What a year it has been. To review I have picked out the top 12 blog posts (in no particular order) from the first year of the South Dakota corn blog to reflect on everything that has taken place over the past year. Enjoy.

South Dakota’s 2009 record corn harvest

Taking on HSUS and their Anti-Ag Agenda

The Importance of VEETC in South Dakota

PETA Blowing Smoke in South Dakota

Farm Bill Hearing in Sioux Falls

Turning Corn Farmers into Agvocates

South Dakota Sets the Bar for Fuel Choice in America

VeraSun Debt Collectors back down

EPA approves E15 for vehicles 2007 or newer

Indirect Land Use Change “Theory”…is just that

SD Corn champions American Ethanol, NASCAR partnership

“Laudable-Duck” Congress extends VEETC

South Dakota Corn appreciates all of its blog readers and we will strive to continue educating and informing both farmers and consumers about important agriculture news and topics in our state, nation and world. In its first year, the Corn Hugger Blog reached over 15,000 different people in 104 South Dakota towns, all 50 states and 99  countries around the world. 

During the coming year, we encourage all of you to share our information with your friends and colleagues to further our message of “Agvocacy”.

South Dakota Corn would like to wish everyone a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Don’t forget to register for the SDCGA’s 25th Annual Meeting  which takes place on January 22nd at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. This year’s annual meeting entertainment includes Chubby Checker and the Wildcats.

South Dakota Corn wishes everyone a Safe and Happy New Year.

South Dakota farmers and ranchers are the True Environmentalists.

South Dakota Corn Growers Association board director and family farmer, Walt Bones of Parker, has been appointed as the new South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture by Governor Elect, Dennis Daugaard.

“Walt Bones is an active farmer and rancher and a leader in the ag community,” said Gov.-elect Daugaard. “I have great respect for Walt, and I thank him for agreeing to help me promote our state’s No. 1 industry.”

“I am honored to be asked to serve as Secretary of Agriculture,” said Bones. “I hope that, in this role, I can be an advocate for the family farmers and ranchers who are the backbone of our state’s economy.”

“Walt’s outstanding enthusiasm, energy and passion for agriculture will bode well for the state of South Dakota,” said Teddi Mueller, Legislative and Industry Affairs Director of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “While Walt’s leadership will be missed in our organization, we know that same leadership will continue to shine in his new position.”

Ethanol fuel production is the largest user of South Dakota corn consuming approximately 50% of the state’s supply this year totaling 346 million bushels.

Ethanol is providing South Dakotans and Americans alike with a domestic, clean-burning, alternative fuel that saves consumers money at the pump and lessens our countries dependence on foreign oil. Ethanol has helped produce thousands of jobs in both rural and urban South Dakota and according to EPA, ethanol produces 52% less greenhouse gases than conventional gasoline.

The state of South Dakota ranks 5th nationally as it produces over one billion gallons of ethanol annually. The state will be consuming more of that renewable fuel as it will soon become the national leader in ethanol blender pump locations.

You might be thinking to yourself, “that’s a lot of corn to make a fuel,” but you need to remember that a third of the corn used in ethanol production comes back as dried distiller grains (DDG’s). In South Dakota, DDG’s replaced 25 million bushels of corn in 2010. The state produced at total of 2.7 thousand metric tons of DDG’s in 2010 with 2.1 thousand metric tons being exported and the rest being fed to South Dakota livestock. Ethanol production is providing both a clean-burning, renewable fuel and a high-protein feed for livestock around the world.

Corn ethanol will not be the complete long-term answer to breaking our countries dependence on foreign oil, but it is creating a market for futuristic biofuels and establishing the necessary infrastructure to compete with oil moving forward.

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the folks at South Dakota Corn.

Don’t forget about the South Dakota Corn Growers Association’s 25th Annual Meeting, “Corn Hop” to be held at the Sioux Falls Convention Center on January 22, 2011 starting at 7:30 a.m. Register ahead of time for the informational seminars and evening entertainment, Chubby Checker and the Wildcats.

If you are a SDCGA member and would like to submit an SDCGA resolution at this year’s annual meeting, please click here to download a form. Resolutions must be submitted to the SD Corn office by Thursday, December 23rd. If you have any questions on resolutions, please call the office at 605-334-0100. The resolution meeting will start at 8:00 am on the day of the annual meeting.

South Dakota farmers and ranchers are the “True Environmentalists“

The United States House of Representatives passed the Tax Bill Thursday night sending it to the desk of President, Barack Obama who has signed the bill into law as of Friday afternoon.

The Tax Bill extends a number of ethanol tax incentives for one year including the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), a blender’s credit equaling 45 cents per gallon. Other ethanol tax incentives include a 54 cent per gallon tariff on imported ethanol, a small ethanol producer’s tax credit of 10 cents per gallon and an alternative vehicle property credit at a 30% rate.

“Extending VEETC was a top priority for our organization ensuring a level playing field for our countries only commercially viable, domestically produced, alternative fuel,” said South Dakota Corn Growers Association Executive Director, Lisa Richardson. “Looking forward we will strive to increase ethanol’s access to the market through additional infrastructure in an effort to further reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

“We thank congress for working together and understanding the importance of supporting American biofuels as they will continue to play a vital role in our countries future clean energy economy.”