A year and a half in the making, and even more time in the planning, work is finally finished on the ADM Canola based biodiesel diesel facility east of Velva.

Today, dignitaries ranging from our Congressional, state and local leaders along with heads of Archer Daniels Midland gathered in front of the facility for a noon luncheon to unveil ADM's first wholly owned biodiesel production facility in the United States.

(John Rice, ADM Exec. V.P, Commercial & Production) "ADM is already a leader in European Biodiesel market. We've been producing biodiesel there for over a decade and we're excited to bring that expansion home to the U.S. and what a better place than Velva, North Dakota."


(Gov. John Hoeven, (R) North Dakota) "This plant is good for our farmers is absolutely good for our economy here in North Dakota, it is good our country."


(Sen. Kent Conrad, (D) North Dakota) "Right now we import 60% of the oil that we use much of it from the most unstable parts of the world think how different our country could be if instead of continuing depenDance on the Middle-East we could turn towards the midwest and we could help grow our way out of this dependancy."


(Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D) North Dakota) "Here's were America is headed no more will be be vulnerable to what's beneath the sands of the Middle East now we will see our energy growing in the farm fields as well to extend our energy supply and that's what this product is all about."


With that the green ribbon was cut on the green facility that will turn 1 million acres of the yellow flowering canola crop into 85 million gallons of biodiesel.

(Greg Webb, ADM V.P. Public Affairs) "We just started the plant a few days ago and so we're not quite at capacity, but certainly in the next several days to a couple three or four weeks we expect that to be full."


ADM Biodiesel will employ an additional 12 to 15 people bringing the total number to 90 that are employed east of Velva.

And more over it is creating a steady demand for the canola crop and supporting prices that are now ranging from ranging from 17.88 cents a hundred weight to over 18 dollars for '08 contract.

East of Velva, With Your Eye On Agriculture, Shaun Sipma KX News. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list