A huge corn harvest in Wisconsin yielded record corn prices for state farmers this year. That’s good news for the farm sector, as Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen noted in a 2007 Thanksgiving message disseminated around the state. But other reports that also arrived this autumn question the long-term environmental impact of increased corn cropping across the Midwest. Both messages are worth pondering as winter gives the fields a rest.
….The University of Wisconsin this year received a record $125 million grant to build a major cellulosic ethanol research facility. Cellulosic ethanol offers promise for better energy yields and more environmental compatibility. Crops like switchgrass and other native grasses, trees and other woody plants don’t hammer the soil and water as hard as corn or soybeans, another crop often grown for energy.