Soybean Checkoff Partnership Puts Soy Biodiesel in the Driver’s Seat

ST. LOUIS (June 2, 2008) – This summer the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff will rev up its partnership with the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) to demonstrate the great engine performance soy biodiesel provides and to provide pull attendees with the facts about soy biodiesel. In addition to sponsoring six events in the National NTPA Championship Pulling Series, the checkoff will also supply NTPA with soy biodiesel to power pulling sleds at these events and fuel official NTPA transport vehicles throughout the pulling season. “This new opportunity with NTPA really helps soy biodiesel take center stage,” says Russ Carpenter, USB Communications Committee vice chair and a soybean farmer from Trumansburg, N.Y. “With special signage on the sleds and vehicles, tractor-pull attendees, as well as anyone passing by an NTPA vehicle on the road, will have a chance to see soy biodiesel in action.” Last year, Carpenter saw firsthand the interest by NTPA event attendees in soy biodiesel and other soy-based bioproducts. By continuing the theme of its “Do something nice for your engine” campaign, the checkoff will again educate diesel-users on soy biodiesel through its NTPA sponsorship with an on-site informational booth, track signage, public address announcements, news and advertisements in NTPA’s THE PULLER and information during NTPA’s Championship Pulling Series on RFD TV. “With nearly two-thirds of all soybean farmers now using soy biodiesel, our expanded partnership with NTPA helps the checkoff carry this momentum to mainstream diesel users who want to learn more about soy biodiesel availability, engine performance, environmental benefits and quality-assurance efforts,” says Carpenter. Soy biodiesel blends continue running smoothly in engines across the United States with B20 as the most common blend (80 percent petroleum diesel with 20 percent soy biodiesel). Soy biodiesel’s engine performance benefits include increased lubricity, which allows for less maintenance and longer engine life. This fuel also demonstrates horsepower, torque and haulage rates similar to petroleum diesel. A new study by the University of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has shown that soy biodiesel has an energy balance of 3.5 to 1, even higher than the previously thought balance of 3.2 to 1. So, for every unit of fossil energy needed to produce the fuel over its life cycle, the return is 3.5 units of energy. Soybean oil served as a feedstock for an estimated 80 percent of biodiesel produced in 2007, so this study even takes into account the energy required to manufacture farm machinery used to produce soybeans. With over 3,400 suppliers and retailers on board, soy biodiesel is the fastest-growing renewable fuel in the United States. The soybean checkoff-funded National Biodiesel Board (NBB) operates the BQ-9000 program, a quality-assurance program that works with soy biodiesel manufacturers and marketers to provide the best-quality product for consumers. Carpenter, along with other fellow soybean checkoff farmer-leaders, will be on-hand promoting these and other benefits of soy biodiesel at the following six NTPA events: Ottertail, Minn., June 13-14 Warsaw, Ind., July 12 Montgomery City, Mo., July 18-19 Chapel Hill, Tenn., July 18-19 Saluda, S.C., Aug. 8-9 Bowling Green, Ohio, Aug. 15-17 USB is made up of 68 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff. Posted 6.3.08