Flex Fuel

[milehighassassin]

I waited awhile to reply ...if we gotta resort to planted corn etc for fuel in are vehicles ie: robbin the bread basket for go go juice in our cars then I say fawk it selli the cars and buy a horse ............no amount of fuel savings etc is worth eatin up our grub ...period ............fields are for wheat,corn and barley....barley for beer that is ............

That is not much of an argument. Corn can actually still be used as feed for livestock after it has been used to process ethanol.


The U.S.'s subsidization of corn in general is a bigger threat to the world's food supply than ethanol production. The U.S. drives the price of corn down so low that it is not profitable for other places to grow it, so they don't which actually creates somewhat of a shortage. I believe Canada buys a lot of US corn because it is cheaper for them to buy it than grow it. Really it just costs U.S. taxpayers because we are subsidizing it in the first place, so really we are subsidizing Canada at times.

 

[Fosgate]

Don't forget harvest on corn has not really started full swing so production is slowing for ethanol reducing it's supply. Maybe not a benefit in the fall or winter months but in spring when diesel and regular gas shoots up it may be a benefit.

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - An ethanol plant west of Aberdeen is temporarily shutting down because of a limited supply of corn. Glacial Lakes Corn Processors says the crop is maturing later this year and rain in October has delayed the harvest. Its ethanol plant at Mina uses about 100 truckloads of corn a day at full production. Interim CEO Jim Seurer says other ethanol plants in the upper Midwest have been in the same predicament.

Me I think that it's great for farmers now but i think they'll get burned in the future. Bad idea to tap into your food supply for gas, price of food has shot up not just because of fuel prices but also competition with growing corn for ethanol vs. food. Fertilizer has more than doubled, equipment you can't get for farmers (try ordering a tractor or getting parts for a new on now)., Land sales and leases going through the roof. Everyone thinks it's a gravy train being a farmer now but wait till the rug gets pulled out from under them and their stuck with low yeild prices and have all this production debt. You'll see guys loosing their hind ends. Hopefully not as bad as the early 80's.

 

[Mafesto]

I believe Canada buys a lot of US corn because it is cheaper for them to buy it than grow it.

I would guess that the gowing season is substantially shorter in Canada making it impossible to achieve yeilds comparible to ours, thus making it more profitable to grow shorter growing season crops (small grains).


E85....Good deal?......Bad deal?
Prices will fluctuate (since it is after all a commodity) making it a good deal sometimes, yet other times a not so good deal.

 

[Beels]

I believe Canada buys a lot of US corn because it is cheaper for them to buy it than grow it. Really it just costs U.S. taxpayers because we are subsidizing it in the first place, so really we are subsidizing Canada at times.

I would guess that the gowing season is substantially shorter in Canada making it impossible to achieve yeilds comparible to ours, thus making it more profitable to grow shorter growing season crops (small grains).

Exactly. We don't have enough heat units to grow the same type of corn grown in the US. There is some corn around, but it's a feed variety and grown by cattle producers and used for stand grazing.