Correcting state agriculture facts
by Letter to the Editor · July 28, 2010

I appreciate that Willard Salemink has joined in the discussion on the energy future of Iowa agriculture. However, I would like to correct a few of his facts.

First, a new report by the Iowa Policy Project estimates that as of 2009, “Iowa wind turbines now produce as much as 20 percent of the state’s total electricity,” That data, which comes from the American Wind Energy Association, is at odds with the outdated number (5.8 percent) quoted by Mr. Salemink.

There would be many advantages to having mid-sized wind turbines on farms all across Iowa, not the least of which is to put energy profits into the pockets of farmers. One way to make that happen quickly and economically is to adopt feed-in tariff policies, which would require power companies to pay a higher rate of return (per kWh) for these targeted wind systems for the initial years after installation. After those initial years, the farm turbine will be paid for and the pay rate for electricity generated will drop to wholesale. Thereafter, the power company will get cheap, green energy for the lifetime of the turbine, and the farmer’s electric bill will be replaced by a payment check. This policy was used for rapid development of solar energy in Germany.

Regarding Mr. Salemink’s naysaying on the next generation of biofuels, new research shows great promise for producing what is called “bio-oil” from perennial crops, which can be done at a much smaller scale than current ethanol production systems. That opens opportunities for local farmer ownership of biofuel production systems that produce a higher value product than commodity corn for ethanol.

Mr. Salemink opined: “To state that plant fodder can be reaped and run through a biofuel plant without stripping the land of nutrients bespeaks cluelessness.” Research shows that perennial crops, like prairie grasses, will translocate much of their leaf and steam nutrients back into their roots after a killing frost. That bodes well for a single-harvest system for high yielding perennials when used for bio-oil production.

Iowa agriculture today is highly dependent on cheap oil. We need to take steps now to secure our energy future, before oil price spikes create chaos from energy shortages and food shortages.

People who say things cannot be done need to step out of the way of people who are already doing.

Sincerely,

Francis Thicke

Candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

Fairfield