Free WEBINAR: Building a long-term, sustainable supply chain for the cellulosic ethanol industry

Over the last decade, breakthrough technologies in cellulosic biofuel have matured to the point of full scale commercialization in 2014. This milestone marks a significant step towards building a more biobased economy.

But what about the enormous and complicated task of putting together a process to supply these facilities of the 21^st century?

How are today’s entrepreneurial growers rethinking their operations to incorporate corn stover harvest?

And how are the companies building these facilities tackling issues about collection, storage and transportation of huge quantities of material in a way that is sustainable, over the long haul?

To answer these questions – we’ve assembled the feedstock supply chain and agronomy experts at DuPont , USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and a grower on the front lines to share firsthand their experiences.

This webinar is free to Digest subscribers.

Hear firsthand how:

stover is collected, stored and transported in preparation for use in the facility;
what it is like to incorporate stover removal into a farming operation;
what are the short and long-term agronomic impacts to farm value (the pocketbook and the soil) and
how to achieve all this while remaining sustainable and ultimately, cost competitive with fossil fuels.

The Webinar Experts

Andy Heggenstaller, PhD — Agronomy Research Manager, DuPont Pioneer

Andy Heggenstaller is an Agronomy Research Manager in DuPont Pioneer’s North America Agronomy Sciences team. In this role, Andy works with growers, universities, USDA and other third party groups to develop agronomic recommendations and technical resources that demonstrate sustainable value in cropping systems for DuPont Pioneer customers.

Andy also works closely with DuPont Industrial Biosciences and leads research to develop crop management practices that ensure a profitable and sustainable supply of the company’s cellulosic feedstocks. Andy earned a B.S. degree in Agroecosystems Science from Pennsylvania State University and M.S and Ph. D. degrees in Agronomy and Biorenewable Resource Technology from Iowa State University.

John Pieper, DuPont — Corn Stover Feedstock Workstream Lead

John Pieper is the Stover Feedstock Workstream Leader for DuPont Industrial Biosciences. He is responsible for the development of an effective supply chain business to deliver corn stover feedstock to cellulosic ethanol facilities on time and at spec and cost. He also directs the equipment research and development strategy and process for DuPont stover feedstock operations.

John’s Pioneer career began in 1982 as an independent sales representative for the company. In March 2011 he was named Director, Cellulosic Ethanol Development Program Office in support DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol project. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MS in Agribusiness Management from Purdue and an MBA from Indiana University.

John Maxwell — Participating farmer

John Maxell farms ten miles south of Nevada, Iowa with his brother Jason and father Rod. The Maxwell's raise corn, soybeans and hogs in an integrated operation that includes the use of manure, cover crops and no-till. The Maxwells also own and operate Maximum Ag Services, a fertilizer and custom application business. John began to participate in the DuPont feedstock program in 2012, and since that time has incorporated stover harvest into his farming operation as a way to more effectively manage crop residues in productive fields where he raises corn following corn.

Marty Adkins, Assistant State Conservationist for Special Projects, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Marty Adkins works for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Des Moines, Iowa where he serves as Acting Assistant State Conservationist for Special Projects. In this position he develops partnerships to promote conservation and provides leadership for water resources programs.

During his 33 year career with NRCS in Iowa, he has also served in a variety of capacities at the state and field level. He also worked for two years as a professional farm manager. Mr. Adkins, his wife Carol and their family live in Knoxville, Iowa. He received his B.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State University in 1980. He grew up on a grain and livestock farm near Council Bluffs, Iowa.