Corn farmers lobby for ethanol support

Corn farmers have sent ears of corn to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this month because the 2014-16 renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard have the chance to have a significant impact on the elections in 2016.

“We are asking the [President Barack] Obama Administration: don’t write off rural America,” National Corn Growers Association  President Chip Bowling said. “The Renewable Fuel Standard is good for our economy, our energy independence, and the environment. We have asked the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House to follow the statute and restore the 2014-16 corn ethanol volume.”

“Ethanol has provided another outlet for my family to sell corn,” Jayne Dalton, a Wisconsin farmer who uses distillers’ grains for her cattle operation, said. “My parents invested in our local ethanol plant in Wisconsin. The plant’s success, along with the profits from selling corn for ethanol production, helped my family to afford my college education. I have been using distillers grains in my cattle feed for a decade and have seen great results from this safe, local, and affordable food source. It’s really a win-win.”

Jeff Scates, an Illinois farmer, said he wanted Obama to recognize the importance of ethanol.

“I’m a third-generation farmer, and my farm is still in business today because of the Renewable Fuel Standard," he said. "Ethanol has played a huge role in creating good jobs in our community, and giving farmers a way to make a living. It’s hard for me to understand why the Obama Administration would back away from this. Are they caving to pressure from Big Oil? I will be making my 2016 voting decisions based on where candidates stand on ethanol and agriculture. I hope President Obama will listen to voters like me.”