Janesville - April 16- Fourteen students from St Peter High School toured Guardian Energy in Janesville this morning to learn about homegrown renewable fuel production.

During the tour, the students, who were from the school’s plant science class, learned about several components of ethanol production including incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, dried distiller grain production and storage, ethanol storage and shipment.

“We provided the students a first hand look at the important role science plays in ethanol production as well as the importance of the ethanol industry to the economy in rural Minnesota and the environment,” said Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy.

The students were from grades 10-12.

The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Biofuels). Guardian Energy, a member of MN Biofuels, is the largest ethanol plant in Minnesota and produces 150 million gallons of ethanol a year.

“With these tours, we are able to educate students on the importance of a homegrown renewable fuel and how it reduces prices at the pump and makes America more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels.

Gena Lilienthal, agriculture science instructor at St Peter High School, said her students had learned about alternative plant uses and completed a lab that measured the energy content in ethanol.

“Exposing our students to numerous career opportunities is always very beneficial. We have been learning about crop production and it was a great opportunity to complete our unit by learning about the actual uses of our crops,” she said.