With so much going on in the farm bill, Minnesota's Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has been very busy. In one area of key importance to Minnesota, expanding farm energy of all sorts, people should know he is a leader in fighting for farm energy.
Minnesota's farm community is embracing new and better technologies such as ethanol and biodiesel for transportation, and wind and digesters for electricity. A strong energy title in the 2007 Farm Bill is critical to our success.
Growing up on a hog farm in southwestern Minnesota, I've seen the value of these programs. My family was able to build a five-turbine wind farm with help from the farm bill's Section 9006 program. We hope to be able to make use of this program to help other farm families develop clean "cash crops" from wind power.
Let's hope Minnesota's entire delegation will support robust funding for the Rural Energy for America Program. It is time to shift America's energy future from oil cartels to farm communities.
Ryan M Wolf
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Wolf Wind Development
LeSueur, Minn.
