John Deere Agri Services has teamed up with Clean Fuels Clearinghouse, developer of the RINSTAR™ Renewable Fuel Registry, to provide Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and reports that meet the requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The RIN-based system was created to identify, measure, and track batches of renewable fuel. RINs are unique serial numbers that renewable fuel producers or importers assign to each batch of fuel produced or imported and must be reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and listed on product transfer documents if the batch is transferred to another party. Each year refiners, blenders, and importers obligated to meet the renewable volume requirement must acquire sufficient RINs to demonstrate compliance. RINs can be traded and serve as the currency for the credit trading program.
“We are pleased to provide our biofuel producer customers an efficient, straightforward process to manage RIN compliance,” says Tom Angell, director of marketing for John Deere Agri Services. “By having the ability to communicate with the RINSTAR registry, our customers can focus on their business and reduce effort to meet Renewable Fuel Standard reporting requirements.”
“The renewable fuel registry interacts with more than 450 companies each day throughout the entire renewable fuel supply chain,” notes Clayton McMartin, president of the Clean Fuels Clearinghouse. “This partnership further expands the universe, bringing more certified RINs to the market and more confidence to the transactions.”
One of the most well attended learning sessions at the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville was “Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks” sponsored by John Deere.
Deere’s principal scientist for renewable energy John Hickman told the crowd that by the year 2015, most ethanol will still come from starch - or corn - but the growth to cellulosic ethanol will include some intermediary steps.
According to their calculations, Hickman says the United States could produce a 15.6 billion bushel corn crop seven years from now. “If we grow as much corn as we did in 2007 and the yield increases go from where they have in the last ten years, that would be possible in 2015,” he said. “That could then produce 19 billion gallons of ethanol and still provide exports and other uses for corn.”
Down the road, as cellulosic technology improves, Hickman says growers may have to make different planting decisions. “They have a period of time yet. The first cellulosic plants will be rolling on board in 2010, 2011. We’re going to learn a lot from those first plants. That will give growers much better signals than they have today.”
Veteran farm broadcaster Stewart Doan of Little Rock, Arkansas interviewed Hickman after his presentation. Listen to that interview here:
John Deere Wind Energy is into lots of domestic energy projects these days and that includes investing in and providing value-added services to utility-scale wind projects that involve multiple wind turbines with a nameplate capacity of 1.25 megawatts or greater.
For example, Corn Plus Cooperative, a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Winnebago, Minn., entered into an agreement with John Deere last year to harness wind energy to help power their plant.
Two years ago, John Deere Wind Energy partnered with Missouri based developer Wind Capital Group and the Missouri Rural Electric Cooperatives to construct a 50-megawatt wind energy project in King City, a little farming community about 30 miles northeast of St. Joseph. The project was named “Blue Grass Ridge” in tribute to the farming community’s historic role in bluegrass seed harvesting.
Here’s a YouTube video that provides a look at that completed project:
Blue Grass Ridge led to a second 50-megawatt Missouri wind farm - the Cow Branch Wind Energy Project located between Rock Port and Tarkio in Atchison County, Mo.
There were lots of babies at the 2008 Commodity Classic but this one really caught our attention.
Her name is Danica - after Indy race car driver Danica Patrick - and her little onesie featured the IRL logo on the front and on back it said the “Smell of Ethanol.” How cute is that! Her parents were letting her pose on top of the ethanol display in the Pioneer booth, prompting oohs and ahs from the passers-by.
John Deere Risk Protection has introduced the industry’s first-ever Ethanol Policy by providing coverage to corn producers who have delivery contracts for the purpose of ethanol production.
The policy was officially introduced at the end of January and Deere has been talking with growers at events during the last month, including the Farm Machinery Show and last week’s Commodity Classic.
Deere held a press conference at Classic where Dennis Daggett, Director of Marketing for John Deere Risk Protection, explained the policy to the ag media.
Very simply, the policy insures yield shortfalls below contracted volumes in the event the price to replace the corn rises above the federal crop insurance coverage. The policy is being offered in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. “We offered it where the majority of the active ethanol plants are in existence today,” Daggett says.
Since they introduced the policy, Daggett says there has been a lot of buzz in the industry. “We have fairly modest expectations on the product itself because we know that there is a very specific type of farmer who would be interested in this product, a farmer who actually contracts more than 50 percent.”
Daggett says the policy is beneficial for the ethanol plants because it allows them to actually work with the farmer in case there is a shortfall on their delivery contract. “We think this is a win for the ethanol plants because it stabilizes their input of grain and stabilizes their relationship with the farmer.”
Listen to an interview with Dennis about the ethanol policy here:
Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by:
John Deere sponsored one of the most popular and well attended Learning Center sessions at the 2008 Commodity Classic in Nashville this week.
“Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks” discussed the importance of starch as today’s primary ethanol feedstock, harvesting challenges for increased corn yields as well as cellulose, and how to increase demand for biofuels.
Don Borgman, director of Agricultural Industry Relations led the discussion on issues for future production and distribution of ethanol, looking out to the year 2015. “Mostly what we are concerned about it keeping our eye on that demand ball,” said Borgman.
He says there are two critical issues - making sure we increase the number of E85 pumps nationwide and increasing the number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road. “If we get those two things done, we ought to be able to keep up fairly well with the supply,” he said.
Borgman says John Deere has an interest in helping the biofuels industry not just because of their customer base, but also from an energy security standpoint and an environmental standpoint. They are helping by promoting the use of biodiesel blends in their equipment and by looking towards the future for cellulosic ethanol and developing equipment to harvest the next generation of dedicated energy crops.
Listen to an interview with Borgman here:
Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by:
You can’t turn a corner at the 2008 Commodity Classic trade show without seeing something about ethanol. A record crowd is attending the Classic this year - more than 4450 people and over 140 media are in Nashville and the corn-fed enthusiasm is driven in a large part by the ethanol buzz.
But its only just begun. Friday will feature Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer during the general session followed up by a John Deere Learning Center Session on Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks. And Saturday night everybody will be “Corn Fed” with a concert featuring the lovely and talented Shannon Brown.
Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by:
Farm Bill and biofuels are the main topics of discussion at this meeting of corn, soybean and wheat growers. Today is mainly commodity group delegate meetings and tours for those not involved in the business sessions. Activities really get rolling Thursday afternoon with the opening of the huge trade show.
After Friday’s general session, John Deere will be holding a Learning Center on “Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks.” The session includes “a realistic timetable for cellulosic development and the importance of starch as today’s primary ethanol feedstock.” Should be a popular and interesting session.
There will also be a Learning Center on Wind Energy as Another Cash Crop, sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by:
Biofuels will be in the spotlight throughout the conference and the yet-to-be-completed Farm Bill will likely be a major topic of conversation as new agriculture secretary Ed Schafer will address the crowd on Friday during the general session.
Saturday night’s entertainment at the Grand Ole Opry featuring “Corn Fed” Shannon Brown - sponsored by VeraSun following up on her appearance at the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando - along with John Conlee, Joe Diffie, Carolina Rain and The Steeldrivers.
The Commodity Classic is the combined convention and trade show of the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers. Next year it will be even bigger when the National Sorghum Producers join the show.
Domestic Fuel coverage of the 2008 Commodity Classic
is sponsored by:
John Deere is now offering “ethanol insurance” through their John Deere Risk Protection division. It’s a policy for the grower who wants some extra coverage in case he can’t fulfill a delivery contract to an ethanol plant.
Dennis Daggett, Director of Marketing for John Deere Risk Protection, is on the scene here at the National Farm Machinery Show where I’ve been providing some coverage over on our AgWired site with them as the sponsor. Dennis has been involved in crop insurance for over 30 years. He says Deere offers standard policies like multi-peril and crop hail. But this year they’ve introduced a new ethanol policy.
The first thing a farmer needs to do though is have a multi-peril plan in place. Then they can purchase the extra coverage. Sounds like good timing as we hear about farmers continuing to work at meeting the needs for both fuel and food. The policy is available for this season in states in the grain belt area of the midwest only. You can find out all you want on their website.
You can hear Dennis talk about the new product here:
Blog
John Deere Agri Services has teamed up with Clean Fuels Clearinghouse, developer of the RINSTAR™ Renewable Fuel Registry, to provide Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) and reports that meet the requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Read more on 
Comment on this article
One of the most well attended learning sessions at the 
According to their calculations, Hickman says the United States could produce a 15.6 billion bushel corn crop seven years from now. “If we grow as much corn as we did in 2007 and the yield increases go from where they have in the last ten years, that would be possible in 2015,” he said. “That could then produce 19 billion gallons of ethanol and still provide exports and other uses for corn.”
There were lots of babies at the 
The E85 sticker on her shoulder was supplied by the 
The policy was officially introduced at the end of January and Deere has been talking with growers at events during the last month, including the 
Very simply, the policy insures yield shortfalls below contracted volumes in the event the price to replace the corn rises above the federal crop insurance coverage. The policy is being offered in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. “We offered it where the majority of the active ethanol plants are in existence today,” Daggett says. 
He says there are two critical issues - making sure we increase the number of E85 pumps nationwide and increasing the number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road. “If we get those two things done, we ought to be able to keep up fairly well with the supply,” he said. 
1 comment
You can’t turn a corner at the 2008 Commodity Classic trade show without seeing something about ethanol. A record crowd is attending the Classic this year - more than 4450 people and over 140 media are in Nashville and the corn-fed enthusiasm is driven in a large part by the ethanol buzz.
Everybody who is anybody in the ethanol industry is here - the 
But its only just begun. Friday will feature Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer during the general session followed up by a John Deere Learning Center Session on Starch and Cellulose as Ethanol Feedstocks. And Saturday night everybody will be “Corn Fed” with a concert featuring the lovely and talented Shannon Brown.
The 
Biofuels will be in the spotlight throughout the conference and the yet-to-be-completed Farm Bill will likely be a major topic of conversation as new agriculture secretary Ed Schafer will address the crowd on Friday during the general session. 
John Deere is now offering “ethanol insurance” through their 