May is Renewable Fuels Month, and it is the perfect time to reflect on the journey of the ethanol industry and its roots in farming communities.
Todd Brown, Chairman of Dakota Ethanol, recently shared a story with Ag News Wire about how South Dakota’s corn growers were instrumental in the creation of the state’s first large-scale ethanol plant in 1999.
“The ethanol industry was just becoming new. There were a few private plants, but when I look back, the South Dakota corn growers were so all in and so dedicated, and when you think about it, we were going to be the first plant and we were going to be a 40 million gallon brewing plant and so it was going to take $15-20 million worth of equity. That hadn’t been done. It definitely hadn’t been done in South Dakota, and so the South Dakota corn growers were very instrumental and they did a lot of things that really tipped the scale,” he explained.
Today, Dakota ethanol produces 100 million gallons of eco-friendly ethanol annually, sourced from 33 million bushels of locally grown corn.
House Agriculture Committee Democrats are calling for action on the Farm and Family Relief Act, warning that proposed SNAP cost shifts to states could reduce food assistance for low-income families amid ongoing tariffs and trade disruptions that continue to strain U.S. farmers.
January 15, 2026 12:30 PM
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Record ethanol production and improving blending demand continue to support corn usage despite rising short-term inventories.
January 15, 2026 11:47 AM
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Expanded school access to whole milk provides modest but reliable demand support for U.S. dairy producers.
January 15, 2026 10:14 AM
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Alissa White with American Farmland Trust joined us to provide insight into climate resilience efforts and strategies to help farmers manage weather-related risks.
January 14, 2026 02:20 PM
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University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us to share practical health and safety guidance for managing respiratory and skin health during the winter season.
January 14, 2026 02:04 PM
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Roger McEowen with the Washburn University School of Law joined us to provide legal analysis on key cases shaping the agricultural landscape heading into the year ahead.
January 14, 2026 01:49 PM
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