Crop Power!
Guentzel Family Farm and Guardian Energy
Growing Corn and Creating Fuel, Together!
On a farm near Janesville, Minnesota, Angela Guentzel and her family grow corn and soybeans. After harvest the Guentzels sell their corn to Guardian Energy. Guardian Energy is one of the largest ethanol producers in the United States. They purchase corn from farmers like Angela and turn it into ethanol, animal feed and corn oil!
Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Fueling Planes with Ethanol
If you stare up at the sky for long enough, odds are you will see, or sometimes hear, an airplane flying in the sky. Powering these magnificent machines takes a lot of energy. Until recently, airplanes were only able to be powered by fossil fuel. However, thanks to new research from a company called GEVO, scientists have developed ways that aviation fuel can be made from corn! There is a lot of excitement about this new type of fuel.
Biodiesel
Renewable fuel made from soybeans!
Another way Minnesota agriculture is helping the environment is by producing biodiesel fuel. Many big trucks and buses are powered by diesel, which is not good for the environment. Biodiesel on the other hand, is a much cleaner fuel. In Minnesota, most biodiesel is made from soybeans. Biodiesel is also a renewable resource because it comes from soybeans that can be grown every year.