NCGA-sponsored Pump Tour to Celebrate 25 Years of Ethanol in Iowa
(8-4-03)
Ethanol turns 25 years
old in Iowa and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the
Iowa Corn Promotion Board, the Coon Rapids Tall Corn Ethanol plant
and Doane Broadcasting are celebrating by bringing the AgriTalk Radio
pump tour to the T&D Standard Station in Coon Rapids Aug. 6 from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The celebration will include
a free lunch for ethanol supporters, sponsored by T&D Standard,
and Iowa Corn will offer $5 off on a tank of ethanol-blended gasoline
for the first 100 vehicles that fill up during the anniversary event.
AgriTalk host Mike Adams will be broadcasting live from the event,
which is one of six stops on the NCGA-sponsored ethanol pump tour
this summer.
“Part of the ethanol
vision 25 years ago was that growers would own the production,”
says Daryl Haack, NCGA ethanol committee member and a farmer from
Primghar. “It’s wonderful, after 25 years, to see this
vision come true with plants like Tall Corn Ethanol, our partner for
this event. This one plant is now grinding almost as much corn in
a year as the entire United States used for ethanol in 1978.”
According to the latest
USDA projections, more than 1 billion bushels of U.S. corn will go
into ethanol during 2003. “Every grower and every ethanol supporter
deserves to share in celebrating this achievement,” Haack said.
“We hope supporters for miles around Coon Rapids will stop by
to join in the celebration, and share how far we’ve come.”
In addition to the benefits
of increasing corn demand, ethanol improves the rural Iowa economy.
Grower-owned plants such as Tall Corn Ethanol create local jobs, increase
tax revenues to support state and local services, and pay profits
to area producers, expanding local economies.
Ethanol plants under development
or operating in Iowa are projected to add more than 1,500 jobs and
expand the state’s economic base by $115.3 million over the
next few years.