Is south-central Minnesota “maxing-out” in the number of ethanol plants its farmers can support?
For instance, we already have plants in Winthrop, Lake Crystal, and Winnebago, and a major expansion is occurring across the border in Lakota, Iowa. That’s true about the upgrade in Lakota. The larger companies building ethanol plants, basically, are taking a map and finding land that’s between two existing plants and at least 30 miles from both. So Fairmont would be between Winnebago and where? Going west, Bingham Lake near Windom. South of Fairmont the nearest would be Lakota. You also have an ethanol plant in Emmetsburg. Welcome would be a good spot for an ethanol plant. If that plant goes in Fairmont and it looks like it probably will in my opinion, Martin County could not support another ethanol plant five miles away in Welcome. Again, in my opinion, a 100-million gallon plant will need anywhere from 38-40 million bushels of corn. Martin County alone produces only 37 million bushels of corn. Then you have the hog farmers consuming corn. How are they going to feel about that size o
