ethanol corn

In late April, Ohio Farm Bureau, along with the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association and the Ohio Ethanol Producers Association, sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine asking him to notify the U.S. EPA that Ohio wishes to implement the sale of E15 year-round. Currently, E15, or sometimes called Unleaded 88, cannot be sold year-round due to outdated restrictions on vapor pressure at the pump. The governor made that request in early June in a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan

“When petroleum makers blend their base gasoline with ethanol, there is a chemical reaction that increases the volatility and the evaporative rate of that blended product,” said Brandon Kern, senior director of state and national policy with Ohio Farm Bureau. “When E10 was first rolled out, the EPA created some flexibility through the Clean Air Act in the form of waivers to allow for that volatility, but that was not extended into the E15 blends.”

So far, governors in eight Midwestern states have taken the action of notifying the EPA that they wish to switch to this fuel, exempting them from the regulation and, in turn, helping consumers at the pump and increasing demand for corn.

“The governor’s request to EPA puts E10 and E15 on equal footing in Ohio as well, so the volatility rate is the same for both blends,” Kern said. “For the petroleum industry, we think there is certainly an economic incentive to continue to offer E15 as it will be more competitive against E10 and other options at the pump once these restrictions are lifted.”

The relief to be able to offer E15 through this summer has been granted by the federal government, but the actions from DeWine will ensure that higher ethanol blended fuels will be offered year-round beyond 2022.

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
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Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
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Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
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Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
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Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
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Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
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Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
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Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
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Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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