Dakota Farmer

South Dakota Farmers Union members lobby state lawmakers for more E30 consumption.

Lon Tonneson, Editor, Dakota Farmer

February 25, 2019

2 Min Read
farmers and ethanol supporters gathered at the South Dakota capitol
E30 RALLY: Wearing E30 buttons, farmers and ethanol supporters gathered at the South Dakota capitol for a picture with Gov. Kristi Noem (front row, fourth from the left). South Dakota Farmers Union

My dad was an E30 user long before E30 was a cause celeb. He says the 30% ethanol fuel mixture is the most economical in his vehicles. A lifelong mechanic and retired truck fleet manager, Dad still keeps meticulous fuel records and uses E30 confidently in older, non-flex fuel vehicles. He says he never had any problems.

Being in South Dakota, he isn’t as concerned about air quality as our California cousins, but he appreciates the fact that E30 emissions are cleaner than gasoline emissions.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem formalized her support of E30 in her State of the State address earlier this year, promising to transition the state fleet to E30 and naming Feb. 19 as “E30 Day” in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Farmers Union organized a rally at the capitol to mark E30’s day. More than 65 farmers, ranchers and ethanol supporters gathered Feb. 19 in Pierre to advocate for agriculture and rural issues.

“For more than a century, SDFU has worked to make sure farmers’ and ranchers' voices are heard by state and national policymakers,” according to a statement from Doug Sombke, SDFU president and fourth-generation Conde, S.D., farmer. “It's the reason many of our more than 16,000 members belong to this organization."

One of the group’s main messages to lawmakers was that wider adoption of E30 could help the farm economy.

“There are several new legislators … It's important that they have the opportunity to meet farmers and ranchers to learn about their farming or ranching operations, so they can gain a clear understanding of how the decisions they make in Pierre impact our lives and livelihoods," Sombke said. "And, like when I first started out in the early 80s, times are tough again in agriculture. Our legislators need to gain an understanding of what 'tough' means and learn what they can do to help us."

Supporting bills that would increase E30 consumption would be a step in the right direction.

More consumers may learn that what my Dad discovered a while ago — that E30 is the sweet spot for fuel economy.

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