This year's honoree.

Ethanol, this year's AgriMarketing Product of the Year, has truly ushered in a new renaissance age for crop producers.

Those providing products and services to crop producers, rural communities, storage and transportation, landowners, all have benefited by the demand ethanol has for its use of corn as a feedstock to create the renewable fuel source. New businesses, trade associations, events, consultants, financiers and media have sprung up to surround it with support and to build demand for it.

To read about its far-reaching economic impact, see page 30. The projections are AgriMarketing's based on facts prepared by the University of Missouri's Dr. Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes.

With success, though, comes controversy. Those organizations that have been affected by the price ethanol has driven corn and other crops to, are waging their own campaign against it. Ethanol has been cited for a number of sins ranging from the increased price of popcorn (a crop that has nothing to do with the field corn used to produce ethanol) to chicken breasts (some processors have contracts which base the price they pay for meat on several indices ... corn is one of them, energy, though, is one as well).

So, as the ethanol industry gathers its second wind and matures, it will be interesting to see how it continues its quest to become a major provider of fuel to the U.S.

In the meantime, there are many, many of those in the ag industry who salute ethanol and congratulate those in the industry.

It has created, without doubt, the most exciting time ever to be in agricultural industry!

Lynn Henderson

Publisher