Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Mark your calenders for Saturday, January 7, 2012 for the South Dakota Corn Growers 26th annual meeting, Winter Wonderland and Dance Party at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

In a relatively short period, American ethanol has accomplished a number of feats, but the most important being the reduction of our countries dependence on foreign oil from 60% to 50%. A lot of things had to come together in order for it to happen like ethanol plants, blender pumps and of course vehicles designed to used higher blends of ethanol. Currently America has around nine million flex fuel vehicles and that number will continue to climb as U.S. automakers continue to flex their fleet.

The “Big 3” American automakers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are all on track to hit their goals of making 50% of their new vehicles flex fuel by 2012 according to the Renewable Fuels Association.

Having more flex fuel vehicles benefits our country in a number of ways. Most importantly it gives more consumers a choice at the pump between clean-burning ethanol and dirty, imported gasoline. That choice creates much needed competition which saves consumers as much as $.89/gallon and attempts to break down the 90% gasoline mandate that BIG OIL has created.

Using more ethanol also means also less greenhouse gas emissions creating a cleaner environment. According to a study by the EPA, ethanol fuel releases 52% fewer GHGs than that of regular gasoline.

More flex fuel vehicles also benefit our nation’s energy security. The automobile is an important part of any American’s life and by not having to rely on countries that hate us to power those vehicles we can maintain our freedoms and continue to strive towards energy independence. Currently our country spends over $300 billion on foreign oil each year. By using ethanol, that money goes directly back into communities across the United States.

“Additional flex fuel vehicle production from the Big 3 is a vital step towards extending a real fuel choice to consumers and towards achieving an Open Fuel Standard,” said South Dakota Corn Utilization Council President, Chad Blindauer. “More American-made vehicles using more American- made fuel will bolster our economy creating new green jobs, tax revenues and energy independence.”

It’s rarely mentioned by the ethanol haters and touted by the rest, distillers grains. Just ask any livestock producer using it, the stuff works and it’s cost effective too. Now a new report shows that its feed value and production efficiency are even better than originally thought.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one ton of distillers grain can replace 1.22 tons of corn and soybean meal. This can be attributed to the feed’s higher energy and protein content.

 USDA also noted that instead of just 1/3 or 33% of the corn being used for ethanol coming back as distillers grains, it’s actually around 40% (weight). Most people don’t realize that the ethanol process only removes the kernels starch content leaving behind the protein, fat, fiber and other nutrients for livestock feed.

 “The value of the animal feed produced by the ethanol industry has long been misunderstood, understated and misrepresented,” said Geoff Cooper, RFA Vice President of Research & Analysis. “Distillers grains continue to be the industry’s best kept secret, despite the fact that we are producing tremendous volumes of this high value feed product today. DDGS and other ethanol feed products significantly reduce the need for corn and soybean meal in animal feed rations. Over the past several years, distillers grains have been one of the most economically competitive sources of energy and protein available on the world feed market. While some critics of the ethanol industry attempt to downplay the role of DDGS, the facts simply can’t be ignored.”

This year the United States will produce 13 billion gallons of renewable ethanol fuel and 39 million metric tons of distillers grains. That amount of distillers grains is equivalent to the 4^th largest corn crop in the world. DDGs will displace more than one billion bushels of corn for feed in the U.S. this year alone and 1/4^th of it will be exported. Through ethanol production, America’s family corn farmers are reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and feeding countries around the world by utilizing co-products like DDGs, efficiently using corn to produce both Food and Fuel.

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Although CRP acres have declined, South Dakota is still home to 1.2 million CRP acres, which ranks 10th nationally.

South Dakota ranks 2nd in fish, wildlife and parks programs with 75,000 acres.

South Dakota also has 163,000 acres in the grassland reserve program.

Not bad for little old South Dakota. Our farmers and ranchers do a great job at not only protecting the land and water but also the wildlife that lives among us.

The same factor that determines the success of farming also determines the success of our state’s wildlife reproduction numbers…weather.

What is more American than ethanol? It’s grown, manufactured and consumed in this great nation creating jobs, tax revenues, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lessening our dependence on foreign oil. Its co-product feeds our cattle, hogs, poultry and aquaculture. But some people just don’t get it and one of those people include Sen. John McCain.

This week, United States Senator, John McCain (R-AZ) introduced an amendment to stop USDA programs from funding ethanol blender pumps. This is not Sen. McCain’s first attempt at this measure and certainly not his only his anti-ethanol effort. The amendment was later pulled Wednesday night.

The McCain camp says it’s time for ethanol to stand on its own, but the very same could be said for the oil industry who is still subsidized more than ten times that of ethanol. Some groups including the Renewable Fuels Association called this amendment a “jobs bill” for OPEC and it’s hard to disagree with that. To top it off, McCain has received some very handsome contributions from BIG OIL as well.

The investment and installation of blender pumps in the United States will continue to offer more and more consumers a choice when it comes to fueling their vehicles, a choice between dirty foreign oil and clean, American-made ethanol. Our country has created a 90% gasoline mandate which heavily relies on foreign oil. That dangerous addition to foreign energy cost’s our country more than $300 billion each year and comes from countries which despise American freedoms and values.

If our country is ever going to shake that addition, we will need more blender pumps, more flex fuel vehicles and an open fuel market creating equal opportunity for all energy options. Free markets are the American way and will allow for next generation biofuels to become a reality.

Biofuels like ethanol have come a long ways in the past ten years by creating infrastructure and jobs, but this attempt by McCain would have blocked the additional sale and distribution of our countries only readily available alternative to gasoline  halting that progress, which is simply un-American.

The EPA will not be regulating dust control on farms. I repeat, the EPA WILL NOT be regulating dust control on farms.

In a release yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that controlling dust particles from farm related activity will not be included in their upcoming five-year review. EPA officials hope that this will finally put the myth of dust regulation to bed.

“In progressing this work, some have raised the common myth that we are planning to tighten standards of dust from farms. EPA has repeatedly said that it has no plans to tighten this regulation,” EPA said in a statement. “EPA hopes that this action finally puts an end to the myth that the agency is planning to tighten this regulation which has been place since 1987.”

Serious concerns from numerous ag groups and politicians have been raised over the past several months about possible regulation and rightfully so. The production of dust particles is simply a part of farming and ranching that isn’t going anywhere, so the idea of it being regulated is alarming. But this release brings both clarity and comfort to our nation’s farm families allowing them focus on the tasks ahead instead of what’s being left behind.