At the end of last month, the 35th Annual Celebration of Agriculture took place in Cedar Rapids and brought over 980 people from across Eastern Iowa to enjoy an evening of networking, dinner, and a keynote speaker. This year?s keynote speaker was NASCAR legend Richard Childress, Chairman & CEO of Richard Childress Racing (RCR). Many of us know Childress? history and impact within the racing industry, but his ties to agriculture are not nearly as well-known. A self-described ?old farm boy,? Childress still has roots in a variety of areas in agriculture.
Childress grew up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina, which planted the seed for his passion in agriculture and wildlife conservation.
Childress said his experiences driving and traveling across the country- and more specifically, trying out some great wine- inspired him to make a name in the wine industry as well.
Childress is also on the board for Growth Energy and is uniquely positioned with his status in NASCAR to be a major advocate for ethanol.
Childress said they also have ambitions to grow ethanol production into the international level as well.
Childress added that increased ethanol production would be a massive boon to Iowa’s economy as well.
Childress also mentioned that all NASCAR cars run E15, and with over 22 million miles of experience, they haven?t had a single engine failure from it.
