Sen. Franken Fighting to Stop the Republican Bill to End Ethanol Support

[AngusMcSpuds]

i could agree with Sen. Franken IF industrial hemp were allowed to be utilized for IT'S alternative fuel capabilities.

THAT kind of hypocracy is stunning.

[thisscreensucks]

@AngusMcSpuds

do you know for sure if Frankens explicitly against hemp use?

[AngusMcSpuds]

@thisscreensucks

i dunno. i doubt if he is AGAINST it, but probably ignorant.

i don't disagree with his remarks in video.

he speaks of homegrown American resources as alternatives to foreign oil, corn.

Sen. Franken say it is hypocracy to take corn subs away but not oil subsidies.

ANY speech about home-grown bio fuels that does not mention hemp is ignorant or corrupt.

[thisscreensucks]

@AngusMcSpuds

my guess is he puts an emphasis on corn because there's already infrastructure for corn production.

he might not be explicitly against hemp, but probably sees corn as the logical next step because corn crops are already being supported by the government

as opposed to starting a whole new system for the hemp production.

[AngusMcSpuds]

@thisscreensucks

my guess he puts emphasis on cron because his information comes from the corn lobby telling him it is the next logical step.

simply remove hemp from Nixon's drug schedule, and allow farmers to rotate hemp in with corn, beans, and wheat, and let free market pick the winners, not government subsidies.

[thisscreensucks]

@AngusMcSpuds

ill agree with that

[monsterrain1000]

@AngusMcSpuds Hemp is a perrinial crop, you would NEVER rotate it out between corn and soybeans. No one in their right mind would grow such a shawdy crop on prime land where corn is grown. Hemp is to be grown on cat. 3 & 4 land that cannot produce much else. You really need to do a little research before you start posting misinformation on webpages.

[AngusMcSpuds]

@monsterrain1000

ok...posting that i am not in my right mind, and accusing me of misinformation is flawed logic from a poster who's first comment is mis-spelled and totally wrong.

Hemp is an ANNUAL, diocecious plant.

Hemp should NOT be grown continuously on the same soil, for the same reasons many other are not adapted to such practices.

Soils previously used for a cultivated crop should hold preference to soils on which small grains were grown.

Rapeseed is hamp's closest competition.

[monsterrain1000]

@AngusMcSpuds Hemp used for cellulosic ethanol and biomass production IS perinnial! it has roots and Rhzones and it is harvested every winter. I have rand Agco, Massey Ferguson 2170 balers with cutter, Krone Balers, Claas balers, it doesnet matter, The fiber is very hard to bale. I have been doing this kind of biomass harvesting for 25 years so dont tell me what I do and do not know. You are not talking about the same kind of biomass harvest for ethanol.

[monsterrain1000]

@AngusMcSpuds Hemp is a horrible product for swathing, raking, baling and stacking. You need to research miscanthus and energy cane. Hemp cannot compete on stand life and tons per acre vs. these two. Hemp is outdated tech.

[AngusMcSpuds]

@monsterrain1000

miscanthus IS a perennial that needs more water than corn, and needs herbicides at beginning of it's 20+ year run.

the raking, bailing, etc. you mention has progressed into the 21st century harvesting technology. just ask Canadian hemp farmers.

factor in that once the seed is pressed for biofuel oil, the WASTE of the hull is made into 30% protein food-stuffs, AND that the stalks of the plant has uses for biomass, construction, clothing, etc. ... your Hemp research is outdated.

[monsterrain1000]

@AngusMcSpuds Absolutley wrong again. The largest field of Miscanthus in the united states is 2 miles from my house. Not an ounce of fertilizer or herbicide was added to the crop. Its first year of production it made 14 ton/acre on dryland which receives only about 14 inches of rain per year. You seriously think corn grows better on dryland? Industrial hemp is NOT harvested in canada. That is a seed. Totally different from biomass production. Hemp is much like Kenaff

[AngusMcSpuds]

@monsterrain1000

am i wrong that miscanthus is not perennial?

am i wrong that the seed of hemp is pressed into oil which can be used for biodiesel?

please inform me of any cannabis sativa/hemp that is perennial. ty.

perhaps when politicians speak of gov't subsidies for corn and hypocrasy concerning home-grown biofuels they might mention your crop, too.

your crop sounds great. but can it produce food? replace cotton? provide construction mats? etc?

[monsterrain1000]

@thisscreensucks You are very confused. No one is using hemp seeds to produce ethanol. Hemp has been mentioned as a possible alternative for cellulosic ethanol production but have been found by my own crew, Idaho Nat.l Lab, and Iowa state to be very troublesome in the harvest stage. We both agree in a free market the best product will win out. Hemp is not the best product. Corn ethanol will continue to grow leaps and bounds with or without subsidies, I could care less.

[thisscreensucks]

@monsterrain1000

i didnt say anything about any of that.....

all i asked PERIOD was whether or not Frankens plan explicitly prohibited it.