Farmer Perspective on Corn Cob Harvest

Chuck Zimmerman

FarmersWhen you’re attending a farm event it’s always nice to get a farmer’s perspective on things. That’s what I did at the POET Project LIBERTY field day when I spoke with Todd Mathisen who farms just east of Emmetsburg, IA. I asked him what he thought of POET’s idea to harvest corn cobs for cellulosic ethanol production. He said, “I think it’s a great idea. I think we’re definitely going to add value to corn. Anything that produces more revenue, it’s going to take more work but I think open-minded farmers will grab hold of this and I think it’ll be a good deal.”

Now that sounds positive. Todd says the cobs are basically a waste product that isn’t even that good for the ground and he likes the idea of turning them into energy. Seems to make sense to me too. He’s a little apprehensive of the equipment that’s being developed and the labor involved but he’s sure that improvements will be made over the next couple years.

I also asked him about President-Elect Obama. He likes the fact that the Illinois Senator has always been supportive of renewable fuels. He’s interested to see what will happen.

Todd says he just finished his harvesting. He worked it wet, planted it wet but thinks he still got a good crop and he seems pretty happy about it.

You can listen to my interview with Todd here: poet-liberty-08-mathisen.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Audio, Corn, Ethanol, Farming

Pile Up Your Corn Cobs

Chuck Zimmerman

James SturdevantThe Director of Project LIBERTY for POET is Jim Sturdevant. He oversees all the activities across the company that are “pulling together to transform this ethanol plant into one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol plants.” The plant he’s referring to is POET’s Emmetsburg facility where they held a field day yesterday. He says they intend to replicate what they’re doing with the local plant at their other facilities. Jim was very happy with the turnout at their field day even though the weather was not very cooperative.

Jim says they’ve been doing research on corn cob harvesting as well as the economic viability of doing it. He says, “We will not move forward unless this is economical.” Their models show that it will be although there is no pricing on the prototype equipment that was on display at the event.

I think it was interesting to hear him talk about the research into how to store the cobs. It looks like all you have to do is pile them up at the edge of the field for POET to pick them up.

You can listen to my interview with Jim here: poet-liberty-08-sturdevant.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album

Agribusiness, Audio, Corn, Ethanol

New Agriblogger Born

Chuck Zimmerman

Braden SlagleHe’s a future agriblogger. I think he needs an iPhone and he’s ready to rock and blog!

He’s Braden Slagle, born this morning to your Zimfo Bytes blogger, Melissa Slagle. She’s married to Nate by the way who had a lot to do with this new creation too. Melissa is taking a blogging break although I’m sure she could start teaching Braden how to blog while they hang out together at home!

Congratulations Melissa, Nate and Braden.

Uncategorized

Willie Nelson For Secretary of Agriculture

Chuck Zimmerman

Willie Nelson Letter to ObamaWhy not? He’s been advocating for family farmers for years right? He’s already started advising the incoming O-man. Read his letter here.

Farm Aid President Willie Nelson sent an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama today, congratulating him on his victory and offering Farm Aid as a resource for a new farm and food policy that supports a sustainable, family farm system of agriculture.

By way of introduction, Nelson explained, “I started Farm Aid in 1985 when family farmers were being forced off their land as a result of federal policy that paved the way for industrial agriculture. This shift replaced independent family farmers with factory farms that have wreaked havoc on our communities, our environment and our public health.”

Nelson pointed out that Farm Aid and a network of farm and food organizations across the country, together with family farmers, have been working for years to grow the alternative to the industrial food system–one centered around family farms. Nelson said now is the right time for the leaders of our country to take a leadership role in this movement.

“Now is the time for our country to recognize and call on family farmers’ ingenuity, strength and value to our past and our future,” Willie Nelson said. “We can have strong local economies, green energy, a clean environment, healthy citizens and good food–all of these start with family farmers.”

Uncategorized

USDA Podcasting Newslines

Chuck Zimmerman

USDA PodcastsI knew it was only a matter of time before USDA’s Office of Communications started podcasting their news feeds. I’ve discussed it with them several times since it makes it so much easier for farm podcasters to get them. It also opens the door to farmers who can now directly subscribe to USDA’s news! That’s as it should be since it’s their tax money helping make the news feeds happen in the first place.

USDA is now offering the ability of Podcasting of the Radio Newsline and Radio Features via iTunes, Internet Explorer 7 or the ability to copy the link to your favorite Podcast/RSS application. We have also upgraded our page to a more consistent USDA look and feel.

Podcasts, USDA

Corn Cobs Into Ethanol

Chuck Zimmerman

Jeff BroinJeff Broin is CEO of POET and his company just continues to make innovations in the ethanol production business. Lately they’ve been very focused on what they call Project LIBERTY. The goal is to make cellulosic ethanol out of corn cobs. The company held a field day to showcase some of the equipment that companies like John Deere, Case IH and others are developing to assist with the harvest and collection of this biomass that’s left over after harvesting the grain.

Forbes magazine calls Jeff, Mr. Ethanol and has a nice article on him titled “Mr. Ethanol Fights Back” in their latest edition. I spoke with him today about Project LIBERTY. He says they’re not only adding 100 million gallons of grain ethanol production to the Emmetsburg plant but an addition 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs. They will begin construction on these additions late next year and will have the cellulosic production going by 2011.

Jeff says they’ve invested millions of dollars in the cellulosic ethanol process and have been working with ag equipment OEM’s on corn cob collection. I’ll have more interviews coming up on the various ways they’re doing that. One thing this effort to grow ethanol production from corn cobs does is show the close connection between agriculture and the renewable fuel business. Jeff says cellulosic ethanol production from corn cobs can potentially produce an additional 5 billions gallons of the fuel which would replace a significant portion of the fuel we have to import from foreign countries.

You can see photos of today’s event here: Project LIBERTY Field Day Photo Album. I’ll have a lot more tomorrow. Right now I’ve got a long drive home.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff here: poet-liberty-08-broin-1.mp3

You can also download the interview with this link (mp3).

Audio, Ethanol

Night POETry

Chuck Zimmerman

Iowa SunsetI never get tired of taking sunset pictures. This is one from the highway just east of Des Moines, IA on my way to Emmetsburg this evening. You can see that the clouds were rolling in and they’re here now. It’s raining and thundering and lightning outside.

I hope this all clears away by tomorrow morning since we’re supposed to see some interesting field demonstrations by POET at their Project LIBERTY field day.

POET EmmetsburgAs I was driving into Emmetsburg I saw this plant off in the distance. I’m hoping this is the POET Emmetsburg ethanol plant. If not, I’ll correct this post tomorrow.

I was wrong. It’s the AGP soybean processing plant. The POET plant is behind it in this picture.

I think they look very cool in the dark don’t you?

Ethanol

Dorr Resigns from USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

We’ve seen USDA Under Secretary Tom Dorr so many times in the past year or so at so many events that we have gotten to know him pretty well. But, now he is moving on and out of USDA.

USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development, Tom DorrU.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced the resignation, effective December 1, 2008, of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr.

“Tom Dorr has been a transformational leader for USDA Rural Development,” Schafer said. “As the transition to a new Administration continues in the months ahead, senior leaders will be moving on, but Under Secretary Dorr’s contributions to USDA and rural America will be felt for many years to come.”

A native of Marcus, Iowa, Tom Dorr joined USDA in 2001, serving as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development and Senior Advisor to the Secretary. He was appointed in December 2005 by then-Secretary Mike Johanns to chair the USDA Energy Council and served as co-chair of the Federal Biomass Research and Development Board.

No word yet where Tom will be landing – although many of the appointed in USDA are naturally looking for new jobs and have been for some time. No matter who was elected, they were likely to be replaced. But, I would think we will be seeing Tom around in the ag sector somewhere in the future.

USDA

POET Project LIBERTY

Chuck Zimmerman

POETI think the last time I was in Emmetsburg, IA it was to visit with a local radio station for the Brownfield Network. It’s been a while. Well, that’s where I’m headed to attend tomorrow’s POET Project LIBERTY field day.

The main purpose of this year’s event is to highlight advances in corn cob harvesting for cellulosic ethanol. I’ll be posting here and on Domestic Fuel.

So, as you can guess, I’ve got some miles to cover.

Agribusiness, Ethanol

Vicki Henrickson Joins BCS Communications

Chuck Zimmerman

Anita, Rhonda and VickiVicki Henrickson is pictured on the right here along with Rhonda Ludwig and Anita Vanderwert at this year’s Farm Progress Show. It’s the first picture I found in the ZimmComm archives when looking for one to use with this news from BCS Communications.

Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications, LLC, announces that Vicki Henrickson has joined the company as media director / lead media strategist on the John Deere Agricultural Products account.

Henrickson has been managing strategic media planning and placement for John Deere Agricultural Products and John Deere Publishing for the past two years as VickiMedia of Davenport, Iowa. She has extensive media strategy and planning experience, as well as tremendous knowledge of the broad range of agricultural media available today.

Leigh Ann Cleaver, partner, BCS Communications, says the addition of Vicki to the BCS team further integrates the portfolio of communications services the agency provides John Deere. “Our business is designed to offer senior-level, experienced professionals who work with clients everyday to help them accomplish their goals. Joining forces with Vicki adds significantly to our media services.”

Agencies