Ethanol, infrastructure are top priorities for many farmers

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Ethanol, infrastructure are top priorities for many farmers

Ethanol and infrastructure are top priorities for many Midwestern farmers.

North Central Ohio Farmer Kelly Harsh says growers continue to highlight the benefits of ethanol, a high octane and low carbon fuel.

“Ethanol is a great product,” she says. “Farmers are good at growing corn and ethanol is a great way to use that corn to help our community at large because it reduces greenhouse gas and it’s cheaper for the consumer at the pump.”

She grows corn and soybeans in Delaware County, Ohio.  

Wisconsin Farmer Tom Gillis says corn growers continue to seek transparency surrounding small refinery exemptions.

“We need to know that refiners who receive an SRE produce a true hardship and for some reason cannot blend ethanol,” he says. “It’s a low carbon and high-octane fuel and we need to have that transparency there to ensure growers that we have their back.”

He serves on the Wisconsin Corn Promotion board and grows corn and soybeans in River Falls, Wisconsin.

Like many farmers, Southeastern Michigan farmer Laurie Isley says she’s pleased infrastructure is a priority in the continued efforts to deepen the Mississippi River.  

“That’s set up to be done in three different phases and it looks like the first phase will be underway within the next year so I’m very excited to see that open up some new opportunities to transport soybeans from point A to point B,” she says. “The Mississippi River is a major lifeline throughout the United States.

Isley grows corn and soybeans and is chairperson for the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.

Wisconsin Farmer Mark Hoffman says maintaining locks and dams and inland waterways remains a top priority.  

“There’s always big concern with waterways— if we lose a waterway or if we lose a lock and dam, all that traffic that was on the waterway is now on the highway and our highways are bad anyways,” he says. “Federally they just need to do something to help everybody out.”

He grows corn and soybeans in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

Brownfield interviewed the farmers during Commodity Classic in San Antonio.

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