Meet a POET Farmer

Tony Thompson is an investor in POET Biorefining - Bingham Lake (Min.) and his 3,000 acre farm is located about 5 miles south of the plant. A CNN.com profile of Thompson highlights his unique farming practices. But is he all that different? Thompson doesn't think so.

"There's nothing that unusual about me," Thompson said when I talked to him yesterday. "Most of my neighbors are doing the same things I am. They may not do as much research, but many or most good farmers are implementing similar nutrient management systems and watching every unit of nutrient flow through the farm with the output goal being marketable grain…not pollution." Thompson said the real heroes are his crop consultant Steve Sodeman and Fairland Management Company who help him take better care of his land.

Thompson and his two brothers invested in POET Biorefining - Bingham Lake before the plant started up in 1997. They scraped together everything they could to purchase one share in the plant because it was a local outlet for their abundant corn crop. Thompson said he was initially one of the the most reluctant investors in the plant but has since bought out his two brothers.

That plant, where Thompson sells his corn, is also implementing new technologies that take care of natural resources. It was the first POET ethanol plant to install total water recovery, which decreased its water use by 23 percent. Read the story in Vital.

Energy and agriculture can be difficult undertakings, but this plant and farmers like Thompson are doing the best they can, while constantly looking for ways to improve. Be sure to read the entire story on CNN.com and leave your thoughts below.

Comments

[mus302]

Nathan,

It is nice to see the media present something positive about agriculture. My hat is off to Mr. Thompson for providing a positive example for other farmers to follow.

I do have a bit of a problem with how CNN chose to present the issue of the dead zone. By only providing 2 data points, 2009 and 2010 they make it appear to be growing at a wild rate and that just isn't the case.

[Nathan Schock]

mus302,

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it and I completely agree with you that on balance it was a good story.

You are, unfortunately, also correct about the incomplete picture the article painted about the Dead Zone. It's hard to imagine why it would only give two years of data other than that it was intended to make a particular point.

Thanks for reading!