House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn “G.T.” Thompson gladly accepted an invitation from Congressman Tracey Mann to get a glimpse into High Plains agriculture.
Thompson, from the 15th District in Pennsylvania, has been a longtime member of the House Agriculture Committee and was eager to see what Mann had lined up for him, including a visit to the Conestoga Energy Partners plant in Garden City, Kansas, on March 21. Conestoga has corporate offices in Liberal, Kansas, and Southlake, Texas. Production plants are also in Liberal and Levelland, Texas.
Conestoga is involved in multiple aspects of the renewable alcohol industry besides biofuels, said CEO Tom Willis. The company prides itself on using 100% of the kernel. The company primarily processes corn but also can process sorghum. Some of the products include wet distillers grains used to feed cattle, ingredients for cleaning and sanitation products, and carbon dioxide sequestration.
The Conestoga Bonanza plant in Garden City produces 62 million gallons of fuel a year and employs about 50 people.
One of Willis’ goals is to tell the importance of renewable fuels and year-round sales of E-15 or E-20 blends because they would help consumers save at least 25 cents a gallon at the pump while benefiting the environment. If all motorists used a 15% blend it would significantly reduce tailpipe emissions, the CEO said.
The processes at the Conestoga plants use grain that are not tied to direct human consumption, he said.
“We’re not in a battle with oil industry. I believe we need both to power America for many years,” Willis said.
Thompson said the nation’s portfolio needs both. Willis said renewables and bio-fuel industries in Kansas need to work with oil and natural gas producers because they provide energy diversification. The biofuel plants help diversify the economy of rural communities, he said, adding good jobs.
Thompson said one of his goals is to make sure that House Republicans are not only seated at the table but have their sleeves rolled up and their elbows on the table when Congress and President Joe Biden’s administration discuss climate change and the environment. The topic is important to GOP constituents, too.
His three principals include, “No. 1, you cannot have a healthy environment without a healthy economy. No. 2, decisions need to be made with facts that are science-based and not political science-based. No. 3, let’s start with what works and not start with what does not work.”
Farmers and ranchers get a “bad rap” but credible science studies show that the through the combination of livestock, cover crops, no-till and other practices they have contributed greatly to carbon sequestration, which protects the environment, Thompson said.
Biofuels and renewable fuels can help America continue to power production efficiency as farmers and ranchers feed the world, he said.
Willis said the ethanol industry needs certainty in policies as it pertains to renewable fuel standards as regulatory rather than policy, which only Congress can set. Thompson agreed, adding that administrations change every four to eight years and that only adds to the uncertainty. He believes rules should be codified by Congress.
“The renewable fuel industry is an American agriculture success story,” Willis said in agreement.
Thompson said when he became ranking member in January 2021 his goal was to support Mann and fellow Republicans who are on the agriculture committee. An opportunity to see the First District was a top priority because he knows how important the district is to the nation’s food and fiber supply.
Stops like in Garden City and Manhattan, Kansas, also give him an opportunity to visit with farmers, ranchers and processors who use their products.
“We need all their voices to be heard,” Thompson said. “We shouldn’t just rely on the input from inside the Beltway.”
The process of writing a 2023 farm bill is just getting underway, he said, but he wants producers to know he welcomes their input.
Mann said he will champion crop insurance because it helps producers to reduce their risks. The certainty of a safety net can help ease stress for producers facing high fertilizer and fuel costs, which has been heightened by Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, he said. Mann also believes the Biden administration, through the regulatory process, could do more to increase domestic production of fossil fuels.
Both congressmen said it was important to develop workforce and expand technology into rural communities.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
