Feb 22, 2011

Commissioner at Farm & Energy Expo

Dave Frederickson (left), Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture, attended the Feb. 18 Farm & Energy Expo at the Staples campus of Central lakes College. CLC President Larry Lundblad welcomed the commissioner and about 200 others at the inaugural event co-sponsored by Mid Central Federal Savings Bank. Commissioner Frederickson addressed the assembly after a free roast beef lunch served to all guests. The morning featured a talk on soil management and conservation by Randall Reeder, associate professor from Ohio State University who was raised on a livestock farm. The afternoon offered sessions on energy crop opportunities, crop insurance, conservation stewardship, wind energy, nutrient management, and solar applications. An exhibit hall included vendors and a college demonstration of an engine powered by straight camelina oil from biomass grown at the CLC Ag and Enery Center.