Made in America

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Just as the great American President Abraham Lincoln was devoted to improving the lives of farmers in his home state of Illinois and across the country, soybean farmers are equally devoted to making soy biodiesel a viable alternative energy. As a soybean farmer, I remain committed to improving the environment and easing American dependence on foreign oil.

The soybean checkoff and the Illinois Soybean Association are providing the funding for soybean-based biodiesel to fuel a mobile museum highlighting our 16th president. The exhibit debuted on Aug. 8 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and continues touring through August 2010.

Along the way, the exhibit, titled, “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America,” will make stops everywhere from the White House to school houses across America. By tour’s end, countless people will have experienced this exhibit at celebrations of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, political conventions, sporting events and more.

The exhibit, which is free to the public, boasts plenty of memorabilia and plenty of interaction, including a video titled, “The Civil War in Four Minutes,” and a holographic presentation of Lincoln’s address before leaving Springfield for Washington.

Particularly exciting for me, attendees will learn about how much Lincoln did for farmers in his career. After working on the family farm, Lincoln’s political career included establishing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and signing the legislation to enact the Homestead Act and the Morrill Land Grant College Act. His actions helped to strengthen rural America and provide new higher education opportunities for ail Americans.

This is an important exhibit to see for all Americans. And biodiesel plays a critical role in making it all possible. Transporting the exhibit is a 53-foot tractor trailer that is fueled by American-made biodiesel.

One of the focuses of the soybean checkoff is increasing awareness, availability and use of biodiesel. The efforts are obviously working. The amount of biodiesel sold has soared from 25 million gallons in 2004 to over 500 million gallons in 2007, and experts expect that number to eclipse 600 million this year. On every leg of the long “Self-Made in America” journey, biodiesel information will be available.

Before, during and after experiencing the exhibit, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about biodiesel, a fuel that is outperforming traditional petroleum diesel in several areas.

In tests, biodiesel, which is a renewable fuel, shows fuel consumption, horsepower, torque and haulage rates similar to those of conventional diesel fuel. Further, biodiesel is easier on your engine, providing a 65 percent lubricity increase by using just a l percent biodiesel blend. Finally, biodiesel reduces environmentally harmful emissions, including greenhouse gases, smog-forming hydrocarbons and acid rain-making sulfates, just to name a few. In short, biodiesel performs well; it’s clean; and your diesel-powered truck and equipment will run smoother every time you start it up.

Perhaps the best thing about biodiesel is that it’s made in the U.S.A., which I would guess would make it especially endearing to Lincoln himself. Biodiesel uses the oil that comes from U.S. soybeans, including Illinois soybeans, and it’s produced in 177 American processing plants that employ thousands of American workers.

Astoundingly, about 3 percent of the soybeans grown in the United States can accomplish this. The rest is primarily used to feed our people and livestock.

This is something for all Illinoisans to be proud of, especially Illinois soybean farmers. So please join me in wishing the “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” exhibit a safe journey.

Sharon Covert is the Illinois director for the United Soybean Board.