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Congressman Mike Bost returns to NCERC
NCERC Executive Director John Caupert hosted Congressman Mike Bost (IL-12) in late August as part of a congressional visit and to participate in a student research project.
 
Bost toured the NCERC's demonstration plant and laboratories, noting significant upgrades to the Center's Pilot Plant in light of a recent client trial, and interacted with NCERC plant operators.
 
Bost has been an unwavering supporter of both the agriculture and ethanol industries and an avid supporter of the NCERC.
 
"We're lucky to have a research facility like the NCERC at SIUE right here in our own background," Bost said. "Their research gives us a glimpse of the future of the agriculture industry and it's always exciting to visit and see the cutting edge work they are doing with biofuels.

"Each time I visit, I take the ideas and work I see back to my colleagues in Congress so that we can continue supporting and advancing this kind of critical research."
 
Bost also had the opportunity to see the Feedstock Diversity Showcase, an agricultural exhibit in front of the NCERC building as part of an educational initiative executed by both the NCERC and From The Ground Up SIUE. 


Top Right: Congressman Mike Bost and NCERC Executive Director John Caupert pose for a picture in front of the Feedstock Diversity Showcase at the NCERC.

Bottom: Congressman Mike Bost pictured with NCERC Executive Director John Caupert and NCERC operators and operating coordinators in the Pilot Plant.
AgMazing Congressional Tour stops at NCERC
Congressional staff from across the nation visited the NCERC as part of an AgMazing Congressional Tour last month. 

Sponsored by the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club , the AgMazing Congressional Tour highlighted the agricultural progress and collaboration in Missouri and Illinois. The St. Louis region is vital to meeting the food, fiber and fuel needs of a growing world. The three-day tour provided the opportunity to Congressional staff to learn about and see the heartland of agriculture infrastructure, innovation and advancement.

Congressional staff from California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri had the opportunity to tour NCERC’s facilities and hear from industry experts. The staff worked for Congressional Members such as Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL), Senator Deb Fischer (NE), Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Representative Mike Bost (IL-12), Representative Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and more.

Industry experts had the opportunity to present to the congressional staff including NCERC Executive Director John Caupert, Jim Bauman of the National Corn Growers Association and Paul Jeschke of the Illinois Corn Growers Association . Conversations centered around corn production, ethanol production, small refinery exemptions and the importance of trade deals to agriculture.

“When talking with congressional staff members, it’s always important to tailor the conversation to that which represents their comfort level with agriculture. Knowing that not everybody is from a farming community and not everybody has a farming background, you have to start at their level to at least get them comfortable with the foundation of terminology,” Bauman said. “If you can tell the story at a very simplified level for those outside of agriculture and keep their interest, then they will still be there later to get down deeper into the weeds.”

The AgMazing Congressional Tour began on Wednesday, August 21 and ended on Friday, August 23. In addition to the NCERC, attendees visited institutions such as the Danforth Plant Science Center, the Mel Price Lock and Dam, Bunge Terminal, Nestle Purina PetCare Building, Anhueser-Busch Brewery and several farms and orchards. 


Top Left: Paul Jeschke, Illinois Corn Growers Association, presented to the group of Congressional staff on the AgMazing Congressional Tour.

Bottom: NCERC Operating Coordinator AJ Bridges discusses the Siemes SIMIT lab to a tour group.
Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation visits NCERC
NCERC hosted the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program Class of 2020’s meeting last month.

As the Foundation that oversees the premier leadership program in Illinois, the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation (IALF) has provided for and strengthened agricultural leadership since its founding in 1981. Candidates, aged 25 to 49, are selected based on demonstrated leadership activities and potential, commitment to learning, and accountability to the Illinois and United States agricultural industry.

There are 30 participants in the two-year program with careers varying from sales and grain marketing to finance and farming.
Top Right: Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis, of the Renewable Fuels Association, presents to the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program at the NCERC.

Center: NCERC Research Engineer Terry Lash discusses NCERC's Fermentation Suite to a tour group.


NCERC Executive Director John Caupert presented to the group, providing an overview of the Center and its capabilities. Participants then had the opportunity to tour the entire facility in groups led by NCERC staff. The tours covered NCERC’s Fermentation and Analytical Laboratories, Fermentation Suite, Pilot Plant and Siemens SIMIT laboratory.

Industry experts also presented to the group during their visit. Jim Bauman, Vice President of Market Development for the National Corn Growers Association and Kelly Davis, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association led discussions about the current state of the ethanol and agriculture industries.

The IALF strives to provide participants with the necessary experience and education to succeed in leading the agricultural industry through the 21 st century. The IALF’s mission is noticeably evident in the graduates of this program. The IALF has served nearly 500 men and women from every region of Illinois and from every facet of Illinois agriculture. 


Below: NCERC Project Management Engineer Eric Beasley leads a tour group through the Pilot Plant.
Boeing hosts Sustainable Aviation Fuels Discussion at NCERC
The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) hosted representation from The Boeing Company this month.

Joe Ellsworth, Regional Director of Environmental Strategy and Integration for Boeing began his visit to the NCERC meeting with Director of Research Dr. Yan Zhang and Assistant Professor of Chemistry and NCERC Fermentation Chemist Dr. Jie Dong, who then took him on a tour of the pilot plant and laboratories.

Following his tour, Ellsworth delivered a presentation entitled “Boeing and Sustainable Aviation Fuels,” to attendees from across the SIUE campus. Attendees included Chancellor Randy Pembrook, Dean of the Graduate School Jerry Weinberg, Dean Greg Budzban of the College of Arts and Sciences, and several others in addition to NCERC staff.

Relative to fossil fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a sustainably-produced, unconventional jet fuel that reduces carbon dioxide emissions throughout its life cycle. The aviation industry prefers to use the acronym, ‘SAF,’ because not all fuel feedstocks come are derived from biomass.

SAF is produced from a wide range of feedstocks including municipal solid waste, cellulosic waste, used cooking oil, halophytes, algae and more. Some types of SAF perform better than Jet A and Jet A-1 used in aviation due to their higher energy density, so less fuel is needed. Other key advantages are reduced carbon dioxide emissions, diversified supply through non-food crop sources, among other economic and social benefits.

Ellsworth described Boeing’s role and actions in the industry to support their ultimate goal: to reduce emissions. Boeing and the commercial aviation industry have voluntarily committed to stop the growth of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and cut them to half of what they were in 2005 by 2050. Sustainable fuel has the best long-term potential to meet those goals. The company’s roles include protecting the environment, assuring industry growth and addressing customers’ needs via activities such as support and advocacy, feedstock and pathway research and development, and fuels approval. These activities support Boeing’s overall goal of protecting the environment and supporting the sustainable growth of air transport for both passengers and cargo.

“Aviation makes the world a better place by connecting people and goods efficiently and economically. As ticket prices have declined and the global middle class has increased, the number of air travelers has doubled since 2006 and is expected to double again within the next 20 years. While flying is a responsible choice for travelers, the industry recognizes climate change is serious and deserves credible action,” Ellsworth said.
 
According to Boeing, in addition to flying highly efficient airplanes and improving operations, sustainable aviation fuel is a key part of Boeing’s “all of the above strategy” to help the industry meet its environmental goals and support the long-term sustainable growth of air transport. When produced sustainably, scientific studies show biofuel can reduce emissions up to 80% over the fuel’s life cycle compared to petroleum fuel, depending on the source used to make it.   
NCERC travels to Decatur for Farm Progress Show and Ag Policy Forum
NCERC exhibited in two different tents at the Farm Progress Show last week, one hosted by the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the other hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC).

In the ICGA tent, NCERC showcased renewable products made from corn to exemplify new uses for corn in order to increase demand for the U.S. grown feedstock. In the SIUC tent, NCERC highlighted their collaborative aquaculture project in partnership with the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences at SIUC.

The three-day long show began on Tuesday, August 27 and ended on Thursday, August 29. NCERC staff attended an Ag Policy Forum on Wednesday hosted by members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, Congressmen Rodney Davis (IL-13), Mike Bost (IL-12), John Shimkus (IL-15), and Darin LaHood (IL-18). U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was the featured speaker during the forum, and took a number of questions from the audience about the current state and potential future of agriculture.

Topics during the forum included renewing the biodiesel tax credit, this year’s growing season and weather conditions, farmers’ mental health awareness, the opioid crisis, tariffs and trade deals, African swine fever, crop insurance, small refinery exemptions, rural broadband and more. Representatives from organizations such as Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers, ICGA, Illinois Soy Association, Illinois Beef Association and ethanol producers were in attendance and shared their thoughts with the Secretary.

The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm event, hosting more than 600 exhibitors displaying new farm equipment, tractors, combines and other farm implements, seed and crop protection products, new technologies and more. The show’s theme this year was “Year of the Tractor” with several companies unveiling new tractors and features at their exhibits. 


Top Right (from left to right): Congressmen Mike Bost (IL-12), Darin LaHood (IL-18), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Congressmen Rodney Davis (IL-13) and John Shimkus (IL-15)

Below: The NCERC display in the Illinois Corn Growers Association tent at the Farm Progress Show.
Proposals
The NCERC sent out three proposal abstracts for potential sponsored hemp research opportunities this month.

  • A Fast Screening Method for Potential Residual THC in Hemp Seed (NCERC)

  • Feeding Hemp and DDGS to Tilapia (University of Hawaii at Hilo, NCERC)

  • Improving Egg Quality by Feeding Industrial Hemp Seed and DDGS to Layers (Iowa State University, NCERC)

For more information regarding the proposals, please contact NCERC Director of Research Dr. Yan Zhang .
Connections & Visits
FARM IL Where's the Workforce? Attracting Talent in a Changing Agri-Food Landscape
Bloomington, IL
August 1

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2019 Annual Meeting
Louisville, KY
August 5-7

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Conference
Omaha, NE
August 14-16

St. Louis Agribusiness Club Congressional Tour
NCERC
Edwardsville, IL
August 22

Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation - Fellows
NCERC
Edwardsville, IL
August 23

Farm Progress Show
Decatur, IL
August 27-29
Upcoming Meetings
Joint BioEnergy Institute and Advanced Bioprocessing Demonstration Unit Meetings
California
September 4-5

Growth Energy Biofuels Summit
Washington D.C.
September 9-12

Department of Environmental Sciences at SIUE Departmental Seminar
Edwardsville, IL
September 12

Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office - Leveraging First Generation Bioethanol Production Workshop
Ames, IA
September 25-26

SIU Technology and Innovation Expo
Chicago, IL
October 10

Global Ethanol Summit
Washington D.C.
October 13-15

NCERC Annual Stakeholders Meeting
Edwardsville, IL
October 24
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National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC)
400 University Park Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62025
618-659-6737 | ethanolresearch.com