"Every gallon of ethanol used is one less gallon of foreign oil we have to import," Glosemeyer says. "Even under today's intense scrutiny, ethanol remains the only viable mainstream alternative to reducing our reliance on foreign oil. And unlike crude, corn is renewable. That's something to think about as gasoline prices continue to hover around the $3 mark and fuel consumption continues to climb."

There are currently two blends of ethanol available, says Glosemeyer. One ethanol blend is E85, 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 can only be used in Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs). These vehicles can run on ordinary gasoline, gasoline blended with up to 85 percent ethanol, and any blend in between. Motorists may incur a slight mileage loss when fueling up with E85, but win in the end with prices averaging $.40-$.60 lower per gallon than gasoline.

For drivers without FFVs, E10, a blend of gasoline and 10 percent ethanol is the best option. All motor vehicles manufactured after 1970 can run on E10. Like E85, this blend significantly lowers carbon monoxide emissions, delivers higher octane and is available at many local pumps. And Glosemeyer says the use of ethanol is growing. According to the American Coalition for Ethanol, nearly 46 percent of gasoline in the United States is blended with some percentage of ethanol, most commonly E10.

"Whether it is an E10 or E85 blend, filling up with ethanol is a concrete way to support a homegrown alternative," states Glosemeyer. "It is also creating good paying jobs, providing opportunities for our young people to stay in our rural communities, and contributing to cleaner air for future generations."

Missouri currently has four farmer-owned ethanol plants, producing approximately 165 million gallons per year. Additional plants are slated to come online in the near future. Nationwide, there are 121 plants in operation and 76 plants under construction. Over 6.2 billion gallons of ethanol is expected to be produced in 2007.

To learn more about ethanol, find the nearest E85 station, or to view a map of Missouri's farmer-owned ethanol plants, visit www.mocorn.org.