Why I Give

Tell me about your connection to POET.
I farm 21,000 acres with my father, brother and nephew. Twelve years ago we were approached by POET, and we have been bringing our corn to them ever since. POET has been a great addition for producers in this community and for the quality jobs it provides. I won’t forget the excitement of having a new investment and a new industry coming to our area. It was during that time when my father decided to invest in on-the-farm storage to accomplish two goals: to be a more efficient operation during harvest and to be a reliable supplier to POET to ensure long-term success.

How did you first hear about POET PAC?
A few years ago I was asked by POET to encourage my neighbors to engage our congressmen and ask them to support the Renewable Fuel Standard. To do this, I gathered letters from other producers and made my contribution to POET PAC.

Why do you give to POET PAC?
I firmly believe that producers are a small portion of the population, and they need to utilize every tool they have to get the ag message out there. We need a seat at the table. Producers continue to have more challenges each year which means our voice needs to be stronger. The PAC helps accomplish this.

Why should others give to POET PAC?
We cannot take for granted the various organizations that represent agriculture in Washington. Giving to POET PAC strengthens the voice of biofuels, which will ultimately impact all producers in a positive way. It takes financial support to do this.

Is there anything else you want to share?
Do not take the resources we have for granted. Those of us in the ag business have a good thing going and our future is bright. We are the leading producers of energy around the world, and the increase in ethanol consumption makes that possible. I am extremely grateful for POET and how they actively support my community and many others. We need to work together to make our voice strong and help push the need for biofuels forward locally and in Washington. Your gift to POET PAC will make that possible.

Tell me about your connection to POET.
In the mid to late 1990s there were a number of ethanol plants starting up. When the effort was made to get the one started in Preston, I was interested in being involved because it added value to the corn I grow. From there I joined the board and have served multiple terms.

How did you first hear about POET PAC?
Through my involvement on the board. The Preston general manager and POET representatives from Sioux Falls explained the importance of the PAC and how the dollars strengthened the rural voice in Washington.

Why do you give to POET PAC?
I think giving to the PAC adds value to the corn we grow. The future of producers is greatly influenced by those who create the regulatory climate in Washington. Too often these individuals do not support renewable fuels and are not good for our industry. The investment we have made in the biofuel industry will be more successful if we have true champions in Washington. Giving to the PAC is my opportunity to take action to help elect representatives and senators who have some understanding of the industry. This gives producers a greater chance to have a successful renewable fuels industry.

Why should others give to POET PAC?
When you buy a tractor you make a significant investment in your farming operation. As time passes the tires wear out and it isn’t as effective as it was when the tires were new. If you don’t invest in new tires, you are going to use more fuel, less work will get done and you are not going to really utilize the investment to its best advantage. Like a new tractor with good tires, your investment in the biofuel industry is an important asset for you. Investing in POET PAC allows for you to have a positive impact on that legal and regulatory environment that influences how successful the renewable fuel industry will be. If you don’t, you allow Big Oil to shape the legal and regulatory environment that producers depend on, and Big Oil is not known as a friend to farmers and ethanol.

Is there anything else you want to share?
I think that POET has done a good job of hiring people to work in government affairs in Washington. They know the lay of the land in D.C. and use PAC dollars to educate and build relationships with those who support biofuels. The more dollars available, the more effective the POET government affairs representatives can be. It is important to remember that we cannot match the deep pockets of Big Oil but we have a powerful message, and your support of POET PAC will get that message out.

Why do you give to POET PAC?
I believe in the products, the people and the industry I work for. In a heavily regulated environment, it is important to have advocates in Washington, and the PAC makes that possible. I can’t be in two places at once, so we need to rely on our team in Washington to advocate for our best interest.

What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
It is a necessity for our company and for the future. Giving to the PAC means that you have some skin in the game and that your voice will be heard in Washington, D.C.

What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
It’s a way to contribute to something that unifies the voices of many and fights for what we believe in. You have to look at the big picture. There are things happening in each of our lives and locally, but there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes in Washington. POET PAC is our advocacy tool and it works!

What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
The PAC allows me to support both the agriculture and biofuels industries, both of which are bombarded by falsehoods. My contribution, combined with others, provides an avenue for POET External Affairs to dispel the falsehoods about biofuels to the nation’s leaders.

Why do you give to POET PAC?
I give because I believe in the issues POET is passionate about, such as reducing our nation’s dependence of foreign oil, expanding the market for clean and green renewable fuels, and improving the economic environment for agriculture and rural America. Although all the issues are important to me, agriculture and rural America pulls on my heartstrings the most because it impacts my family. I come from a long line of grain farmers in South Dakota and Kansas. I have seen success and failure and people working all hours of the day and night to provide for their family and others. Giving to the POET PAC is a way for me to further the farmers cause as well as support the industry I work in.

What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
POET PAC is bipartisan and issue-focused. I’m one person and by myself am not able to make as big of an impact as I want. POET PAC affords me the opportunity to make my voice heard about the matters that I care about to the people who make the decisions and laws of our land.

What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
In 2018, I attended a What’s Fueling Ag event hosted by POET. This meeting covered a lot of information concerning the ethanol industry and the resistance we face from the oil companies who are concerned about losing market share. The thing that motivated me to give to POET PAC was understanding how PAC dollars are used and that PAC dollars helped us have eight White House meetings in 2018. It was clear that PAC dollars work!

Why do you give to POET PAC?
As a farmer, I know that I cannot make a big impact in Washington on my own. I need to invest in opportunities that help elected officials understand the challenges we face in agricultural states. The success of the biofuels industry will help raise the price of corn and will positively impact rural America. POET PAC gives small producers like me a chance to influence policy that ultimately drives supply and demand.

What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
This is an effective and easy way to have a voice in Washington. After 38 years running the family farm, I know we need a strong political presence. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease!

What motivated you to give your first gift to POET PAC?
I was once at a table with a Congresswoman from Illinois and witnessed firsthand the dialogue and questions between her and those at the table. I learned she used the information from that discussion in a committee meeting a few weeks later to defiantly push back on misinformation being peddled by our opposition. From that moment forward, I was sold and understood how critical POET PAC is in creating those conversations and sparking those moments of truth.

What do you wish other people knew about POET PAC?
POET PAC is less about funding politics and more about piercing through those political complexities for a worthwhile and noble purpose. POET PAC funds are used effectively to positively influence policy that impacts this industry and our country.

What would you say to encourage someone else to give to POET PAC?
Ask questions and let POET policy team members tell you their stories. Every year they interact with hundreds of governmental officials to tell the truth about biofuels. They are good at establishing relationships, gaining support and building advocacy. These chances don’t come easy, but PAC dollars give them the chances they need to influence flawed understanding and fortify support.