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Ethanol Night at the Races
WJR Utilizes Corn Heat to Keep Warm at MSU Tailgates
Money Available for E85 Infrastructure
Ethanol Industry "Brighter Today than Ever Before"
IRL Racing League to Use Brazilian Ethanol
Radio Campaign Combats Myths Regarding Corn and Ethanol
Come to the Table Interview
Newsmaker Interview Discusses Potential of Corn
GoodFuels Launches New TV Ads for Ethanol
John Urbanchuck Featured on E&E TV Talking About the Benefits of Ethanol
ETHANOL NIGHT AT THE RACES
A record crowd of more than 980 corn growers gathered at the Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA) 2009 Ethanol Night at the Races on Sept. 11, at Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run. Ethanol Night at the Races, a yearly highlight for MCGA members, is a way for MCGA to promote the use of ethanol, while combining great food, fellowship and a full night of racing.
“Ethanol Night at the Races is a great outlet for us to showcase the many uses for ethanol,” said Tom Durand, MCGA president and corn grower from Croswell. “We can’t think of a better place to celebrate Michigan’s ethanol accomplishments than at Ethanol Night at the Races.”
Ethanol, 200 proof alcohol, is a homegrown, renewable fuel made from corn. The most common consumer use of ethanol is E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent unleaded gasoline. Many companies choose to blend ethanol because it provides consumers with a cleaner-burning, high-octane fuel. Currently, all automobile manufacturers warrantee the use of E10 in their vehicles. Another ethanol blend of fuel available to consumers is E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 is to be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). FFVs have modified engines with the capability of running on E85, unleaded gasoline, and all combinations in between. A listing of FFVs and E85 pump locations can be found at www.e85fuel.com.
“Since ethanol blends are widely available, ethanol Night at the Races is a great way for us to really highlight all of the advantages of using ethanol-blended fuels, while also thanking our members for their support during the past year,” explained Durand. “This is an exciting way to showcase how agriculture can help consumers lessen our dependence on foreign oil through increased ethanol usage.”
In addition to learning about ethanol’s performance capabilities in race cars, MCGA members also had the opportunity to examine Kettering University’s ethanol-powered snowmobile and truck and visit with students and staff about their projects. Students and faculty from Saginaw Valley State University were also on hand to discuss new corn stove technology and the ethanol projects they had on display. Also on display was an ethanol powered mini-mod tractor from the Eastern Michigan Tractor Pulling Association.
Ethanol Night at the Races is truly a member’s event and two MCGA members who always go the extra mile in assisting with this event are Don Morse, a Pioneer Seed Dealer from Birch Run and Mark Bauer, who is a Pioneer Seed Dealer from Reese. Don and Mark are instrumental in the event as they and the corn growers of Saginaw County work diligently every year to help host the dinner. “We are so lucky to have Don, Mark and the other corn growers in Saginaw County,” said Jody Pollok-Newsom, MCGA executive director. “Without them, Ethanol Night at the Races would not be possible.”
The MCGA would also like to thank the sponsors of the racing event who are key in helping make this event possible. The 2009 sponsors included Don Morse, a Pioneer Seed Dealer from Birch Run; ADM; The Andersons Albion Ethanol, LLC; Great Lakes Hybrids; Michigan Farm Radio Network; Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc and POET Biorefining.
WJR UTILIZES CORN HEAT TO KEEP WARM AT MSU TAILGATES
For the third consecutive year, the WJR announcers for the MSU pre-game tailgate are keeping warm thanks to corn. The WJR tent is heated with a corn heater, provided by a Michigan dealer.
MONEY AVAILABLE FOR E85 INFRASTRUCTURE
The Michigan Clean Energy Coalition (CEC), based in Ypsilanti, is offering up to $5,000 to public service stations and public fleet owners to convert an existing pump or install a new E85 pump. The funds are intended to cover 50 percent of the conversion costs, up to a total of $5,000. Pumps must be installed and dispensing by July 1, 2009. In addition, the CEC is offering marketing materials at free and reduced cost. For more details, click here or email Robyn Skodznksi.
ETHANOL INDUSTRY "BRIGHTER TODAY THAN EVERY BEFORE"
The RFA’s president and CEO, Bob Dinneen, was interviewed by E&ETV about the state of the ethanol industry now and the outlook for 2009. Dinneen says that the future of the ethanol industry is “brighter today than ever before,” citing the Renewable Fuels Standard (passed in late 2007) as a growth engine for the industry. To view the video, click here.
CORN MARKETING PROGRAM OF MICHIGAN REACHES OUT TO MAINSTREAM MEDIA
The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan decided to reach out to a broader audience this fall and educate them on sun safety, road safety around farm equipment and the availability of corn. Click on each clip below to listen to it.
Sun Safety
Road Safety
Corn Availability
RADIO CAMPAIGN COMBATS MYTHS REGARDING CORN AND ETHANOL
Dried Distillers Grain Replaces Corn in Livestock Feed
Ethanol is the Fuel Supply that is Increasing
Biggest Factor in Rising Food Cost is Petroleum
The Corn Marketing Program of Michigan has been running a radio campaign on WJR in Detroit and WJIM in Lansing. To learn more about the campaign and listen to the one-minute spots, click here.
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COME TO THE TABLE FEATURES CORN
Michigan corn was featured on the Come to the Table show. To listen, click here.
NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW DISCUSSES POTENTIAL OF CORN
Corn has a lot of potential uses from food, to animal feed to motor vehicle fuel, in the form of Ethanol. But there’s a lot of misinformation out there as well with some critics contending corn can’t be used to feed people and propel cars. Jody Pollok-Newsom, CMPM executive director, sets the record straight in this special GreenTech edition of News Maker Interview. Click here to listen to the seven-minute interview.
GOODFUELS LAUNCHES NEW TV ADS FOR ETHANOL
Were you up Sunday morning watching the morning talk shows? If so, you may have caught a new ethanol TV ad campaign launched by the Renewable Fuels Association. The ads, called “Faces” and “Places” feature individual snapshots of the people and the towns, respectively, that are producing America’s renewable fuels.
JOHN URBANCHUCK FEATURED ON E&E TV TALKING ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ETHANOL
E&E TV has posted a video of an interview they conducted recently with John Urbanchuk, an economist and director of the Agriculture and Biofuels Practice at the global consulting firm LECG.
Urbanchuk talks about the relief ethanol is giving consumers at the pump and what effect an RFS waiver would have on the U.S. economy.
Watch it on GoodFuels
