Commercial Biomass and Biofuel Feedstock Farming in Florida

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1 Commercial Biomass and Biofuel Feedstock Farming in Florida

2 Florida produces very little biodiesel and no ethanol-only wood residue is harvested for biomass power. Why? There are no large feedstock farms!

3 In our world thousand of acres of proven feedstock crops are being grown harvested and sold for profit!

4 Florida has something most other states do not - A YEAR ROUND GROWING SEASON and there are over 12 million plan table acres of non-food potential cropland statewide 10 million acres of grazing land, that can be planted in a checker board pattern. In addition, camelina grown in these fields eliminates supplemental feed during the winter, and turns the land into a profitable farm! 2 million acres of invasive species that need to be cleared, turned to biomass pellets and replanted with feedstock crops A 550,000 acre citrus industry that can grow renewable biofuel crops in between the rows and in dead or infected groves Millions more in forestry land, that can grow kenaf and camelina in between the rows of planted and harvested pines Over 90,000 fallow acres a year rotate in and out of South Florida sugarcane fields- perfect land for sorghum and ethanol crops

5 The crops we grow are used to create biofuels and biomass energy in a clean and renewable way The future national security of our nation will depend on growing feedstock crops that reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and lower our fossil fuel use here in the United States

6 More like a group of friends than a complicated corporationwe assist each other with equipment, planting, harvest and storage Most importantly and of HISTORICAL VALUE, we secure off take agreements for our oil and biomass products as a group and this insures that we are all protected and profitable together

7 We are focused on perfecting feedstock farming principles and a business model that revolves around commercial scale feedstock production We have the capability to mechanically plant, harvest and process all our crops, WITHOUT PETROLEUM DIESEL Our crops need no irrigation, and are drought and frost tolerant. In fact, our Florida yields are higher than any other part of the country Our crops are grown by multiple farmers all over Florida, and sold for profit without subsidy or government assistance Rather than up-rooting food crops, our non-food crops can be intercropped with cattle, sugar cane, citrus and vegetables

8 We anticipate adding another 3000 acres by the fall, and 5000 by the winter- putting us over 10,000 planted acres by 2011

9 Camelina December planting, March Camelina harvest September planting, December Harvest Kenaf March planting, and August harvest Tillage and field prep work 30 day average per year Maximum yield per acre These crops grow in a symbiotic relationship, in perfect seasonal windows their rotation interrupts monoculture disease opportunity and nematode cycles

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11 Camelina is a mustard family cover crop, producing an average of over 250 gallons a year from two harvests In Florida Camelina has shown an amazing tolerance to frost & pests, needs very little fertilizer and no irrigation Its press cake and stubble are FDA approved for beef and dairy cattle, swine and poultry- when planted like a checker board this makes it the perfect rotational crop for our 10 MILLION acres of cattle land in Camelina makes an excellent aviation fuel and currently the only commercially grown feedstock being used in the military drop in fuel test programs and commercial airline bio jet fuel tests

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18 Florida Feedstock Farms connection to Air Force renewable fuel project Applied Research Associates under contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory Provide 100-gallon samples of drop-in jet fuel Evaluate different renewable oil feed stocks Demonstrate different fuel properties Florida-grown Camelina and other crops especially winter crops Work with USCJO CO-OP, USDA and UF Valuable byproducts Green diesel, bio-based chemicals, animal feed, biomass Develop small, local/regional processing facilities

19 USCJO clears infected or dead groves, and tracts filled with invasive species- the biomass produced is listed as eligible for BCAP program money There are over 2 million acres in Florida alone filled with invasive species Many of these acres could be planted with feedstock oil crops or dedicated biomass crops Landowners in need of clearing services, or citrus groves with dead trees, could net substantial profits

20 During the summer we grow kenaf for bio mass power generation. It is planted in the late spring and harvested in October- although it could stay in the field longer Kenaf can grow upwards of feet tall in 6 months. One acre can produce as much as 25 tons of bio mass in 6 months- making it one of the fastest growing plants in the world Requiring no irrigation or substantial inputs, it is suited for Florida s climate perfectly. In addition we are able to use equipment common in Florida for harvest and planting Harvested Kenaf has a very high burn value. Local power plants and waste-to-fuel facilities buy and burn this high fiber product by the ton, and high BTU pellets can be made that further increase it s value

21 Kenaf has the potential to help power the state through bio mass conversion facilities already burning wood chips and our trash A non food, and non-invasive species farmed commercially since the 1970s for paper pulp, kenaf fits perfectly into our summer rotation when little else grows well Because of its high burn value and fiber content it makes excellent pellets and provides the highest yield of any dedicated bio mass crop with no irrigation besides our natural Florida summer rains

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23 Florida grown Kenaf is a natural oil absorbent and we are very proud that it is currently being tested by all involved parties in the gulf oil spill cleanup effort, and will be used in future oil spill prevention and cleanup efforts world wide. Kenaf Boom Protecting Coastline

24 Kenaf can sequester upwards of 10 tons of carbon per acre, 8 times more than an acre of mature evergreen trees, offering tremendous potential as a commercial crop for carbon credit trading We are working with our state universities to determine the best way to tap into the carbon sequestering trait of kenaf

25 $1.2M 2,500 Acres 43% 57% CAMELINA KENAF $1.6M $2.8M REVENUE $900K PROFIT

26 BCAP 101 The Bio Mass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) Is a USDA program that could potentially make a tremendous impact on families like ours already involved in feedstock farming, as well as biomass and biofuel facility owners

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28 Our interpretation of the proposed rules is that upon implementation the program has the potential to ignite an industry and make a huge impact on all feedstock farms and facilities. FFGA and the USCJO CO-OP are working closely with the USDA to help expose this program to farmers, facilities and landowners as the new guidelines are launched.

29 Camelina and kenaf are now BCAP eligible and already in such high demand for feedstock oil and biomass chips, that large seed orders can be have been problematic until now. We are please to announce our partnership with Wise Seed Company and can now provide multiple varities of clean and bagged kenaf and camelina seeds at a stable price to Florida farmers. Please inquire for pricing and availability.

30 In April of 2010 through the Survey Monkey service we surveyed over 500 Florida Landowners and Famers- while doing research on the BCAP proposed rules The results of the survey have never been made public, but are worth noting here today at Farm 2 Fuel

31 50% Where unaware that any of the crops where being grown commercially yet 81% Had never heard of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program 76% Said they would join a CO-OP rather than invest in the equipment needed themselves 85% Said they would like to learn about growing their own oil seed crops and becoming petroleum diesel independent on their own farm 90% Of those surveyed said they would attend a free workshop covering the farming practices, end consumers and government incentives involved

32 Newly formed by a group of veteran farmers in July of 2010, we saw a need to organize and share our experiences in feedstock farming Our main goal is to provide education and real world experience to farmers and landowners about the principles and practices of growing the crops and their respective revenue streams and incentive programs We believe that our national security depends on domestically producing proven feedstock oil crops and bio mass energy crops. We advocate crops that can be integrated into existing Florida agriculture seamlessly, and without up rooting food crops. These crops allow farmers to diversify and add low risk additional revenue streams to their land

33 Education is the key to igniting the feedstock farming industry and re-shaping Florida agriculture around sustainable crops, please check the website for the calendar and sign up information

34 Feedstock crops are re-shaping Florida agriculture, and helping our state usher in a sustainable tomorrow, join us