Energy and Agriculture

We can write a farm bill that greatly reduces American dependence on foreign energy, increases farm income, reduces farm program costs and reduces pollution all at the same time.

Ethanol and bio-diesel are receiving a fair amount of government assistance to assist the development of their industries and are making a growing contribution to America’s energy independence.

Gasification or combustion of agricultural biomass to replace the use of propane, fuel oil and natural gas is an area largely overlooked and yet it has by far the greatest potential to produce all of the stated objectives. Corn being used to produce ethanol may one day benefit farmers as much as one billion dollars per year. By comparison the use of excess Ag biomass could increase net farm income by ten to twenty billion dollars every year. The technology already exists for biomass to make more than ten times the contribution of ethanol toward energy independence. Excess Ag biomass can compete very well against fossil fuels in many areas. The only thing needed to assure the growth of this industry is some type of federal price insurance against an unforeseen dramatic drop in the price of fossil fuels.

Farm broadcasters can be a great asset in promoting excess Ag biomass, becoming highly informed about the technology and informing their listening audiences. If farm broadcasters succeed in assisting a grassroots effort to make energy from agriculture the cornerstone of the next farm bill, their future as well as the future of their audiences and all Americans will be much brighter!

AAM INC.

Insert in the packets handed out at the Farm Broadcasters Convention