Letter: Take steps to leave Earth better

By Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy
Published in Mason City Globe Gazette

It is often said we should leave the earth better than we found it for the next generation. As a farmer, founding member of Golden Grain Energy here in Mason City, and co-owner of Cresco Fuels Inc., I strive to do that every day.

On my farm outside Cresco, conservation practices such as no-till, strip till, and GPS precision technology help me farm more efficiently so I need less fertilizer and pesticides to protect Iowa’s soil and water.

At our ethanol plant, not only are we producing a fuel that comes from sustainable sources, but ethanol gives back to the earth by reducing greenhouse gasses and cancer-causing tailpipe emissions.

And in an effort to give friends and family in my community the choice to support a local, homegrown fuel, I helped open Cresco Fuels. I’ve seen firsthand how consumers choose ethanol blends because they are locally produced, cheaper, and cleaner.