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A Thankful Time of Year

Posted: December 1, 2008 at 11:08 AM CST

The just-passed Thanksgiving holiday provided a time for reflection. On a professional level, it also offered a time to decompress from the daily rigors of tracking an exciting industry in a time of great volatility. The respite, as brief as it was, was likely welcomed throughout the industry.

I realized how thankful I am that I’ve had the opportunity to cover this industry for the past four-and-a-half years. It’s a homegrown operation that connects with my roots. Covering the explosive growth was fun. However, the slowdowns, while painful, also provide something important in any industry: perspective. The highs are never as high and the lows are never as low as they appear to be while you’re in the midst of them. Covering this industry has hammered that home well, and it’s something I’m thankful for.

As many do, I did some traveling over the weekend. My wife and I put on about 400 miles while visiting her family. Our single stop at a fuel station was another reminder of ethanol’s impact, and it provided another reminder of something I’m thankful for—opportunities at the fuel pump. Ethanol provides just another option when I fill up. Do I care about price and fuel mileage? Of course, as should every driver. That’s why I’m thankful I have more than one option at the fuel pump, unlike many Missourians this week: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20081126/NEWS01/811260550/1007

I guess the news that some Missouri retailers are dropping ethanol means that it’s back to work. It’s an unfortunate way to start the week, as drivers have less fueling options. However, in a roundabout way, it provides motivation. It’s a reminder of something I often think of as it relates to this industry, and it comes from Rick Tolman of the National Corn Growers Association: Ethanol isn’t the silver bullet. It’s a pellet in the silver shotgun of energy solutions.

That’s something we can be thankful for.

-Dave Nilles