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Jun 22, 2017

Because Corn

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For almost twenty years and my entire childhood, my dad sold Kubota tractors. Every night, he’d pull just past the driveway and then back in with a piece of equipment on his trailer ready to deliver or demo to customers in the morning.

There wasn’t a day, even on weekends, you wouldn’t see my dad in his orange Kubota hat. Owning an entire fleet himself, he loved the product that he sold. If you want to see my dad light up, just ask him about Kubota tractors. He always said if you sold and promoted an honest product you loved, it sold itself. Even in a tough market where everyone was use to red, blue and green paint, dad loved selling his products and was successful at it.

Now, I get to grow and market an honest product that I absolutely love.

Corn.

Corn.

I get giddy just thinking about it.

A good friend once asked me why we grow so much corn and what it was used for.

I didn’t know where to begin. When it comes to corn and other crops that we grow, there are endless possibilities ranging from food, animal feed and fiber to fuel and everything in between.



What’s most important, when it comes to corn and why I love growing it, is the positive impact corn has on the environment as a renewable, cleaner burning fuel source called corn ethanol. On average, corn ethanol reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions by 34 percent, and advanced bio fuels can reduce emissions by 100 percent or more over gasoline. (U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory)

As a young farmer, I have many things to think about when choosing the crops we decide to grow. Personally, I want to rest my head at night knowing that what we grow makes a worldly difference, hones an easily-accessed market and provides a sustainable income.

We don’t have to worry about finding work and moving to a larger city. We can stay in or close to the community where we were born and raised. Having jobs available for young families is important in sustaining a small, rural community. We love our small community and take pride in working where we live, serving in local organizations and continuing the legacy of our family’s farm. Unfortunately, many small communities in the Midwest and around the country are facing the uncertainty of a lack of jobs, opportunity, and choices for young people who grow up there.

Here in Indiana, we’re thankful for the ethanol industry, which provides opportunity and sustainability which props up the entire community and keeps the doors of schools and small businesses open. The 14 plants in the state have increased the base price for corn which helps provide us with the opportunity to stay here on our 4th generation farm. Not only does ethanol sustain our rural communities, it protects our environment from harmful vehicle emissions resulting in cleaner, fresher air.

This is why what you put in the fuel tank of your car matters.

As more ethanol is blended into fuel, particulate emissions de­crease dramatically. With ethanol blends above 30 percent, there can be as much as a 45 percent reduction in particle emissions. (Ford Motor Company, Life Cycle Associates)

You don’t have to live on a farm to breath fresh, clean air.

As the populations of large cities increase and more vehicles fill the streets, it’s now more important than ever to choose a cleaner burning fuel.

The most significant changes you see from E10 to E15 include a reduction in cancer risk from vehicle exhaust and evaporative emissions, a reduction in the potential to form ozone or photochemical smog, and a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (Life Cycle Associates)

We must turn up the pressure on lawmakers to protect our cleaner alternatives at the pump but our rural communities as well.

Twenty years from now, I hope to be just like my dad. Sporting my Pioneer hat and telling the world how much I still love corn.

2 comments:

  1. Kelly,
    I love the picture you took for this post!

    Great information on corn and ethanol and how it has a positive impact on agriculture and small communities.

    I love cattle, like you love corn!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That time was really precious for you to have some best things in the way. However, as I love the green fields so I think that these are best memories for you.
    Emma Charlotte | TheAcademicPapers.co.uk

    ReplyDelete

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