by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) Wisconsin Farmers Union has proposed ethanol policy that would seek 20% cost sharing from state and federal governments for blender pump installation. That same proposal would also drop policy language supporting federal subsidies for ethanol research, ethanol import tariffs and biofuel exports, bringing plenty of debate Sunday.
Grace McLaughlin is from the south-central part of Wisconsin. She says, “The petroleum industry gets tons of subsidies so why shouldn’t the ethanol industry? And, same again with any tariffs.”
The resolution was highly critical of the EPA for granting Small Refinery Waivers to oil refineries.
Grain Committee Chair Les Danielson says the local ethanol plant helps his operation. “You send a bushel of corn in, you get three gallons of ethanol, you get twenty pounds of dry distillers grain, which on my farm replaces soybean meal. So we talk about feeding local, buying local. I don’t get my (feed from) soybean meal