When that kernel of corn makes its way to the ethanol plant and is processed, the result is two equally important products: feed for livestock and fuel for your car.

Iowa’s ethanol plants currently produce more than 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol per year. And because of that, when you pull up to the pump you may find E-10 (10% ethanol blend) or E-85 (85% ethanol blend). Using renewable fuels helps increase our energy independence, improves our environment, supports our farmers and strengthens our rural communities.

So now that part of the kernel is fueling your car, what about what’s left over? Well, it’s probably being used to feed cattle. What doesn’t become ethanol ends up as distillers grains and solubles (DGS). By feeding DGS to nearby livestock, ethanol plants save money on transportation costs (basically they don’t have to pay to ship it out of state) and livestock farmers save on feed costs (DGS are less expensive than other feed options).

But "The Ride" doesn’t stop here. Healthy and well-fed cattle provide manure to fertilize next year’s corn crop…and then “The Ride” starts all over again, as that corn heads back to the ethanol plant for fuel and feed!
And renewable fuels are just one of the many possible biobased products.

So as you can see, when corn and livestock are near ethanol plants, it’s the perfect combination for renewable energy success. With a partnership like that, all Iowans win!