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Farmer sees benefits of biodiesel on his farm

A midwestern farmer is seeing the benefits of biodiesel on his farm. Dave Walton raises soybeans, corn, beef, cattle, and sheep in eastern Iowa.

He has used biodiesel on his operation for more than a decade.

“We run a 20 percent blend in the summertime and cut that back to about a B5 or B10 blend in the wintertime depending on the weather,” he says.  

Walton says he uses biodiesel because it’s a better fuel.

“It has higher lubricity, it’s better for the environment, it’s a lower-carbon fuel, and I’m also a big believer in supporting our own industry,” he says. “For every bushel of soybeans that I sell, the biodiesel industry adds about 90 cents to it so I’m supporting myself by using it so it just makes sense.”

Brownfield interviewed Walton at the 2020 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo. He says conference attendees have been optimistic about the biodiesel tax credit renewal and some of the guidance on small refinery exemptions and department of energy recommendations.

Walton says producers will continue to expand as the industry is positioning itself to double production in the next 10 years.

Audio: Dave Walton