U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) came to the Staples campus and the Central Lakes College Agricultural and Energy Center today (Mon., Oct. 10) to see for himself the applied research happening there. He heard from experts about the prospects for biomass and oilseed production with prospects for alternative fuel, some of which may be grown and consumed on a local basis. He witnessed the college's oilseed press and seed processing equipment in action and watched as a converted Ford tractor was powered by straight vegetable oil -- results of a collaboration among the Ag & Energy Center, the college's Diesel Technology and Machine Tool Technology programs. Industry entrepreneurs Duane Goetsch of Syngas Technology and Jerad Poling of Growan Energy joined Bob Schafer, director of the Center, in discussion about future fuel prospects from crops researched on the 500-acre CLC partnership acres. He also met several CLC student senators and received a Student Senate T shirt he promsied to wear when he works out in the Senate gym.More images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/58518185@N04/
