Feature Projects for Agribusiness

The Center of Innovation for Agribusiness Welcomes Kim Rutland

info@georgiainnovation.org — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:07:49 GMT

Kim Rutland, the newest member of the COI for Agribusiness team, will serve as Special Projects Manager for the center. She will be responsible for public relations, event/tour planning and project tracking. Kim received her BBA in Marketing from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville and an MBA from Albany State University. She has thirteen years of experience in education, eight of which were served as Director of Marketing for a regional technical college. "Not only was I involved in the marketing and student affairs for the college, I was also able to experience the economic and workforce development side as well," said Kim. She is originally from Norman Park, but has resided in Tifton for the past 18 years. She currently serves on the board for the United Way of South Central Georgia and with Special Olympics, as well as, volunteering with several community events such as Relay for Life, and United Way's Children's Dinner Theatre. Kim is married to a local farmer and has four children. "Through my husband's farming operation, I have a fairly significant agriculture background," said Kim. I am looking forward to working at the COI for Agribusiness because there are so many great things going on in the industry."

The Center of Innovation for Agribusiness Helps Georgia Emerge as a Leader in Bioenergy Revolution

info@georgiainnovation.org — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:51:07 GMT

The bioenergy business is booming in the state of Georgia. While less than five bioenergy companies are operational in Georgia today, over 80 are considering locating or starting up in our state. With these companies choosing Georgia and with our many resources to support bioenergy, Georgia is positioned to emerge as a national and global leader in the bioenergy revolution. What makes Georgia such a bioenergy-friendly state? "Several factors are key," explained Bill Boone, director of the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness in Tifton. "First, Georgia has the capability to produce an abundance of biomass materials- everything from traditional feedstocks such as corn, soy beans and canola to non-traditional feedstocks such as sweet sorghum, switch grass and the 24 million acres of forests. Another crucial element is the ability of the University System of Georgia to support the research and development needs of bioenergy companies. And perhaps most important, Georgia has the systems in place to help companies locate and begin operations 'at the speed of business.'" Offering agricultural and bioenergy expertise and pro-business advocacy are examples of how the COI for Agribusiness is playing a vital role in the growth of the bioenergy industry in Georgia. The COI for Agribusiness is located within a 50-mile radius of a majority of Georgia's traditional row crop agriculture-placing the center at the epicenter of the state's number one strategic industry: agribusiness, a $10 billion a year industry in Georgia; the center is also co-located with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the Coastal Plains Experiment Station. "This rich agricultural and forestry belt provides significant capabilities for bioenergy production via crops and the by-products of these operations," described Boone. After a bioenergy tour in 2005 that included stops at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado and ethanol, biodiesel and wind companies in Minnesota, Boone, along with Dr. Craig Kvien, director of the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory (NESPAL) and other participants, realized Georgia could play a significant role in the bioenergy revolution. Building upon that experience, the COI for Agribusiness, NESPAL and others organized last summer's Georgia Bioenergy Conference held in Tifton. "We wanted to share the information we learned with a much wider audience in Georgia, so we asked the experts we met across the country to speak at our conference," said Boone. With over 800 participants last year, conference organizers expanded the 2007 program, scheduled for July 31-August 2, to include the Southeastern United States, specifically addressing opportunities and issues distinctly relevant to the region. Targeted to elected officials, growers, entrepreneurs, investors, educators and others, the conference is expected to draw record numbers of people interested in learning more about the advances in - and the business of - bioenergy. southeastern bioenergy conference.org The awareness generated from the 2006 conference, spurred a flurry of interest from companies and people eager to participate in Georgia's bioenergy market. Inundated with requests for assistance in starting a bioenergy business, the COI for Agribusiness, working closely with Jill Stuckey, Director of Alternative Fuels for the Georgia Environmental Facilities Agency (GEFA) and Donnie Smith with the Governor's Agricultural Liaison Office saw the need for additional expertise. "We needed to streamline the process and offer services outside the scope of COI for Agribusiness-so we formed the Georgia Bioenergy One Stop Shop," said Boone. The One Stop Shop comprised of representatives from about 20 state and federal agencies, meets monthly to interview companies about their bioenergy projects. "After a one-hour session with our team, the companies leave with the actual contacts they need to get started," explained Boone. "We help them cut through the red tape. In addition, Georgia agreed to provide permits within 90 days of complete package submission. So far we have been able to do that." In less than a year, the One Stop Shop has reviewed over 77 bioenergy projects presented by companies from the United States and worldwide. Four of those companies have announced operations in Georgia, representing over $256 million in capital infrastructure alone. "That is a significant economic impact in a short period of time," said Boone. "Although most of the activity for the industry is in facility construction and technology enhancements, Georgia should see a significant jump in biofuel production in the next two to three years," said Stuckey. "By 2012, Georgia should be able to produce one-half billion gallons of biofuel -100 million in biodiesel and 400 million in ethanol." The COI for Agribusiness expects to continue to provide ever-increasing assistance as more bioenergy businesses establish in Georgia. "Our ideal bioenergy company is one that uses local feedstocks and produces fuel for Georgians to use. This type of creative thinking is the epitome of innovation-and is what will propel Georgia to the forefront of the bioenergy industry," stated Boone. About the COI for Agribusiness: The COI for Agribusiness is part of the Georgia Centers of Innovation program founded by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2003, offers direct services to companies and entrepreneurs using technology to advance agribusiness. The center offers access to university level research and development, industry specific business counseling, networking with industry thought leaders and more. Expanding or new businesses also benefit from the in-house business incubator complete with office and customizable lab spaces. Located in the building with NESPAL, center clients have the opportunity to interact with noted researchers in the agriculture industry. For more information, go to agriculture.georgiainnovation.org Examples of Bioenergy Success Stories in Georgia One of the companies helped by the Bioenergy One Stop Shop, Range Fuels, is constructing the nation's first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in Soperton. Range plans to use the unmerchantable products from Georgia's most prolific renewable biomass resource, pine trees, to produce the ethanol. Other Georgia bioenergy companies include: C2 Biofuels, another company with plans to produce cellulosic ethanol from pine trees; U.S. Ethanol, a Cordele-based company producing ethanol from out-of-date cola products; Fram Renewable Fuels, a Savannah-based company producing wood pellets for electric power in Europe; and First United Ethanol, LLC (FUEL), a biofuel company based in Mitchell County which will begin commercial production in June 2008 on producing 100 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Alternative Fuel Technology Company Locates in Georgia

info@georgiainnovation.org — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:18:25 GMT

According to the Ford website, Henry Ford planned to use ethanol as the primary fuel for his Model T. But others thought "Black Gold" was the answer. Now, it looks like Henry and the moonshiners had it right all along. If only the old-timers had positioned their coveted substance as a fuel source instead of the answer to prohibition, our world might be a different place. However, if entrepreneurs Roger Reisert and Clint Thompson with C2 Biofuels have their way, it's not too late to change the course of history. C2 Biofuels, an alternative fuel technology company backed by Georgia entrepreneur and investor, Glen P. Robinson, Jr., uses one of Georgia's sustainable resources - pine trees - to create ethanol. The idea of producing ethanol from plants is certainly not new; while converting plant starch is the fundamental principle in making moonshine, it is also the green technology used in the conversion of corn into ethanol for fuel. It's the idea of using pine trees instead of corn to create the ethanol that is making headlines. While Reisert and Thompson, both with extensive experience in the petroleum and alternative fuel industries, had made significant initial progress in their quest, additional engineering was needed to perfect the process. "At that point, Wayne Hodges, of Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute, directed us to the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness in Tifton. From helping us to obtain a $100,000 matching innovation grant to assisting our team search for site locations and providing access to key people, the Tifton center accelerated the progress of our company," said Reisert. "We like to say Bill Boone and the team at the COI for Agribusiness provided our company with an 'enabling environment'." In fact, the engineering currently underway is a collaborative effort under the guidance of Dr. Sam Shelton, Director of the Strategic Energy Initiative at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Researchers at Georgia Tech have been joined by Dr. Joy Peterson at the University of Georgia to work on optimizing the process of accessing the sugars in the pine trees, and choosing the optimal enzymes for breaking down sugars for the ultimate conversion to ethanol. Ethanol is used to "stretch" petroleum resources; by mixing gasoline and ethanol, gasoline can be stretched with the current mixtures of E10 (10 percent ethanol) and E85 (85 percent ethanol). Ethanol produced from corn is already being manufactured at the rate of over four billion gallons per year in the United States. "By using a readily available, renewable resource in Georgia, such as the pines, we are able to produce the same ethanol fuel that is produced from corn. We are working with the Georgia Forestry Commission to ensure we meet or exceed reforestation requirements." According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia has experienced a 15 percent increase in tree growth since 1997 - to the tune of five million dry tons being available for harvest each year. "In the late 80's and early 90's, the forestry commission encouraged planting trees as a sustainable crop. The trees helped maintain land value and provided trees for the pulp and paper industry," said Nathan McClure, Forest Energy Director, Georgia Forestry Commission. "However, since that time, the paper industry has declined due to global competition. C2 Biofuels utilizes the pine trees as an available, sustainable resource." C2 Biofuels plans to locate all processing plants in rural Georgia, in close geographic proximity to their star ingredient - pine trees. "We will have process facility drawings for the first plant by the end of 2006. The plant will be designed as a 'scale up facility', allowing us to expand capacity as the technology is optimized,"said Reisert. "Because we have to be close to the trees, we plan to eventually have plants in various rural locations across the state, each with production of 50 million gallons per year."

Automated Irrigation Controls Receives Research Grant

info@georgiainnovation.org — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 14:20:02 GMT

he OneGeorgia Authority announced the first fiscal year '06 research grants supporting the Georgia Centers of Innovation (COI) program totaling $140,000 at a recent board meeting. The awards provide matching research funds to support entrepreneurial research projects in the field of agriculture. One of the grant recipients, Automated Irrigation Controls is a client of the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, a division of the Georgia Centers of Innovation. The COI for Agribusiness serves as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs and existing businesses with new technology based ideas. While technology, computers and advanced scientific research may not be the first mental image in people's minds upon hearing the word "farmer," it should be. Today's agri-business professionals are not only utilizing fascinating technology - in many cases, they are on the forefront of creating it. Automated Irrigation Controls provides an interesting look at how the face of agriculture is evolving with light speed. Automated Irrigation Controls' wireless digital control system addresses several problems for growers. First, the web-based technology allows for remote irrigation system end-gun shut off. This translates into being able to automatically stop the end gun from pumping water when the pivot rotates to an area that doesn't need irrigation - a paved road, for example. The system can shut off water at the right time during the rotation, for the correct length of time. The core values for the grower are threefold: significant water conservation, energy conservation by not using the electricity or diesel to pump the unnecessary water and lower liability associated with potentially creating a hazard from pumping water on the road. Additionally, the system allows for self-priming and self-starting of the center pivot. Currently, growers must manually manage these functions - spending up to 45 minutes per center pivot. During the growing season, a producer with multiple pivots can spend significant amounts of time priming and starting pivots. This system allows the function to be performed remotely (with wireless broadband access) or with the push of one button - whittling the time needed down to less than five minutes. The matching research grant allows Automated Irrigation Controls to work with the COI for Agribusiness's research partner, the Tifton Campus UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences to research different applications of the technology as well as assist with the commercialization of the existing product. The COI awarded $70,000 in research funds matched with the $100,000 from industry. The Georgia Centers of Innovation program, launched by Governor Perdue in 2003, builds on the state's world-class assets and homegrown industries to provide support for researchers and entrepreneurs in the areas of aerospace, agriculture, biotech, information technology and maritime logistics. "The centers work together in a seamless network connecting state leaders, academic research, business experts and entrepreneurs to nurture innovative ideas and forge new relationships," said Governor Perdue. "The objective is to grow long-term economic opportunities, create jobs and attract new companies all across rural Georgia." For more information about the COI for Agribusiness, contact Bill Boone at 229.391.6883 or go to georgiainnovation.org to learn about the entire Centers of Innovation program.

Bioenergy Conference Showcases Latest Developments

info@georgiainnovation.org — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:22:42 GMT

TIFTON- As gas prices continue to climb and the U.S. struggles with dependence on foreign oil, the bioenergy industry is expanding its quest to create renewable energy sources. In Georgia nearly 600 growers, business people, researchers, educators and others became part of that quest at the Southeast Bioenergy Conference in Tifton. The conference showcased biofuel industry leaders representing start-ups, well-established companies and organizations willing to share their real-world experiences. "The Southeast, with its long growing season, diverse cropping systems and abundant forests has both challenges and opportunities unique to this industry," said Dr. Craig Kvien, conference chair from the University of Georgia. "One of our main goals during this conference is for participants to explore the opportunities, and determine how those resources might be used in this emerging industry. The nation needs a strong domestic biofuels industry and Southeast agriculture will play a significant role." A current thought among many in the bioenergy business is the regionality of development; using renewable resources that are close to home keeps research, development and, eventually, production costs down. For example, Georgia has the largest acreage of accessible pine trees in the United States-catapulting that particular renewable resource to the forefront of development in this part of the country. One of the most important advantages of cellulosic ethanol versus grain-based ethanol is the large quantity of feedstocks available for production. "The volume of corn-based ethanol that can be produced in the United States is limited," said Roger Reisert of C2 Biofuels, an Atlanta-based alternative fuel technology company. "We can produce a higher volume of cellulosic ethanol simply because there is such a diverse and vast selection of feedstocks in the United States." And Georgia is well positioned to facilitate the research and growth assistance needed by bioenergy companies. For example, the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness in Tifton, connected C2 BioFuels with matching research grant funds for the initial enzyme isolation and a second grant to continue the scale up research at the pilot plant. Range Fuels worked with Georgia's Bioenergy One Stop Shop; associated with the COI for Agribusiness, the organization is designed to streamline the process for new or expanding bioenergy companies. "We are shredding the red tape to ribbons," said Governor Perdue, in welcoming remarks at the conference. "We have a "one stop shop" that brings together representatives of local, state and federal government to meet with companies and to address their questions about coming home to Georgia. This group has already met with more than 80 prospective companies." Recycling waste or by-products to produce renewable energy is another concept that is attracting a great deal of attention as the ultimate recycling project. The conference focused attention on this hot recycling topic by featuring waste to energy experts, including Recycle USA, located in Cordele, one of the nation's largest certified destruction and plastic recycling businesses. After recycling the plastic, the company is left with a variety of waste - out-of-date products ranging from cola to fruit juices. Rather than the outdated products being dumped into a landfill or simply destroyed, Recycle USA investigated the possibility of producing ethanol. With assistance from the COI for Agribusiness, the company worked with experts from the University of Georgia to create a method for ethanol production from the cola. Recycle USA has now established a new company, US Energy and anticipates producing ethanol beginning August 15. "More and more businesses are recycling waste or using by-products to produce bioenergy," said Bill Boone, director of the COI for Agribusiness in Tifton, Georgia, a major sponsor of the conference. "This conference gave existing companies and entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn more about this emerging concept and how they can take their waste to energy ideas to the marketplace." Dr. Ann C. Wilkie, associate professor at the University of Florida and the conference's keynote waste to energy speaker, views organic waste as a valuable resource and part of the solution to our energy problem. "Waste will always be a reliable source for energy since we'll always produce it, and it's relatively easy to convert to energy", explained Wilkie. "Using anaerobic digestion, for example, we can generate biogas from readily available animal manures, crop residues, and industrial and municipal wastes. If we don't use the waste, then really we are wasting energy." "With more companies recycling waste or by-products, the COI for Agribusiness anticipates assisting them in the development and commercialization of their products," said Boone. "As momentum grows for the waste to energy concept, forums such as the Southeast Bioenergy Conference can provide an inspiring environment for the exchange of great ideas. This conference offered companies the latest on how to participate in the ultimate recycling project - the conversion of waste to bioenergy." Other highlights of the conference included networking sessions, bioenergy exhibitors, and a fleet of vehicles promoting ethanol and biodiesel fuels, including one of the new Indy race cars fueled by 100 percent ethanol. Primary sponsors of the event included the COI for Agribusiness in Tifton; The University of Georgia; Georgia Tech; Southern Company; The Georgia Department of Economic Development; The Tifton Chamber and Development Authority and the Regional Education Service Agencies of Georgia as well as Cotton, Peanut, Corn, and Soybean Grower Associations.

Boone Appointed to SBAL Advisory Council

info@georgiainnovation.org — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:41:52 GMT

Bill Boone (Class of 2006) was recently appointed to the Small Business, Agriculture and Labor (SBAL) Advisory Council by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The SBAL Advisory Council began in 1985 with the purpose of providing increased communication between the Atlanta Fed and small business, farm, and labor groups in the region, helping the Bank gain insight into the issues facing these groups in today's fast-paced economy. Bill is the director of the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness in Tifton, GA. To learn more about the Advisory Council and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, visit www.frbatlanta.org/index.cfm; for more information about the COI for Agribusiness, visit agribusiness.georgiainnovation.org.

Boone to Speak at Leadership Georgia Conferenece

info@georgiainnovation.org — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:56:35 GMT

Leadership Georgia is an educational program designed to address current issues confronting the state. Each year, five meetings are scheduled at various locations throughout the state; this year, Leadership Georgia has chosen to hold a session March 13th-15th at the Lake Blackshear Retreat in Cordele. The focus of the 3-day event is Georgia agriculture, one of the state's leading strategic industries. Bill Boone, director of the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, will be one of the event's presenters as well as a participant in a panel discussion and a field demonstration with three of the center's clients. The COI for Agribusiness is also planning to give a tour of a recycling facility in Arabi that produces their feedstock from corn syrup. "My role in the panel discussion is to address the center's leadership role in orchestrating an economic development strategy for Georgia in order to produce synergy and enhance collaboration across state agencies," said Boone. "Most people do not realize that agriculture is responsible for bringing in $10 billion directly each year and $55 billion indirectly." For more information, visit agagribusiness.georgiainnovation.org or call 229-391-6882.

Boone honored with 'Extra Mile' award

info@georgiainnovation.org — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:38:58 GMT

TIFTON â€" Bill Boone, the director of the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, was honored on December 12th as one of three Georgia Clean Cities "Extra Mile Award" recipients. Clean Cities is a national initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to advance the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local decisions to adopt practices that contribute to the reduction of petroleum consumption. The award presentation was a part of the kickoff of the South Georgia Division of the Middle Georgia Clean Cities Coalition. Charise Stephens, the director of the coalition, said Boone's contributions and direction in bringing the Southeast Bioenergy Conference to Tifton made him a natural candidate for the award. "When we first talked of having the conference, Bill was the catalyst that made it happen," Stephens said. "The Innovation Center is making great strides for farmers and members of the agricultural community in South Georgia and Bill's the person that pulls all of that together. He's a great advocate for clean fuels." Also receiving the Extra Mile Awards were Desmond Stewart, the general manager of Wind Gap Farms, which specializes in collecting waste brewery yeasts and converting the product to ethanol, and the Perry Bros. Oil Company in Americus which supplies biodiesel fuel in retail fleet production. The kickoff provided vital information about the burgeoning biodiesel fuel industry in South Georgia. "The kickoff was a great avenue for people to network and get updates about what is going on," Stephens said. "We talked about federal tax incentives, the state's grants program and how to produce the fuel and how to use the fuel." Boone said he was honored by the award and believed the luncheon was another way to spread the word about the exciting opportunities that exist in bioenergy in this region. "It's a very unique happening for agriculture and agri-business in Georgia," Boone said. "We've gone through several revolutions in agri-business in our history. In the 1950s, we went from horses and mules to tractors and we had the chemical revolution in the 1970s. I think these bioenergy feedstocks will change agri-business in Georgia because of the flexibility that it gives the farmer." Stephens' office has satellite offices in Tifton and Rome. She said she is excited about the economic development opportunities that exist in the industry, especially the possibility of the number of jobs that can be created in rural Georgia. "We definitely want all of the players at the table," Stephens said. "We can all eat from the same trough. There is a huge potential for growth. Biodiesel fuel creates jobs and helps the environment and our job is to help get the word out to the public. I don't think anyone can do that better than Bill Boone. There are a lot of projects on the horizon." The second annual 2007 Southeastern Bioenergy Conference was a success with nearly 600 attendees from around the world including growers, researchers, educators and business leaders taking part. The conference introduced many concepts on how waste and by-products can be recycled into renewable energy. Also, growers found more information about converting their product to bioenergy and showcased companies who are already taking that idea and making it a reality. Boone said that because of the success of the conference and the progress that has already taken place, farmers are seeing more how they fit in the bioenergy picture. "There's a chance for innovative companies to jump in and be a part of this market and it's unique in Georgia," Boone said. "I think farmers are seeing that corn production doubled last year and it looks like itâ€™s going to double again this year and that's due to the increase in demand, primarily because of ethanol use. I think they're starting to see how this is something that will help them." Stephens foresees public education campaigns through school systems and showing entrepreneurs how to gain from different tax incentives. "Bill Boone is passionate about these ideas and he has the creative juices to spark other people," Stephens said. "The possibilities are endless and South Georgia will be a major player. Bill's leadership has already paid dividends for this region and we are proud that he will be receiving this award. I can't think of anyone more deserving." The luncheon for the presentation of the awards and the kickoff was held at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus Conference Center.

C2 Biofuels Scales up its Process for Producing Cellulosic Ethanol

info@georgiainnovation.org — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:05:40 GMT

_Alternative Fuel Company demos newest equipment and technology_ Atlanta â€" On July 23rd at Georgia Tech, Atlanta-based alternative fuel technology company, C2 Biofuels will demonstrate new pre-pilot plant equipment and technology which is enabling them to scale-up their efforts to produce cellulosic ethanol from Georgiaâ€™s pine trees. â€œThe introduction of this equipment and technology represents a significant milestone and recognizes over two years of applied research sponsored by our company at Georgia Tech and The University of Georgia (UGA),â€ said Roger Reisert, president and CEO of C2 Biofuels. â€œWe have now moved forward from a laboratory setting into our first scale-up process which brings us one step closer to commercialization.â€ The demonstration will feature a new reactor system, designed in collaboration with engineers at Georgia Techâ€™s Strategic Energy Institute, which will allow C2 to optimize the process of breaking down pine woodchips. The idea is to expose the cellulose, which is the largest component of all plant material. The reactor process, or the actual breaking down of the pine tree, is the first step in C2â€™s biochemical method for producing cellulosic ethanol. â€œThe new reactor is ten times larger than a laboratory reactor,â€ explained Reisert, â€œand allows superior process control to simulate a commercial reactor.â€ The next steps following the reactor process involve breaking down the cellulose into simple sugars by using special enzymes and finally converting the simple sugars into ethanol. Dr. Joy Doran Peterson from UGA is currently working on perfecting these processes with new enzyme and fermentation methods which will also be showcased during the demonstrations. C2 will work on this first major scale-up for approximately six to eight months and expects to â€œscale-upâ€ again by beginning construction on their pilot plant during the first quarter of 2009. C2 has plans to build a demonstration facility located in rural Georgia in 2010 and the first commercial facility beginning in 2011 at the same site. â€œWe plan on building at least five plants in the state,â€ said Reisert. He expects the commercial facility to produce 55 million gallons of ethanol a year and also generate over 25 megawatts of excess â€œgreenâ€ power that will be available for export to the electrical grid. C2â€™s progress in the production of cellulosic ethanol represents tremendous growth for a booming industry in Georgia. In just the last two years, over $750 million worth of energy-related projects started in the state. The state is poised for even more growth and well positioned to offer assistance to companies like C2 through the new Center of Innovation for Energy in Atlanta and the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness in Tifton. In fact, the COI for Agribusiness in Tifton connected C2 with matching research grant funds for the initial enzyme evaluation and a second grant to continue the scale up work. â€œRoger, C2 Biofuels and our ongoing research at UGA and Georgia Tech have all together focused global attention on Georgiaâ€™s emerging biofuels industry,â€ said Bill Boone, director of the COI for Agribusiness. â€œWith each successful milestone, C2 is paving the way for Georgia to capitalize on our unique agricultural ability to produce biomass, from trees to switchgrass to Ag byproducts.â€ â€œRoger has been working day and night for many years to make today's announcement a reality,â€ said Jill Stuckey, director of the the COI for Energy. â€œHe has left no rock or in this case tree unturned finding answers to the complicated science of converting our southern pine trees into energy. The center's employees look forward to assisting Roger and C2 Biofuels as they press forward with this important work.â€ â€œThe urgency to develop alternatives to high priced gasoline is crystal clear to everyone,â€ said Reisert. â€œIâ€™m very happy to be working on a solution where we can grow, refine and consume an environmentally friendly fuel all within our state. This is a solution that provides an excellent use of an abundant and sustainable resource, provides great jobs and capital investment in rural areas, and keeps dollars we spend filling our gas tanks within our state. I call that a win-win-win!â€ ### For more on C2 Biofuels and the demonstrations e-mail Roger Reisert rreisert@c2biofuels.com. To learn about the COI for Energy, go to energy.georgiainnovation.org; to learn about the COI for Agribusiness go to agribusiness.georgiainnovation.org. For more information about Georgiaâ€™s Centers of Innovation, visit georgiainnovation.org.

CHANGE IS "IN THE AIR" FOR FARMING

info@georgiainnovation.org — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:24:37 GMT

Ag Expo broadband wireless access sets standard for South Georgia TIFTON-Change will literally be in the air again this year at the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo, thanks in part to the Center of Innovation for Agribusiness. High-speed broadband wireless access will be available throughout the show grounds for the second consecutive year, and COI for Agribusiness and partners are now pushing for wireless access across rural Georgia. They hope that this kind of positive change will help farmers adapt better to the changes now facing Georgia's agribusiness: drought, increasing costs for inputs and global market fluctuations. "Agribusiness today is about working on the margins, and Georgia growers are working on increasingly small margins," said Bill Boone, the COI for Agribusiness's executive director. "Technology can help increase that margin for them." High-speed wireless access enables farmers to download real-time data from the field, saving hours of work and trips to and across fields. Equipment can switch on or off with the click of a mouse, and irrigation can be more closely controlled, conserving water and energy resources. Cattle and poultry producers can monitor gates, regulate indoor climate and track animals from various locations with wireless connectivity. Smaller farm operations can access online direct markets. "If you have that broadband connectivity, the possibilities are endless," Boone said. "That's why precision agriculture, in addition to bioenergy and organics/nutraceuticals are our primary areas of focus as an innovation center." The COI for Agribusiness spearheaded a research grant in 2006 for University of Georgia-Tifton researchers to explore different applications of wireless broadband technology for irrigation - specifically, a "Variable Rate Irrigation" system (VRI) that enables farmers to irrigate crops only as needed, and not irrigate non-cropped areas. And when water is saved, farmers can gain in myriad ways. For instance, "getting the right amount of water out at the right time can increase yields, and it might even save a crop," Boone explained. The project's positive results have helped bolster efforts of a public-private partnership to pursue wireless access for five counties in southwest Georgia. If achieved, connectivity could improve not just farming, but also emergency response, education, and agritourism. High-tech companies themselves are cropping up in rural areas now. "We are seeing significant growth in high-tech businesses in south Georgia," Boone said. Several high-tech companies, including PreSoft AG Solutions, are working closely with the COI for Agribusiness and its research partners to improve soil-moisture sensing technology. Soil moisture probes can test soil at three levels and report data back to a computer system. The data can be mixed with other crop and weather data to develop precise watering needs and predictions. PreSoft, based in Lilburn, Ga., is among many growing companies participating in the COI for Agribusiness's business incubator, an on-site business development program that provides office, laboratory, and entrepreneurial resources for start-up and existing agriculture-based companies. "High-tech applications help us adapt to conditions as they change, save money, and protect finite resources," Boone said. He is hopeful that southwest Georgia will soon become a big "hot spot" - not because of the weather, but because it has found a way to weather the storms. For more information about the COI for Agribusiness and its work to help agri-businesses using technology to grow, go to agribusiness.georgiainnovation.org. ###