Cellulosic Ethanol:

Agriculture:  With the growth of ethanol we have seen some of the profit come back to farming. A couple of changes will help this along. With federal assistance we can make a cellulosic ethanol process a much more valuable product. Both in the quantity of ethanol produced per acre as well as other feedstock’s used in the biomass. Also many of the products used to produce cellulosic ethanol use much less fertilizers and pesticides.  

Perennial grasses such as switch-grass and other forage crops are promising feedstock’s for ethanol production.  Switch-grass in particular uses water more efficiently and does not need a lot of fertilizers or pesticides. This will also reduce the cost per acre with the potential to increase profits. Once again we will come to depend on our farmers. With ideas like this we can keep moving forward to a more self sufficient and secure future, a future where the family farmer will not only grow our food but grow a portion of our fuel. Also with the other renewable energy sources like solar and wind, our farms will be the future staging grounds for a power revival, fueling our economy and our lives.

Here are some links with more detailed information about Cellulosic Ethanol.