NCERC

EDWARDSVILLE - Congressional staff from across the nation visited the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as part of the AgMazing Congressional Tour in late August. 

Sponsored by the St. Louis AgriBusiness Club, the AgMazing Congressional Tour highlighted agricultural progress and collaboration in Missouri and Illinois. The St. Louis region is vital to meeting the food, fiber and fuel needs of a growing world. The three-day tour allowed Congressional staff to learn about and see the heartland of agriculture infrastructure, innovation and advancement.

Congressional staff from California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri toured the NCERC's facilities and heard from industry experts. The staff worked with Congressional members such as Sen. Tammy Duckworth (IL), Sen. Deb Fischer (NE), Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47).

NCERC Executive Director John Caupert, Jim Bauman of the National Corn Growers Association and Paul Jeschke of the Illinois Corn Growers Association presented to the congressional staff. Conversations focused upon corn production, ethanol production, small refinery exemptions and the importance of trade deals to agriculture. 

"When talking with Congressional staff members, it's always important to tailer the conversation to their comfort level with agriculture," Bauman said. "Knowing that not everybody is from a farming community or has a farming background, you have to start at their level to at least get them comfortable with the foundational terminology. If you can tell the story at a very simplified level for those outside of agriculture and keep their interest, then they will still be there later to get down deeper into the weeds."

In addition to the NCERC, attendees visited the Danforth Plant Science Center, the Mel Price Lock and Dam, Bunge Terminal, Nestle Purina PetCare, Anhueser-Busch, and several farms and orchards. 

About the NCERC
The NCERC is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds. The Center’s fully functional dry grind pilot plant and laboratories are equipped with advanced biofuels capabilities including corn fractionation, pretreatment, and a fermentation suite with 5, 30, 150 and 1500L scale-up. Facilities are staffed by industry veterans with more than 100 years of collective experience in fermentation and biofuels production. This knowledgeable team has the flexibility and expertise to design and carry out projects in any region of the advanced biofuels or specialty chemicals space.  For more information, contact Courtney Breckenridge, (618) 659-6737 ext. 230, [email protected], or visit http://www.ethanolresearch.com.