More opportunities for biofuels among hot topics during annual Bacon Bar

INDIANAPOLIS — With steam rising from plates of delicious breakfast food, farmer leaders and staff with the Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee discussed hot topics with state lawmakers on Feb. 5 at the annual Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast in the Indiana Statehouse.

More than 200 farmers, lawmakers, legislative staff and ag industry stakeholders met to talk about potential legislation such as biofuel tax credits, restrictions on foreign ownership of farmland and updating Indiana’s handbook on drainage issues.

In addition, ICGA and M&P touted pro-livestock policies because Indiana’s livestock industry is a large and reliable customer for the state’s corn and soybean growers.

“Livestock farmers are a valued customer for Indiana soybean and corn growers,” said M&P Chair Joe Stoller, a farmer from Bremen.

“A lot of our soybean and corn crops go to feed livestock in Indiana. During our Bacon Bar legislative breakfast, we can easily explain to people who are not from the farm the connection between livestock farmers and row-crop farmers.”

All of the breakfast foods served at the event were connected to Indiana agriculture. The Brunch menu featured items from the beef, dairy and poultry industries.

Along with traditional bacon, applewood smoked bacon, turkey bacon, beef bacon, candied bacon and bacon with cracked pepper and rosemary was served.

Other menu items were an egg casserole with bacon, cheddar cheese and caramelized onions; a vegetable and egg casserole with spinach, red peppers, broccoli and zucchini; a sweet corn casserole with duck sausage and maple syrup; and a yogurt parfait station with granola and fresh berries.

Sponsors donating food included Maple Leaf Farms, Perdue, American Dairy Association of Indiana and Indiana Packers Corporation.

Financial supporters were Farm Credit Mid-America, Corteva Agriscience, Indiana Pork, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, Indiana Dairy Producers, Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana State Poultry Association, Bose Public Affairs Group and the United Soybean Board.

Promoting the interests of Indiana’s corn and soybean growers is the event’s purpose.

“We enjoyed many good conversations with state legislators and their staffs on a variety of farm issues,” said ICGA President Chris Cherry, a farmer from New Palestine.

“Many senators and representatives attended and engaged with the farmers here. ICGA is and should be the voice for Indiana’s corn growers. This event is a good place to start conversations, build relationships and promote the policies that are important to farmers.”

A new set of proposed laws and regulations in the Indiana General Assembly each year will catch the eyes of M&P and ICGA staff.

For 2024, the organizations are following a proposed tax credit to help expand biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

The bill, HB1315, would provide tax credits for the sale of higher ethanol blends, the sale of blended biodiesel or renewable diesel and the blending of biodiesel or renewable diesel. Both ICGA and M&P support this bill.

Authored by state Rep. Craig Snow, R-Warsaw, HB1315 received a hearing recently in the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

Both Stoller and Cherry were on hand to testify in support of the bill. The two leaders explained this bill would bring many benefits to farmers and rural communities.

Since HB1315 would have an impact on the state budget, it only received a hearing. Budget items will be considered next year when the General Assembly develops the biennium budget for 2025-2026.

“Many of the benefits of biofuels, and the impact this market has on corn and soybean farmers, was presented to the committee,” said Steve Howell, senior director of industry affairs for M&P and ICGA.

“The hearing is a positive step to build more markets for corn and soybeans here in Indiana, and we will continue to work with legislators over the summer months to provide information on this important market.”

Agriculture adds an estimated $31.2 billion to the state’s economy, as reported by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Indiana’s top two ag commodities are its soybean and corn crops. Ethanol and biodiesel are two leading products derived from those crops.

Indiana is the sixth-largest biodiesel-producing state with more than 289 million pounds of soybean oil grown annually going to biodiesel production.

Vehicle fleets using a blend of 20% soy biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel have reduced carbon emissions by 11,000 tons since 2021. Indiana is the fifth-largest producer of U.S. ethanol — generating more than 1.4 billion gallons per year.

The Hoosier State produces nearly 8% of the total U.S. ethanol output. There are 15 biorefineries in the state.

Collectively, they consume about 43% of Indiana’s total corn crop — more than 450 million bushels.

A blend of 15% corn ethanol with 85% petroleum gasoline, also known as E15, cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 455,000 metric tons each year.

“Biodiesel and ethanol produced from soybean and corn grown on farms across Indiana and processed here in the state are an immediate solution to providing Hoosiers economic relief at the pump while lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” Howell said.

“An income tax incentive for retailers would boost investment in modern fuel pumps and tanks, which will create both a wider range of fuel options for Hoosiers and increased demand for corn and soybeans grown by Indiana farmers. These clean fuels add power to our state’s economy.”

Increasing the blend of ethanol into gasoline from 10% to 15% would add $377 million to Indiana’s economy and boost demand for Indiana corn by an additional 51 million bushels.

At the pump, Hoosier motorists would save 5 to 10 cents per gallon with higher blends of ethanol, such as E15, if the Biofuels Tax Credit is adopted this year.

Here is more proposed legislation drawing attention from ICGA and M&P:

• HB1183 Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land — Authored by state Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, starting on July 1, this bill would restrict who can buy farmland or the mineral rights or water or riparian rights to Indiana agricultural property. This bill would require the state’s attorney general to investigate any sale or lease of agricultural land if the attorney general believes the buyer is in violation of the law. This law is intended to block foreign ownership of Indiana farmland.

• HB1417 Agricultural Matters — This bill, presented by state Rep. Beau Baird, R-Greencastle, directs ISDA to conduct an economic impact study based on the findings of the lost farmland report. ISDA must oversee and take all actions necessary for the publication of an updated version of the Indiana Drainage Handbook.

• SB105 Updated Indiana Drainage Handbook — Related to HB1417, state Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, added a bill also requiring ISDA to oversee and take all actions necessary for the publication of an updated version of the Indiana Drainage Handbook. Authorizes ISDA to select a contractor to draft the updated version of the handbook. The bill requires ISDA to appoint an advisory board to advise the contractor and to review and comment on the structure and the text of drafts of the updated handbook.

Most of these bills are still in the committee phase. This year’s General Assembly will wrap up its legislative work in mid-March. Visit www.iga.in.gov to follow legislation during this session.

ICGA and M&P rely on event sponsorship and membership dollars to advocate on behalf of Hoosier farmers.

Anyone interested in joining these policy organizations should contact Khyla Goodman, industry affairs outreach manager for M&P and ICGA, at 317-614-0377 or kgoodman@indianasoybean.com.