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Brian Furrer & The 25 x ‘25 Vision

Brian Furrer joined our Energy Policy discussion as a farmer; an ALP Alum from Class 12; and a thought leader behind the BioTown Ag effort in Reynolds, IN.  Brian covered a lot of ground, from macro level policies at the Federal and Global scale such as the 25 x ’25 project to micro level (if you call $7M+ investments micro) projects such as the on-going construction for a methane digester on his own farm.

The common theme I heard….farmers and ranchers can not only be a part of the solution….they are often in the driver’s seat.

What is 25 x ’25? The 25 x ‘25 vision is that by 2025, America’s farms, forests and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber.  Fuel, food, feed, and fiber?  Agriculture continues to prove to the world that it is not a one trick show, that it can and will meet many of the world’s demands, and that by working together we don’t need an “us vs. them” debate.

At the local level, what is Brian up to?  More and less.  Less traffic, less manure, less odor, clean water, more energy? Who’s on-board?  Just about everyone….White County issued azoning exemption, offered a 10-year tax abatement, and continues to keep Reynolds, a town of around 500-600, on the map.

It all looks easy in a PowerPoint, but change is hard and getting everyone on the same sheet of music, even in a small community, is a heavy burden.  Brian, White County, Reynolds, ISDA, IDEM, and Gov. Daniels have shown that we can work together, we can think big but start small, and we will bring meaningful change and prosperity.  We have a long way to go, but it’s a great start….keep up the hard work.

Matt Bechdol, Class 14