Biofuel Feedstock Producers: Implications for farmers and foresters

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Biofuel Feedstock Producers
Implications for farmers and foresters
Alissa Meyer Rural Sociology Renewable Energy
Basics Penn State University 16 November 2007

• Switchgrass at Iowa State University Research
  Farm

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Bioeconomy Goals

• (Rural) Economic development
• Energy independence/security
• Environmental conservation

Harvesting Iowa switchgrass
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Method and Sample
Corn Field, Mixed Prairie

• In-depth personal interviews (two months in
  field, summer 2006)
• Transcription and analysis
• The Chariton Valley Biomass Project
• 21 farmers
• 10 facilitators, advocates, researchers
• Demographics

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Chariton Valley

• Southern Iowa
• Land for grazing, not row crops
• Underrepresented in corn ethanol industry
• Increasing age, poverty decreasing population
• The Chariton Valley Biomass Project
• Cooperative agreement between Alliant Energy,
  RCD, Prairielands
• CRP waiver supply
• Co-firing switchgrass

CVBP switchgrass processing procedure
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Environmental Conservation Gains Expected

• Were not losing our soil is the biggest thing.
  Its not washing down to the creek... Some of
  the guys just farm from fence row to fence row
  and try to get the last haul of corn they can,
  but I like to get up in the morning and just look
  at this switchgrass out here.
• -Switchgrass farmer

Iowa Switchgrass Producer
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Rural RevitalizationGains Unlikely

• Acknowledgement of rural trends including fewer,
  larger farms deteriorating small towns and
  county seats rising average age of farmers
  barriers to entry for new and young farmers
  potential for significant land transfer.
• Skepticism that a thriving bioeconomy will
  reverse or slow these trends

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Economic visions and realities

• See potential for locally integrated bioeconomy
  premised on diversity
• Would like small, dispersed processing
  facilities, many small-to-medium scale farms
  growing diverse feedstocks

• Stress barriers posed by economies of scale and
  reluctance and/or inability of farmers themselves
  to press for desired models

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Recommendations Predictions Role for Local
Organization

• A bunch of little farmers out here they will
  pinch us off like a bug. We dont even qualify
  as a bug to be swatted. We are so insignificant,
  but we have the power if we can get together
  regionally as a block. I think we could at least
  have somebody that could sit up there at the
  table, not completely out here in the parking lot
  screaming about it. But we might be able to get
  to the table a little bit.
• - Farmer/advocate

CVBP switchgrass storage facility
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Summary Insights

• In short term, perennial feedstocks most likely
  to be produced by farmers not driven solely by
  production or economic concerns.
• Fueling the world motivates, but not at expense
  of environmental and aesthetic values surrounding
  landscape.
• Open to corporate role, but past patterns of
  development raise concerns about longer term
  local and community impacts.

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Concluding Thoughts

• How would these issues apply to central
  Pennsylvanias forest resources?
• History of resource-dependent communities
• Landscape impacts
• Public perception

Iowa prairie grasses
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Contact Information Alissa Meyer PhD
candidate, Penn State Universityalm490_at_psu.edu
Iowa prairie grasses