Farming is big business. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is ignoring the facts – American farms produce 46% of the world’s soybeans, 41% of the world’s corn, 20.5% of the world’s cotton, and 13% of the world’s wheat.  One in every three acres is planted for export, and in 2010, exports from American farms totaled over $115 billion.

In order for today’s American farmer to meet the world’s ever-increasing demand for American agricultural products, the ag industry works more efficiently. Advances in biotechnology, improved crop production practices, and technologically-advanced equipment all combine to allow farms to produce more.

Propane: Serving the American Farmer

Because propane is clean-burning, non-toxic, and non-caustic, many farm operations rely on it as a fuel source, helping to protect the environment, and with it, the natural resources that are the foundation for all farming operations. Some of the agricultural applications that use propane include:

• Fuel for equipment
• Heat for barns and brooder houses
• Power for pumps and generators
• Flame weeding and pest control
• Tobacco curing
• Emergency heat for unexpected cold snaps in orchards and groves
• Heat for greenhouses
• Crop drying

Powering Agribusiness

Because propane is a clean-burning, low emission fuel, many farms use it for a wide variety of applications. As an American-produced fuel, supplies can be readily available and cost-efficient, and your propane supplier can customize a fueling plan specifically for your operation’s requirements. Easy, on-site fuel delivery assures your business has the fuel it needs, and propane-powered equipment such as skid steers and forklifts can be refueled quickly and easily. In fact, farm operations interested in offsetting the costs associated with new, propane-powered equipment and in reducing fuel expenses can take advantage of incentive programs such as:

• The Propane Farm Incentive Program (formerly known as the Propane FEED program) includes such eligible equipment as irrigation engines, grain dryers, mowers, generators, light-duty trucks, building heating units, and flame weeders.
• The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) offers guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agribusinesses for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems or for energy efficiency improvements.

There are over two million farms in the United States, and farming families comprise just 2% of the nation’s population. As stewards of our nation’s land and natural resources, farmers are always seeking better, more efficient ways to provide for their families and produce food and agricultural products for the world. Propane helps these agribusinesses accomplish this goal.

Need propane for your agribusiness? Contact Lin-Gas!