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| AgriTalk radio host Mike Adams, right, interviews Missouri
Corn Growers Association President Sam Creed, left, during
an Ethanol Pump Tour stop in St. Joseph, Mo., in July. Volunteers
pumped approximately 26,000 gallons of ethanol-blended fuel
at 10 locations. (photo courtesy AgriTalk) |
AgriTalk,
NCGA Conclude Most Successful Ethanol Pump Tour Ever
(8-25-04)
The notion of using ethanol as a motor fuel dates back as far
as the early 1900s. Henry Ford, who believed fuel made from renewable
biological materials would be the principal source of energy for
all automobiles, designed his 1908 Model T to run on corn-based
ethanol.
Yet, nearly 100 years later, a majority of U.S. consumers are
still unaware of the availability and benefits of ethanol. With
help from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and other
sponsors, AgriTalk radio is doing all it can to change that.
Last week AgriTalk concluded
its third annual Ethanol Pump Tour, a series of promotional events
designed to educate consumers about
the economical, environmental and energy benefits of ethanol. AgriTalk
radio personality Mike Adams said this year’s tour was the
best ever, and it appears as if more consumers are catching on.
“Each year the tour is more successful than it was the year
before,” said Adams, adding that approximately 26,000 gallons
of discounted ethanol-blended fuel was pumped at 10 tour locations
throughout the Corn Belt this summer. “Without a doubt, this
was the best tour yet.
“Each time we do this, it seems that fewer people are concerned
that ethanol will hurt their engines,” he said. “But
there are still a lot of people who are unfamiliar with ethanol.
We were teaching people ‘Ethanol 101’ in some places
and that’s great because that’s really the purpose
of the tour.”
The tour stopped in
two new states – Colorado and North
Dakota – this year, and Adams said the response at those
locations was remarkable. By adding new states to the tour schedule,
the ethanol message is spread to a wider audience, he said.
For the first time ever,
the 2004 tour included two events that promoted E-85, a fuel
comprised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent
conventional gasoline. “We’d never done events that
promoted just E-85 before, so that was something new and exciting,” Adams
said.
Each tour stop featured volunteers from the local community pumping
ethanol-blended fuel at a reduced rate, free ethanol promotional
items and live AgriTalk remote broadcasts.
“In some places we saw car dealers, bankers and other community
business people joining farmers and ethanol producers to pump the
fuel,” Adams said. “That was very encouraging. It showed
us that these business people are seeing the economic benefits
of ethanol in their communities. We also got attention from local
TV stations in some of the towns, so this is really having a ripple
effect.”
Adams said one of the
highlights of the tour was a near-record day of pumping in Aberdeen,
S.D. “We pumped 4,300 gallons
in Aberdeen – that’s the second highest amount we’ve
ever done,” he said. “We would have set a new record,
but the limiting factor was that we couldn’t physically get
all of the cars through the line in the three-hour timeframe.”
The
pump tour serves as a perfect example of what can be achieved through
checkoff-funded
promotional efforts, Adams said. “This
tour could not have happened without support from checkoff programs,
our sponsors and affiliate radio stations,” he said. “I
think the tour helps establish a connection between consumers and
producers, and the checkoff makes that possible.”
Sponsors of this summer’s
pump tour were: NCGA, General Motors, and state corn grower organizations
from South Dakota,
Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and Colorado.
Adams said as ethanol
continues to trickle into U.S. consumer culture, drivers should
expect an even bigger and better pump tour
next summer. “We’re already getting calls from people
who want to have a pump tour event in their town next year,” he
said. “Next year will probably top what we did this summer.”
For more information and photos of the pump tour, visit www.agritalk.com.