s being characterized as an “historic national program” that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for new cars and trucks sold in the United States… vehicles that can run on B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel… will be considered flexible fuel vehicles.
A couple of years ago, I told you about how the Utah Department of Transportation was planting safflower, camelina, canola and perennial flax in a safety strip along Interstate 15 and then crushing the seeds to make biodiesel (see