I think ethanol has done more to rejuventate much of rural America than many of the farm assistance programs.

The issue of taking more energy to produce than it consumes is a common one used by oil companies that do not want ethanol anywhere - they are into oil not corn or rural economy.

One can generate data to prove whatever conclusion one cares to promote.

With more modern reduced tillage methods of growing corn with strip locating fertilizer where and when it is needed, with residue left on the surface, lower hp requirements, etc ethanol calculates out to produce considerably more energy than it consumes.

It all depends on your initial bias and assumptions. For example many of the anti-ethanol camp uses the old university recommendations of 1.2 lb of natural gas derived N per bu of corn. This is a major swing point in the calculation.

MANY of our customers are growing VERY good corn using under 1 lb of N per bu of yield. Often in the 0.7 lb N per bu range.

Look at the new schools, houses and businesses in rural America which are a direct result of using ethanol rather than largely imported oil.

I remember when the first thing a large corn operation did every morning was to check the river prices and export numbers because most corn sold had to go down the Mississippi to a ship.

Now you can drive along highway 12 east of Aberdeen SD near Groton (& many other locations in corn country) and see in red letters 4ft high what the cash price of corn delivered locally to the plant is for the day...

Corn grain based ethanol is in my opinion an overwhelmingly positive for America as a whole. I think we do need to watch we don't get carried away and start using the whole plant. The cycle needs that organic matter.

If we are careful however I think grain based ethanol, while is not a total answer to overall energy needs, can be a very long term positive thing.

Note the anti-ethanol retoric is likely to increase as gasoline inventories have recently shown a significant increase. Oil companies want to sell oil-based products, NOT corn based products, especially when there is a glut of oil on the market right now. jmho.

Jim at Dawn