Main Articles Listing: Cooperative Extension 3. from Arizona Range News Noticeably absent this year in northern Sulphur Springs Valley were the tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes that normally grace the skies each morning with their calls. Homer Hansen, chairman of the Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival two weeks ago, said, "Alfalfa is a much bigger crop here now, and we're growing less corn. There is less desire for the cranes to fly around here because there is less food. I hope corn will become a more viable crop with the need for ethanol." About 16,500 acres of corn was grown in Cochise County and a small portion of southern Graham County in 2005. In 2006, only 40 percent of that acreage was grown, said Robert Call, University of Arizona Cochise County Cooperative Extension horticulture agent. "Lots of the crop circles that were previously corn were left idle last year because of the cost to grow the corn," said Claire Owen, Ag Day Chair and one of the original Southeastern Arizona Ag Day committee members 28 years ago. "Corn needs water, and it's been too dry. It was just too expensive to water and pay all the bills." But now, the market price for corn has risen and "all of the sudden there's not enough corn," he said. "Many ethanol plants are cropping up in the U.S. for renewable fuel purposes. And the renewable fuels industry is growing in Arizona, as well, with one project under construction, one being planned and others being discussed. It could be wall to wall corn here next year." Alan Seitz, area Pioneer Seed dealer, said there has been a 35 to 40 percent increase in grain corn sales in the area for the 2007 crop year. "Grain corn goes to dairies and feed lots, but it's the same variety that makes ethanol. Some of the corn will likely go to ethanol plants this year," Seitz said. According to T&K Futures and Options, Inc., corn's role in the production of ethanol has increased its demand because of the high prices for petroleum products. The T&K website, http://www.tkfutures.com/corn, states that "many experts agree that if crude oil prices stay above $45/barrel, it is economically feasible for ethanol to be produced and added to unleaded gasoline as an environmentally friendly alternative to MTBE, which has been found to be poisonous to groundwater supplies." Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is an alcohol produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars. The T&K website report continues, "A blend of up to 85 percent ethanol mixed with 15 percent unleaded gasoline has been found to be the right amount to keep pollution levels down and still keep automobiles running efficiently. Corn-based ethanol is renewable, biodegrades easily and can help the United States be less dependent upon foreign oil." It adds that the U.S. currently uses ethanol for only 3 percent of its fuel usage. The Arizona project in the planning stages is XL Dairy Group, Inc.'s Vicksburg Biorefinery, to be constructed in LaPaz County after the group obtains its special use permit. Micheal McCloud, the project coordinator of the XL Biorefinery, will speak at the 28th Annual Southeastern Arizona Ag Day & Trade Show, to be held Wednesday, Feb. 7. Event registration begins at 7:45 a.m. with speakers starting at 8:30 a.m., at the Willcox Community Center, 312 W. Stewart St. Speakers, vendors and other activities continue through about 3 p.m. Attendance is free and a BBQ lunch, cooked by the Willcox Elks Lodge No. 2131 and served by the Willcox Cowbelles, is also free. See schedule and additional stories, pages B4 through B7. McCloud will speak from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. in the fireplace room. XL Dairy Group, Inc. of Phoenix is in the final stages of obtaining a special use permit in La Paz which integrates dairy operations, waste-to-energy conversion and biofuels under a single operating enterprise, said Dennis Corderman, also of XL Dairy Group, Inc., in a Project CENTRL Board report. "Outputs (at the biorefinery) will be 50 million gallons of ethanol and five million gallons of biodiesel per year. In addition, 500,000 to 600,000 pounds of raw milk will be produced per day from 7,500 cows. Additional co-products will include animal feed and compost fertilizer," Corderman said. He added that the carbon dioxide will be marketed for commercial uses. Additionally, Corderman said, "Pinal Energy, LLC is currently under construction in Maricopa, Ariz., and will begin production of 60 million gallons of Ethanol in early 2007. John Skelly, General Manager of Pinal Energy, LLC has been working diligently to get the project off the ground. It is being built on a site adjacent to the existing Arizona Grain Facility. The facility is designed to expand to 100 million gallons if market conditions remain favorable. A substantial volume of distillers grain will be used as cattle feed in the neighboring feedlots. In addition to ethanol and distillers grain, the facility will capture the carbon dioxide to make dry ice." The market price for corn at the Chicago Board of Trade has risen from about $2.35 per bushel in January 2006 to $4.06 per bushel Thursday, and "we think the growers will be able to grow corn for grain this year," Owen said. "People are hustling to get corn seed now, and it could be wall-to-wall corn next year." Corderman said, "Arizona can take a prominent role in efforts to produce and utilize renewable energy that will substantially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Together with production from other states, we will see greater reduction in our dependence on foreign-produced fossil fuels. Renewable fuels are a growth industry and rural Arizona is going to be a big part of it." - Updated: January 31, 2007 [e-Mail me the articles]    -     [Search our articles]    -     [contact us ]     return to media home