By Blake Jackson
As Wisconsin farmers gear up for another busy harvest season, Matt Rehberg, Vice President of the Wisconsin Soybean Association, is looking beyond traditional fields and into the skies.
Rehberg recently addressed the Wisconsin Assembly Transportation Committee in support of Assembly Bill 222, legislation promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) made from crops such as soybeans. For Rehberg, who farms near Darien with his wife and four children, the cause is deeply personal.
“Our farm may not look like a multi-generation operation on paper,” Rehberg told lawmakers, “but every night we’ve got something going on planting soybeans, raising livestock and teaching our kids what it means to work the land.”
Rehberg stressed the importance of building new, stable markets for Wisconsin-grown soybeans.
“Soybeans are already an incredibly versatile crop - we feed animals, produce food products, keep firefighters free of PFAS with soy firefighting foam, and we make biodiesel. But sustainable aviation fuel is the next frontier,” Rehberg said.
“It has the potential to create a durable, premium market for soybean oil, anchoring more demand right here in Wisconsin.”
A crucial feature of AB 222 is that its tax credit only applies to fuel produced in-state. Rehberg highlighted how this ensures maximum benefit for local communities.
“If a plant is built here, we’re not just creating a new outlet for our soybeans - we’re creating jobs, local tax base and supply chain opportunities for our rural communities,” Rehberg said.
“It keeps the value of what we grow circulating in our state instead of leaving it. What we can control is making sure Wisconsin is competitive when it comes to capturing the next generation of biofuel investment. If we don’t act, other states will, and we’ll be left behind.”
Photo Credit: istock-ds70
Categories: Wisconsin, Crops, Soybeans, Government & Policy