LANSING, Mich. — In early March wildfires ravaged parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado, burning more than one million acres and killing thousands of head of cattle and other livestock. Michigan farmers are stepping up by making donations and hauling much-needed hay and supplies to this devastated area.

 

A grassroots group of Michigan farmers and people involved in the agriculture industry have formed the Ag Community Relief group, which is helping to provide much needed funding and supplies to farmers in the affected areas. These efforts include fundraising, organizing convoys of supplies to the area, connecting supply donors with convoys, and organizing work groups to travel to the affected areas and help with labor.

 

Some of the most common needs include fencing materials, tools and basic household supplies. These supply needs will shift as the growing season and the rebuilding efforts progress. For an updated list of the supplies needed, please contact the Corn MarketingProgram of Michigan office at 888-323-6601.

 

The Ag Community Relief group also just launched a new fundraiser called the Tumbleweed Project. Barbed wire that was destroyed in the fires is being sent to Michigan where it will be made into decorative tumbleweeds. The tumbleweeds will sell for $55 each which will be used to buy new wire for the ranchers that turned in the burned wire. The positive response to these efforts has been overwhelming, and the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan is assisting by acting as a clearinghouse for information about how farmers in Michigan can help the relief efforts. You can find a list of needed supplies, ways to donate and scheduled convoys leaving the state online at www.micorn.org or by calling the office at 1-888-323-6601.

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois corn farmers’ checkoff dollars are bringing more ethanol to gasoline in the state in a partnership with Casey’s General Stores, Inc., that will result in the addition of E15 and E85 pumps at multiple fueling locations.

 

Casey’s General Stores Inc., a Midwest convenience store chain, will expand consumer choice by offering higher ethanol blends of E15 and E85 at 17 sites in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas. E15 is a fuel that contains 15 percent ethanol and works well for any car 2001 and newer. E85 contains up to 83 percent ethanol and is a choice for flex-fuel vehicle owners.

 

“We’ve been working for years to get higher ethanol blends available across Illinois and things are really coming together with this opportunity with Casey’s General Stores,” said Jim Raben, Illinois Corn Marketing Board (ICMB) Chairman. Raben farms near Ridgway. “This is a brand that is highly recognizable in rural and more populated areas and will go a long way to enhancing visibility for ethanol choices at the pump.”

 

Additional resources for the expansion in Illinois were provided by the Illinois ethanol industry, with whom ICMB works closely on ethanol demand projects. “The Illinois Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to support the additional pumps at Casey’s General Stores,” explained Ray Defenbaugh, ILRFA President. “We can see that more and more retailers are embracing higher ethanol blends, and Casey’s should be commended for their commitment to fuel choices and to supporting the farmers that do business with their stores.”

 

Other Illinois retailers with whom the ICMB and ILRFA have worked to add expanded ethanol fueling options include Qik-n-EZ, Speedway, Thorntons, Citgo, Power Energy Corp., and some FS FastStops.