A group of flex-fuel vehicles is making its way across the state to the farm progress show. The vehicles that range all the way from the 1930 model T to an 18-wheeler are heading from Ames to the Amanas and the farm progress show. Mindy Poldberg of the Iowa Corn Growers Association says the flex-fuel caravan has a simple goal — raise awareness for ethanol, biodiesel and flex fuels. Poldberg says the various groups are working together to push the use of flex fuels.
Poldberg says corn can be a part of the renewable market, but she say to displace a majority of fuel with biorenewables they also need soybeans, and “cellulosic” fuels such as switchgrass. Poldberg says there’s plenty of room for everyone.
The vehicles made a stop Monday at the state capitol in Des Moines and Tadd Whitten of Motorsports Management is overseeing the flex fuel caravan. Whitten says something people don’t think about along with the economic impact on farmers, is the economic impact of renewable fuels. Whitten says you don’t have the worry of fuel spills with the biodegradable fuels and also there’s cleaner air from burning the fuel.
Whitten says the flex fuel vehicles will be on display at the farm progress show in the Amanas, along with a replica of the first ever ethanol gas station. Whitten says it was an E-10 filling station opened in Nebraska in 1933 that he says has been rebuilt. Major manufacturers and Iowa dealers will also have models of their newest flex-fuel vehicles on display. The show will also feature bio-diesel powered farm equipment.