The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) released results of a test with four automobiles that shows blends of ethanol above the standard 10% actually increase mileage slightly over unleaded gasoline that has no ethanol at all. An increase in mileage is not what ACE expected, the group's market development director, Ron Lamberty, told Agriculture Online. "This is very promising and it could save a lot of people a lot of money," Lamberty said.

Farmers have been saying for years that ethanol plants give a boost to the economies of small towns and rural communities. Now, a new study shows that the contribution to a local economy from a farmer-owned plant is as much as 56% larger than from an absentee-owned corporate plant. Corn growers would like to see investor-owned plants offer ownership to farmers and local people, but the net worth requirements, typically $1.5 million, are often out of reach.

E-85, the fuel of the future, is here today. Automakers are ramping up production of flex-fuel vehicles that can burn up to 85% ethanol. As many as 1,000 more gas stations are expected to sell the fuel this year. See how to find a flex fuel vehicle and the nearest E-85 pumps.

Running an ethanol plant is a lot like farming. It's both an industrial and a biological process. Meet some of the workers at the KAAPA Ethanol plant in Minden, Nebraska, and follow them in their daily chores at the plant.

Discover the rich history of ethanol. This Lincoln, Nebraska, gas station was selling a 10% blend in 1933. It was among a group that won an antitrust suit against the company that made leaded gas, the competing octane booster of its day. Ethanol also helped win World War II.

Learn about ethanol, from its rich history to its future in the global marketplace, and meet some of the people working in the ethanol industry today. Click below to read recent ethanol articles written by Business Editor Dan Looker, as featured in Successful Farming magazine.

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