Local farmer collaborates on biofuel industry

By Emily Hanlin

WINNEBAGO-BOONE FARM BUREAU AG COMMUNICATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Larry Anderson is in the business of recycling. When most think of this line of work, they probably think of aluminum cans and old newspapers. However, Anderson does something a little different. He buys used cooking oil and turns it into green energy.

BioVantage is a Bio-diesel plant located in Belvidere. Anderson, along with four other local farmers, owns and operates this plant. The plant started when two business men from Chicago came looking for local farmers who grew soybeans. Their idea was to crush soybeans into oil and then turn the oil into biodiesel.

Anderson has a background in agriculture. He joined 4-H and FFA when he was younger and started farming with his father after high school.

“I started driving tractor at 9-years-old,” Anderson said. “You learn a lot more being hands on and growing up with it.”

Anderson continued working with his father and eventually bought the 1,500 acre farm.

Now, he works side by side with his son, they raise corn and soybeans, and he has plans to hand down the family business to him someday.

Anderson fit the bill and agreed to start the biofuel plant. At the time, there were around 20 investors involved. Now, as mentioned, the facility is owned by five local farmers.

“We strictly use cooking oil at the moment,” Anderson said. “We use soybean oil from time to time, but cooking oil from restaurants is cheaper to use and produces just as good of fuel.”

Since he took over as manager two years ago, they are selling more and more biofuel.

“As of this year to date, we have sold one and a half million gallons of biofuel, which is blended in diesel fuel to at least 11 percent and up to as much as 20 to 30 percent,” Anderson said.

In 24 hours, they can produce around 8,000 gallons of biofuel. Some days, BioVantage, is projected to produce around 12,000 gallons.

“It was an up and coming business to start with,” Anderson said. “We got in it early, but we have learned a lot and have revamped the facility to produce a really good quality fuel. We have a better margin with our fuel now than we have had in the past.”

BioVantage sells their biofuel to large oil companies and blenders that blend the fuel in diesel fuel. Everything that is bought or sold is trucked in and trucked out. None of the substances are stored on site.

“We move around 50,000 to 60,000 gallons of biofuel a week,” Anderson said.

There are many benefits that accompany this fairly new biodiesel trend.

“It is saving us, as consumers, money, giving us, as farmers, more use for our grains, and it allows us, as a nation, to not focus so much on foreign oils,” Anderson said.

Above all, biofuels are better for the environment. The biofuels leave the air cleaner, and its byproducts can be used in soaps and salt, and because it’s made from vegetable oils, it will not corrode or cause rust.

Anderson spends his mornings at the plant and his afternoons at his farm. The plant runs year round, every day for 24 hours. These two tasks take up most of his time. However, before he started with BioVantage, he served on the Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

“I have been a farm bureau member since I got out of high school,” Anderson said.

His father was president of the Boone County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and Anderson followed in his footsteps and served as the board president for 16 years.

In total, he served on the board of directors for 27 years.

“I have always enjoyed Farm Bureau,” Anderson said. “I have served on a lot of state committees and got involved in a lot of activities.”