by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE’s Feedstock Technologies program focuses on challenges and barriers crucial to reaching program goals, including:
harvesting
Back TO HOMEBETO Launches New Renewable Carbon Resources Web Page
by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton (B&C Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy
June 08, 2023 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to the State of Bioeconomy Feedstocks and Advanced Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DIgest completed the 7 week series of ABLC CONNECT events in which ABLC delegates
February 22, 2023 Read Full Article
The Promise of Advancing Biomanufacturing Innovation
by Greg Potter and Glenn Farris (Lipiferm Scientific andFarris Advisory Services/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) On September 12, 2022, President Joe Biden
February 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium Annual Review of Research FY 2021
(U.S. Department of Energy) Led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) is
October 05, 2022 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Improved Advanced Biomass Logistics Utilizing Woody Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Harvesting and transportation makes up 40 –60% of the delivered cost of SRWC and are
October 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Stubble Burning: New Policy to Attract Private Investment in Biomass Power Projects Soon
(Hindustan Times) The new policy is also to encourage the farmers to cut, bale and store paddy straw produced in
September 23, 2022 Read Full Article
From Worm Composting to Biofuels, the Caribbean Seeks Solutions to Seaweed Influx
by Alison Kentish (Interpress Service News Agency) The increasingly severe invasion of seaweed is impacting tourism, health, livelihoods, and the
September 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Making Biofuel from Bracken in Britain's Hills
by Gordon Davidson (The Scotish Farmer) Britain's hills are alive with suffocating bracken – but a new biofuel project aims to
June 10, 2022 Read Full Article
From a Nuisance to a Benefit, ‘World’s Worst Weed’ Finds New Use as Biofuel
(South Africa Today) • A startup in western Kenya has developed a process of making bioethanol from water hyacinths, addressing
September 09, 2021 Read Full Article
£4 Million Funding to Boost UK Biomass Production
(U.K. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Lord Callanan) 24 projects receive government funding of up to £200,000
August 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Showcase Bioeconomy: Industrial Plants Make Unproductive Arable Land Profitable
(University of Hohenheim (Google translation)) European project with the participation of the University of Hohenheim researches how unprofitable fields with renewable
April 12, 2021 Read Full Article
Yield10 Bioscience Announces Completion of Harvesting for 2020 Field Test Program to Evaluate Novel Yield and Compositional Traits in Camelina and Canola
(Yield10 Bioscience) Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq:YTEN), an agricultural bioscience company, today announced it has completed the harvest for its 2020 Field Test Program
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Alliance BioEnergy Establishes Giant King Grass Test Plot
(Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc.) Alliance BioEnergy Plus Inc., (“Alliance”) announces it has leased 18 acres of land in Southwest Florida
September 08, 2020 Read Full Article
SUNY ESF Receives USDA Grant: Biomass Products Will Reinvigorate Abandoned Land
(SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), as a member of a mid-Atlantic
September 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Alliance for Logistics Efficiency and Specifications: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BALES Bioenergy Feedstock Analysis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bale analysis, probes, core samples – measuring and analysis of bioenergy feedstocks is key. In this
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Q&A on Cellulosic Ethanol with Clariant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DigestConnect hosted a wildly popular webinar in late April with Clariant’s Head of Business Line, Biofuels
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Bill Gates-Led Fund Invests in Synthetic Palm Oil Startup
by Akshat Rathi (Bloomberg Green) C16 Biosciences uses yeast to convert food waste and industrial byproducts into a sustainable alternative. Breakthrough
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Feedstock Supply Chains & Clariant’s Experience in Romania
by Paolo Corvo (Clariant/Biofuels Digest) ... The success of making use of that sustainable biomass resource and a rapid uptake of
November 01, 2019 Read Full Article
POET Outlines Lessons from 4-Year Long Startup of Project Liberty Cellulosic Ethanol Project
(Green Car Congress) Commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plants has proven devilishly difficult to bring to fruition. The primary outlier from the
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Sea Lettuce Could Make an Ideal Future Biofuel
by Ian Heath (Jersey Evening Post) But now experts are claiming that the annual ‘plague’ of slimy green sea lettuce in
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Making It More Viable to Turn Agricultural Waste into Renewable Fuel
by Alayna DeMartini (Ohio State University College of Engineering) Although the stalks and leaves of a corn plant can be turned
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Quality Challenges: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) INL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs
April 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Investors Turn Kenya’s Troublesome Invasive Water Hyacinth into Cheap Fuel
by Benson Rioba (Inter Press Service) Water hyacinth is a weed and if not controlled on Lake Victoria, experts are concerned
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
‘Breakthrough’ Harvesting Solution, Growing Market, Potential beyond Biodiesel – All Good Signs for Castor Oil’s Future
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) A ‘breakthrough’ mechanical harvesting solution for castor bean plants was developed by Evogene and agricultural equipment
November 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Evofuel and Fantini s.r.l Announce Breakthrough in Mechanical Harvesting for Castor Bean
(Evogene Ltd./Globe Newswire) Mechanical harvesting is a major bottleneck in conversion of castor bean to a fully modernized commercial crop; Combination
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Optimizing Lignocellulosic Cropping Systems
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How attractive are systems for Bioenergy Feedstock Production in Sustainably Managed Landscapes for Rural Development? Ioannis Dimitriou,
October 10, 2018 Read Full Article
A Switchgrass Sugar Situation
by Paige Short (Michigan Technological University) Switchgrass is a promising biofuel alternative to corn, but farmers, environmentalists and biofuel developers, find
September 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Harnessing Algae and Fungi to Create New Biofuel System
by Igor Houwat (Michigan State University) Michigan State University scientists have found a solution to enhance oil production and harvest using
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Seeking a Friend for the End of Unreliability: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What is the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium and why does it exist? The Why is simple. #1
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Seaweed-into-Biofuel Project Gets Department of Energy Support
by Joanna McWilliams (Colorado State University) A Colorado State University project to grow and harvest ocean macroalgae for biofuel production has
April 25, 2018 Read Full Article
A Sit Down with Conrad Rautenbach from Green Fuel
(The Herald) Fuel prices shot up recently before Government intervened by reducing import duty on fuel to stem the price madness
February 19, 2018 Read Full Article
ASC and MSC Release Joint Seaweed Standard
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) have announced the launch of the
November 30, 2017 Read Full Article
From Algae Blooms to Algae Oil: The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Manta Biofuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The promise is this: Manta could one day skim algae right off of the Chesapeake Bay
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Is This the Crop That Saves Florida Agriculture?
by Tom Schenk (Terviva/Biofuels Digest) ... Directly and indirectly, Florida’s citrus industry creates almost 45,000 jobs which translate to almost a
November 16, 2017 Read Full Article
Orchard Waste Could Be a Fruitful Source of Biofuel
(IneffableIsland.com) Waste prunings from orchards, vineyards and olive groves could be a valuable source of biomass energy and help boost
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
NEWBio Commercial Collaborators: Building a Sustainable Energy Future in the Northeast United States
(Extension.org) The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural,
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
New Willow Harvester In Action
(NewBIO) Something new happened in the bioenergy willow world this week in Pennsylvania. A new type of willow energy crop harvester
February 17, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Novia Scotia Has ‘Strong Potential’ to Produce Advanced Biofuels
(Biofuels International) A new study shows Nova Scotia has strong potential to develop an innovative biorefinery that produces an advanced
February 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Regional Feedstock Partnership Report Highlights Work to Enable the Billion-Ton Vision
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Regional Feedstock Partnership (the Partnership)—a multi-institutional collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the
December 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Webinar: Economic Evaluation of Potential Biorefineries with High-Resolution Decison Support Tools
(Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest) This talk introduces a web-based decision support tool for biorefinery siting and explores the economic viability
November 17, 2016 Read Full Article
USDA Resumes Incentives to Grow the Bioeconomy and Improve Forest Health
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that $1.5 million
November 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Finds Biomass Harvesting Techniques with Minimal Impacts
( USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station/Biomass Magazine) A set of newly published studies evaluated nearly 40 years of
October 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Potential of Bracken Biofuel Examined in Blair Atholl
(BBC) A feasibility study is examining the potential of harvesting bracken and using it to make a bioethanol fuel. A
September 13, 2016 Read Full Article
First Things First
by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) ... Biomass availability in the U.S. is unlikely to emerge as a bottleneck for industry
September 11, 2016 Read Full Article
What’s DOE Doing about Feedstock Costs? The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to DOE’s Feedstock Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is it just cost that bedevils industrial biotechnology in bringing fuels technologies to scale. Not
August 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Making It Work for the Grower: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to DuPont’s Cellulosic Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DuPont has developed a three-part strategy to deliver these new technologies to the growing biofuels
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Manta Biofuel Awarded $1 Million from DOE
(Algae Industry Magazine) Manta Biofuel, of Bethesda, Maryland has won a $1 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy
July 17, 2016 Read Full Article
De-risking the Supply Chain: The Digest’s 2016 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ag
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Founded in 1998 in the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Ag is the largest, most experienced agricultural
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Requests Information on Revolutionary Biomass Supply Systems Supporting a Billion-Ton Bioeconomy Vision
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) Bioenergy Technologies
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Equipment for Biomass: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to New Holland
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New Holland makes a wide range of farming, construction equipment; with related financing: excavators, loaders
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
ORNL Hosts Southeast Bioenergy Meeting, Study Tour
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers and others interested in establishing a sustainable bioeconomy in the U.S. are taking
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Experimental Biomass Harvest a Step toward Sustainable, Biofuels-Powered Future
by Jeff Mulhollem (Penn State) The first harvest of 34 acres of fast-growing shrub willow from a Penn State demonstration field
March 10, 2016 Read Full Article
UT and Genera Energy Harvest Hybrid Poplar Stand in Next Step Toward a Biobased Economy UT and Genera Energy Harvest Hybrid Poplar Stand in Next Step Toward a Biobased Economy
by Patricia McDaniels (University of Tennessee) A small stand of poplar trees harvested from a University of Tennessee AgResearch Center
March 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Willow Harvesting Updates
by Justin Heavey and Armen R. Kemanian (Northeast Bioenergy Extension Blog) The harvest season for willow biomass crops in the northeast is progressing
December 30, 2015 Read Full Article
From Sci-fi to Reality Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Real to Farmers
by Todd Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) Five years ago when Nevada, Iowa, farmer Brian Sampson first heard about harvesting corn stover
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Harvesting Technology Goes Commercial
by Alison Goss Eng and Daniel Adams (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Earlier this year, we highlighted five cost-saving harvesting technologies
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Can Reduce Fall Tillage
by David Hest (Corn+Soybean Digest) Farmers find stover removal for cellulosic ethanol boosts yields, reduces costs and saves soil. Like a
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
What Is the Future of Ethanol in Brazil? Perspectives from Datagro Sugar and Ethanol Conference
by Laís F. Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The effect of increased consumption of ethanol due to the reduction of state
September 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Farmers Get Chance to Turn Bracken into Biofuel
(Cambrian News) Mid Wales farmers are being offered the chance to help turn bracken into biofuel by a renewable energy
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Bringing in the Biomass for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A multitude of questions surround the challenge of bringing in the mountains of
September 14, 2015 Read Full Article
From Blueprint to Baler
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) AGCO is well-equipped to aid the first U.S. cellulosic ethanol plants in devising efficient and
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Is Biomass Expanding Faster than Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With 3 acquisitions, the biomass consolidation czars consolidate as markets expand. Funding will enable company
August 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Advancing Alongside Ag
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) An example of sheer innovation over time, farmers today grow five times as much corn
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
New Holland Agriculture Expands Offerings for Biomass Harvest and Handling
(Extension.org) Renewable energy production options are growing thanks to expanded farm equipment capabilities for harvesting biofuel feedstocks like shrub willow.
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
UMD Program Approves 15 Technology Product Development Projects Teaming Maryland Companies With System Faculty -- Four Aquaculture Projects Highlight Round
(Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute ) The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech)
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
What’s up with Algae Now?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 31 Algae players, what do they make now, and how are they making out? ... Here’s
July 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Crews Harvest Crop Residue for Biomass
by Amy Bickel (Kansas Agland/The Garden City Telegram) The wheat field here is shaved down to a schoolboy’s haircut, but Courtney
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Five Harvesting Technologies are Making Biofuels More Competitive in the Marketplace
(U.S. Department of Energy) It may look like ordinary farm equipment, but take a second look. This innovative machinery was
March 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Genera Energy Reaches Milestone with Recent Harvest
(Genera Energy) Genera Energy Inc., a leading biomass supply company specializing in biomass feedstocks for advanced biobased industries, set new
March 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Improving the Way We Harvest And Deliver Biofuels Crops
(U.S. Department of Energy/Breaking Energy) America is the largest biofuels producer in the world — accounting for 48 percent of
January 12, 2015 Read Full Article
PacificAg Can Save Ethanol Plants Time & Money
by Talia Bang (Ag NewsWire) PacificAg, the country’s largest and most experienced biomass harvest company in the country, can help
December 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Leifmark and New Holland Run Stover Harvest Trials in Western Iowa to Cut Investor Risk for Cellulosic Ethanol Refineries
(Liefmark/PR NewsWire) In two Iowa cornfields in early November, Leifmark, LLC and New Holland Agriculture teamed up to test
December 19, 2014 Read Full Article
CNH Industrial and Evogene Subsidiary Announce Ongoing Collaboration for the Development of a Mechanised Harvesting Solution for Castor Beans
(CNH Industrial Latin America Ltda.) CNH Industrial Latin America Ltda., a subsidiary of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE, MI: CNHI),
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Cornstalks Aren't Just for Scarecrows Anymore
by Reanna Trudell and Daniel Adams (US Department of Energy) ... Our scientists have identified corn stover, which includes the corn plant’s
November 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Sweet Sorghum Production Guide Released
by Nikki Henderson (ArkLaTex Homepage) Sweet sorghum is not currently grown as a commercial crop in Louisiana, but in the future,
October 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Duckweed Has Great Potential as Biofuel
by Sue Pike (seacoastonline.com) Duckweeds are the world's smallest flowering plants. These tiny plants float on still and slow-moving water the
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
New USDA-ISU Report Validates Cellulosic Ethanol Biomass Sustainability
(POET/DSM) Emmetsburg research aggregated with 500+ years of other USDA site data Five years of soil nutrient data gathered at POET-DSM’s
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Corn Forum: Stover Market Emergence Tipping Forward
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) The agricultural industry has reached the point to begin the production of cellulosic ethanol from
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Biomass Resources, Uses, and Opportunities in West Virginia 2013 A Report by West Virginia University's Appalachian Hardwood Center and Biomaterials and Wood Utilization Research Center
by Shawn Grushecky, Jingxin Wang, Sarah Cross Owen, and Lawrence E. Osborn (Appalachian Hardwood Center) West Virginia is the third most
June 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Requires Efficiently Collecting Corn Stover Bales
by Andrea Johnson (Midwest Producer) Corn stover experts have found ways to reduce the cost of bringing corn stover from the
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
This American Land - Emmetsburg, Iowa Video
(POETTV) A story of spirit and ingenuity in Emmetsburg, Iowa. WATCH VIDEO
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Genera Energy Showcases Commercial Biomass Harvesting Concept
(General Energy/Biomass Magazine) Genera Energy Inc., winner of the prestigious 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award for Sustainable Feedstock Innovation, is showcasing
February 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Can We Harvest Invasive Species for Biofuels?
by Lauren Quinn (University of Illinois/Renewable Energy World) ... “When the topic of potential invasion by non-native biofuel crops has been raised
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Farmers Now Harvesting Biomass for Project LIBERTY Opening
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Iowa, farmers are now harvesting and delivering cob bales for the 2014 opening of
October 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Secretary Moniz Announces New Biofuels Projects to Drive Cost Reductions, Technological Breakthroughs
(U.S. Department of Energy) During remarks at the Energy Department’s Biomass 2013 annual conference, Secretary Moniz today highlighted the important
August 06, 2013 Read Full Article
The Cutting Edge of Corn Stover and Switchgrass Supply: A Comprehensive Feedstock Solution
(U.S. Department of Energy) Supplying high-quality feedstock for use in a broad range of sustainable conversion processes to produce advanced
March 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Perspectives on 2013: Ethanol Industry Executives Approach 2013 with Optimism and Concern.
by Holly Jessen & Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Looking into the future, Jeff Roskam, CEO of the Kansas Alliance
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
POET-DSM Makes Major Technology, Process Purchase for Commercial Cellulosic Bio-Ethanol
(POET) POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels has contracted for a key technology/process component in breaking down cellulose to produced advanced biofuel. POET-DSM has
October 26, 2012 Read Full Article
New Holland Promotes Ethanol at Farm Progress Show
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) New Holland was all about American Ethanol at the 2012 Farm Progress Show this past week in Boone, Iowa. “This
September 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Iowa Aims for Next-Gen Biofuels Leadership: 18 Hot Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In our investigations in Iowa this week, we noted 6 trends worth carefully watching, which
August 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Feedstox Biomass Harvesting Fleet Nearly Fully Assembled
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With the purchase of two new pieces of equipment Feedstox is prepared to begin
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Mallee Harvester Reaches Milestones
(Stock Journal) The prototype mallee harvester developed by Biosystems Engineering and Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has exceeded
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Harvesting Both Corn Grain and Stover in Adverse Weather
by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (North Dakota State University/Ethanol Producer Magazine) NDSU quantifies the cost and time
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Hoosier Implement Dealer Develops Corn Stover Harvest Solution
by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today) Homegrown Indiana innovation for farmers was displayed Tuesday in Fulton County when the New
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas Group Works to Turn Crop Stubble into Energy
by Dan Voorhis (The Wichita Eagle) ...The Kansas Alliance for BioRefining and BioEnergy was created in 2009 and was
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
The Round and Square of It: Proving the Sustainability of Crop Residue Removal
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Three years ago, ag giants John Deere & Co., Archer Daniels Midland Co. and
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Harvesting Both Corn Grain and Stover in Adverse Weather
by Cole Gustafson, Thein Maung and David Ripplinger (Ethanol Producer Magazine/North Dakota State University) If cellulosic biofuel development remains on track,
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
University of Illinois Students Receive BP Grant to Study Biomass Engineering Properties
(Biofuels Journal) Five undergraduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign received a $5,000 grant from British Petroleum to research the
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
It’s Out There
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Inbicon conducted an extensive crop study and biomass research project to show just how
August 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Corncobs Germinate a New Career
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) When Eric Woodford began harvesting biomass 15 years ago, he realized that existing farm equipment