An Iowa farmer who serves as Chair of the Iowa Corn Growers Association continues efforts to help sustain the renewable fuels industry in the country.
Fremont County farmer Carl Jardon raises corn and soybeans near Randolph and backgrounds Holstein heifers. He has been farming for 37 years and uses no-till conservation practices on his farm.
Jardon recently drafted an open letter to Texas Senator Ted Cruz prior to an appearance at a campaign event for Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson in Central City. In an interview with IARN affiliate KMA, Jardon says his letter reminded Cruz of his mixed messages on renewable fuels sent in Iowa and New Hampshire during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“When he was here in Iowa campaigning for president,” said Jardon, “he said all the right things about ethanol, and how he was going to support it. But, as soon as he got to New Hampshire, he ridiculed Iowa and Iowa farmers. He said, ‘all he had to do is use the right works, and Iowa farmers would go along with him.’ But, when he comes back again, we’re going to hold him to the task that he’s really not a fan of ethanol at all.”
Jardon says ICGA and other pro-renewable fuels groups continue to face an uphill battle in Congress. However, he noted recent bright spots: one is a bill cosponsored by Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne called the Next Generation Fuels Act.
“That would promote using more ethanol to clean up the environment,” he said. “It’s a low-carbon, high-octane option for our families, and for the family car, to clean up the environment faster, and support Iowa and Midwest farmers, versus companies in the Mideast who don’t like us very much.”
Jardon adds the $1 billion in funding for renewable fuels infrastructure pushed by Axne as part of the Build Back Better Act would boost the biofuels industry.
“The premise of that is to help stations if they have to break concrete to put in ethanol pumps,” said Jardon. “It would help them to pay for infrastructure, and just change the card reader so that every pump could read the chip reader.”
For more information, visit iowacorn.org.
