Michael McAdams knows biofuels. He knows the issues, the history, the players, and the future. He is passionate, well-researched, and you can hear it in his voice that he truly cares about this topic.
If you listened to episode 009 you heard the basics of cellulosic biofuels. In this episode, we learn about the governmental and private industry sides of the equation. What does it take to get cellulosic ethanols up and running? What is meant by a drop-in biofuel and why is that exciting?
Mike even describes some exciting work being done to turn algae into biofuels with 20x the per acre efficiency of corn. There are so many interesting aspects of this topic, we could make this a 10 part series! But sorry, we're only doing three.
Visit the Advanced Biofuels Association website to learn more about their work.
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This episode begins a three-part series on cellulosic ethanol and other cellulosic biofuels.
What if we could take one of the most prolific, abundant, renewable, and sustainable items on the plant - Cellulose - and make fuel from it?
Well, we can! Sounds fantastic, but there are, of course, challenges. It's expensive, the conversions aren't as great as we'd like them to be, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the processes in order to make cellulosic biofuels a widespread reality.
This is the first part of the three-part series where we explore these opportunities and challenges with cellulosic biofuels. Dr. Brown describes a future where farmers can produce biomass that is specifically bred to be processed into fuels that can go directly into an engine. This would, of course, take collaboration between seed companies, farmers, ethanol plants, and fuel manufacturers and retailers.
Check out Dr. Brown's Bio Institute at Iowa State University.
To learn more, pick up a copy of Dr. Brown's book "Why Are We Producing Biofuels?"
Thanks for listening!
We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Future of Agriculture Podcast. The response has been outstanding. Please feel free to leave a note in the comment section below.
The best way to spread the word about our Podcast is to share your favorite episode using the social media share buttons in the podcast player you are using.
You can also leave a review on iTunes. This helps us spread the word about the people, perspectives, and innovations that will provide our future food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and natural resources.
How does a 30,000 acre farm operate with just 9 employees?
Lon Frahm shares with Tim how he has grown his row crop operation to over 30,000 acres, and how he uses economies of scale such as self-insuring and storing his own grain, to develop advantages over other farmers.
Lon has a very impressive story. He took over his family's farm upon his father's death when he was just 28 years old. He has lead the operation to tremendous growth over the past 30 years and has experiences very little employee turnover.
Lon knows the value in keeping good people on the team, learning quicker than your competition, and networking with peers in the industry.
Whether you are a farmer, in agribusiness, or not in any related field, there are still some business gems in this episode.
Learn more about Frahm Farmland at http://www.frahmfarmland.com
Wall Street Journal Article Featuring Lon Frahm
Visit http://www.AgGrad.com to connect to careers and employers in agriculture.
Reach out to Tim on Twitter @timhammerich.
Steven Brockshus is the CEO and Founder of TERVA, an online real estate marketplace dedicated to empowering farmland professionals with knowledge, insights, and data. They aim to build a marketplace not only to educate, but to also connect with people looking to buy and sell farmland. He aims to bring the agricultural real estate industry online to shift the industry and how people interact and think about farmland.
In this episode, Steven shares his story on how he started TERVA as well as the moments and people in his life that inspired him to do so. He talks about what it can do now and what it sets to do for farmers in the future, and why TERVA is a great resource for those planning to retire on the countryside.
“Disruption in the ag context is different than a disruption in a Silicon Valley or social media based business.”– Steven Brockshus
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Steven Brockshus:
We Are a Part of a Bigger Family!
The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today.
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Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots!
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Dr. Peter Ballerstedt is a Doctor of Animal Nutrition and is an expert in forage and ruminant nutrition in agriculture. He stepped out of the agriculture industry for some time and ventured in the tech world for many years. He came back because he realized a fantastic source of health could be found through leveraging animal agriculture, specifically ruminants. A stern believer in grass-based animal nutrition, Peter calls this – the potential of ruminants to lead the way towards healthier diets - the Ruminant Revolution.
In this episode, Peter discusses what his Ruminant Revolution is all about. He addresses the need for ruminants and why it’s one of the best sustainable options to support an ever-growing human population. He also dives in on some facts regarding cultivable lands and current innovations in the ruminant agriculture industry.
“Our grassland resources are our largest and least well-utilized resource that remains.”– Dr. Peter Ballerstedt
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Dr. Peter Ballerstedt:
We Are a Part of a Bigger Family!
The Future of Agriculture Podcast is now part of the Farm and Rural Ag Network. Listen to more ag-related podcasts by subscribing on iTunes or on the Farm and Rural Ag Network Website today.
Share the Ag-Love!
Thanks for joining us on the Future of Agriculture Podcast – your spot for valuable information, content, and interviews with industry leaders throughout the agricultural space! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, please subscribe on iTunes and leave your honest feedback. Don’t forget to share it with your friends on your favorite social media spots!
Learn more about AgGrad by visiting:
AgGrad on Twitter
AgGrad on Facebook
AgGrad on LinkedIn
AgGrad on Instagram