FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2006

CONTACT: Becky Grisham, Missouri Corn Growers Association, (573) 893-4181

BILLBOARD MANIA CONTINUES
Corn Growers Soliciting Public Input on Next Campaign

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.)—The Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) today unveiled a Web site to poll public opinion on the next ethanol billboard campaign. The site, www.madaboutgas.com, is being launched as the current high-profile billboard campaign nears completion.

The existing billboards, scheduled to be taken down next week, have dramatically raised awareness of ethanol and the statewide ethanol standard. This innovative legislation was overwhelmingly passed in the Missouri General Assembly last week. With support from Missouri’s ethanol plants, MCGA posted billboards around the state featuring MCGA President Terry Hilgedick and the caption, “Use ethanol, we’ll grow more.”

The second billboard design, which sparked discussions nationwide, shows Hilgedick next to a former king of Saudi Arabia and poses the question, “Who would you rather buy your gas from?” The latter billboard was criticized by one Washington, D.C.-based cultural group for being controversial.

“People have tried to make this a personal issue and that is just not the case,” says MCGA CEO Gary Marshall. “For the first time in history, we have a choice in the fuel we buy. It is fair to ask whether or not we want to continue to increase our dependence on foreign oil or instead rely on Midwestern farmers for our energy needs.”

The new Web site presents four possible billboards for consideration. One concept, featuring an American farmer and the CEO of Exxon Mobile Corporation, was proposed in a letter written by the Arab American Institute. Other billboards depict the farmer alongside leaders of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an outspoken critic of the U.S. and major exporter of crude oil.

“There are any number of images that can be used to illustrate our nation’s dangerous dependence on oil,” explains Marshall. “And while the pictures may change, the overall message is still the same. We can continue down the path of increased nonrenewable petroleum consumption, reduced refining capacity and $70 per barrel crude oil. Or, we can extend our fuel supply by utilizing homegrown renewable fuels, expand refining capacity and keep dollars at home instead of shipping them overseas. The billboards are about choice and the choice is clear.”

The Web site, www.madaboutgas.com, was launched this morning and has already received nearly 300 votes. To learn more about MCGA or ethanol in Missouri, visit Missouri Corn Online at http://www.mocorn.org.