BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Farm Families® has released the first episode in their new docuseries highlighting farmer sustainability practices. This engaging storytelling video is focused on biofuels made from Illinois corn and soybeans. It presents the perspectives of farmer Elliott Uphoff and American Lung Association Vice President Angela Tin to help explain the clean air advantages of Illinois-grown biofuels.
Uphoff, a fifth-generation farmer from Shelbyville, Ill., explains why he sees a biofuel future as an important element of tomorrow’s energy picture. “When I was in middle school, the science teacher would say, ‘Someday, we’re going to run out of fossil fuels.’ We’re still finding new reserves, but that won’t last forever. We’re drilling deeper and finding dirtier oil, which makes refining it more expensive.”
He adds, “Farmers want clean air just like everybody else. So if we can grow biofuels that help clean the air and save the environment – and that’s a sustainable energy source for many generations to come – that’s a no-brainer.”
Angela Tin, American Lung Association VP, Upper Midwest, supports this move toward cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. “We have to realize that it’s the cars and other vehicles that are causing the pollution. To make things better, the only choice we have … is a fuel that’s a good clean air choice.”
Illinois farmers, including Uphoff, use science, farm data and technology to continually improve how they grow crops for food, fuel and other uses. This video makes a strong case for the future of Illinois biofuels and can be viewed at watchusgrow.org/innovation-grows-here.
Additional episodes for the series are being created and will focus on other sustainability topics, including bioplastics, carbon sequestration and pollinator habitats. IFF will promote the videos through social media, including Facebook and YouTube, targeting a wide audience that includes Chicagoland millennial parents.
— Illinois Soybean Association
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