Benson, March 22 - Eighteen students from Ridgewater College in Willmar toured the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) plant on March 20 to learn more about ethanol production and its co-products. 

“It’s always a pleasure to welcome students from Ridgewater College’s Animal Nutrition class. We take a lot of pride in our production process and various co-products. More than ever, it’s also important for us to highlight the vital role our industry plays in strengthening MN’s economy, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing prices at the pump and promoting energy independence,” said Chad Friese, CEO of CVEC. 

During the tour, the students learned about the various stages of ethanol production. This included incoming grain grading, grain handling, fermentation, grain storage, ethanol storage, ethanol shipment, dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) production and handling. 

The tour was organized by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels). CVEC is a member of MN Bio-Fuels. 

Kari Slinden, agriculture instructor at Ridgewater College, accompanied her students during the tour.

“My students now have a better understanding of how DDGS are made, what livestock species incorporate DDGS in their diets, and what they provide to livestock for nutrients,”

Yesterday’s tour was the fifth time Slinden has brought students from her Animal Nutrition class to tour CVEC over the past six years. She previously brought her class to the plant in March 2023, April 2022, February 2020, March 2019 and April 2018.