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Ethanol a big part of Minnesota farmer’s operation
A central Minnesota farmer who owns shares in a local ethanol plant says renewable fuels play an important role on his farm.
Kandiyohi County corn and soybean grower Chad Willis tells Brownfield he was fortunate to invest in an ethanol facility close to home back in 2004.
“It’s been very important to our farming operation because even when commodity prices are down, we might get a dividend from the ethanol plant or vice versa. It just helps to even out the tide I’d say.”
The Minnesota Biofuels Association recently announced the results of a study indicating the ethanol industry contributed nearly $2 billion dollars to the Minnesota economy in 2016.
Willis, a member of the Minnesota Corn Growers, says he’s confident renewable fuels will continue to bolster the state’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“The Minnesota ethanol industry has been working together for the past couple of years with USDA and the Minnesota Department of Ag to fund infrastructure, to put fueling pumps in at stations around Minnesota.”
He says the U.S. is producing more than enough ethanol to meet domestic demand, so the industry is exploring ways to market it overseas.
Serving on the U.S. Grains Council ethanol export advisory team, Willis points to opportunities in China and Japan based on benefits to air quality.
Yes and we could get rid of a lot more corn if we would have blender pumps, GM vehicles, including E 85 vehicles could use a blend in the 30 percent range, the E 85 vechles would get better mileage and the the others that are not using E 85 would use more ethanol, I do not know on other brands of vehicles, but I have read and tried that that in both types and it it is being used at or about at that rate in other countries. For sure 20 to 25 percent would be benefit and cause problems and would be good for the environment also, along with being renewable