SD Corn

The South Dakota fuel retailer, Stone Oil Company, Inc. was one of 12 different groups to receive ethanol blender pump grants yesterday following an announcement made by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Energy for America Program.

Stone’s  gas station, The Prairie Stop located on the Westside of Watertown at the intersection of US Hwy 212 and SD Hwy 20 in Northeast South Dakota was awarded $33,307 which will go towards the installation of two new ethanol blender pumps.

“We are excited to offer higher blends of ethanol like E20, E30 and E85 to meet the growing demand for homegrown energy in our market,” said the Stone’s Oil Company owner. “Ethanol benefits more than just the farmers, it’s good for the entire community.”

“Giving fuel consumer’s additional choice at the pump is always a good thing,” said SDCGA President, Gary Duffy, a farmer from Oldham, SD. “They can either use more of a clean and local energy source, or they can continue to rely on dirty, imported oil. The choice is theirs.”

This round of REAP grants totaled 12 projects in eight states creating additional American biofuel infrastructure throughout the country as the USDA continues their commitment to broadening consumer access to clean, renewable energy. REAP has created an additional 266 ethanol blender pumps in 30 states, with 65 of them coming this year. Combined, REAP projects are expected to reduce energy usage by 2 billion kilowatts and prevent nearly 2 million metric tons of emissions from being released into the environment.

Aaaand there off… as combines slowly creep across the South Dakota plains, farmers have begun harvesting their 2011 corn crop. Normally, most farmers would harvest their soybeans prior to corn but this year of course has been very unique in terms of weather and crop maturity. Yet again Mother Nature has again showed everyone who’s in charge.

A wet spring delayed some plantings but a hot and dry July and August pushed the crop progress along nearly catching up to the five year average. The dry field conditions have farmers ready to go as the extremely wet fall of 2009 has not been forgotten. While most fields are not quite ready, there has been some crop taken out and it will be interesting to watch the continued progress as corn harvest continues.

The latest report from USDA shows that as of September 25^th, 2% of South Dakota’s corn crop had been harvested. That progress is equal compared to last year and 2% behind the state’s five year average. 

While combining corn isn’t necessarily a race, most farmers would admit that they’re ready to shift gears and put the pedal down on this fall’s harvest gathering next year’s supply of food, feed, fuel and fiber.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Secretary, Tom Vilsack, has been very vocal lately stressing the importance of domestic biofuels and its role in rural development. Ethanol has been an economic bright spot throughout the country by bringing jobs and tax revenues to rural areas, even through the recession.

“Domestic production of renewable energy, including biofuels, is a national imperative,” Vilsack said. “That’s why USDA is working to assist in developing a biofuels industry in every corner of the nation.”

That development includes expanding ethanol’s infrastructure, which has always been key in expanding ethanol usage. The USDA will help install 10,000 blending pumps at convenience stores and filling stations around the country.

Expanded biofuels opportunities could make possible up to $95 billion worth of private investment nationwide that could create 900,000 quality jobs in rural areas.

“There are a lot of challenges in rural America and it doesn’t get as much attention as the rest of America, and oftentimes people just don’t think about rural America and they don’t understand the stress that is out there,” he said.

Vilsack goes on to say repopulating rural America is important because they are places where people understand the value of giving back. For example, farmers grow crops on the land but also practice conservation efforts to ensure that the land remains productive. These rural values helped build our nation and are part of what makes our country great today.

There will always be a pool of naysayers putting down ethanol, America’s only major renewable energy source when it comes to fuel. Activists love to use the word “Boondoggle” when describing it but if you have been paying attention to the industry lately, the clean-burning energy source is anything but.

The USDA posted a study this week showing the increased energy efficiency of corn ethanol. Previous studies showed a positive net energy gain of 1.7 to 1, but their most recent study shows a 2.3 to 1 gain in energy from the production of corn ethanol. This just shows the constant improvements to an industry that is increasing their all-around efficiencies through new technologies every day.

Last week, Ricardo Inc. released a study on the effects that E15 had on vehicles between the years of 1994 to 2000. The results showed that E15 would work just fine in those vehicles which represent 25% of the vehicles on the road today. This study is vital due to the EPA’s lack initiative in making a decision on whether or not to move the minimal ethanol blend for non-flex fuel vehicles to E15. It has been 10 months since the EPA’s first delay on this request.

Within the last six months, the Congressional Budget Office looked into the effects of using corn for ethanol when determining food prices. Results from their study showed that corn ethanol only caused a .5-.8% of the 5.1% rise in food prices between April 2007 through April 2008, an ethanol boom period. These results basically put the food vs. fuel myth to bed once and for all as farmers are continuing to produce more corn on the less land making them capable of meeting all demands.

These are just three examples of ethanol positives, while there are many more including benefits to the economy and environment, I encourage you all to do your part by sharing these positives you’re your friends and neighbors. The industry needs your grassroots efforts, because while corn ethanol is improving our country the naysayers and oil companies will never quit fighting to keep their competition down.

Right now in the United States more emphasis is being placed on health care than ever before. This seems to make a lot of sense since America has an increasingly notable weight problem. One ingredient that seems to be taking a lot of the blame is High Fructose Corn Syrup.

There is no evidence that HFCS is causing weight gain, but there is evidence linked to overconsumption of fast foods and sweetened drinks. HFCS may be used in those food items, but you can’t blame anyone but yourself for eating two double cheeseburgers and supersizing your value meal.

“This is a marketing issue, not a metabolic issue… The real issue is not High Fructose Corn Syrup, it’s that we’ve forgotten what a real serving size is. We have to eat less of everything.” David Klurfeld Ph.D., Human Nutrition USDA

Americans have evolved into an easy go life style, they have every right to eat as much and exercise as little as they like, but blaming HFCS is “scapegoat” when determining the cause of their health problems.

It’s seems like bashing High Fructose Corn Syrup is the trendy thing to do. Many columnist and bloggers have been taking their shots and filled their reader’s thoughts with outdated science and biased logic. Many of the studies used in these articles are flawed in that they used pure fructose when comparing to cane sugar. When in reality, HFCS is somewhere between 42-55% Fructose.

The American Medical Association stated that, “Because the composition of high fructose corn syrup and sucrose are so similar, particularly on absorption by the body, it appears unlikely that high fructose corn syrup contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose.”

FACT: High Fructose Corn Syrup is fine in moderation, but overeating is unhealthy.

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