By: Ray Gaesser, Iowa Conservative Energy Forum Chair

Aug 21, 2022

I’ve been farming in rural Iowa for more than 50 years. In that time, I have seen the important role Iowa agriculture plays both regionally and nationally. For example, Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production with 57% of corn grown in the state purchased by ethanol plants, which create nearly 27% of all the ethanol produced in the United States. Additionally, agricultural land in the Midwest is some of the most valuable in the world. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average value per acre of cropland in Iowa increased 8.9% from 2020 to 2021.

Over the past two decades, I’ve seen firsthand the struggles facing rural communities as they fight decline in both population and tax base. Carbon sequestration technology is offering the state and the rural communities one way to address these struggles, while helping Iowa corn growers to maintain current corn markets and generate many new markets as well.

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