Biodiesel powers University of Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State University Cyclones team buses

ISA President Randy Miller, left, and District 8 Director Warren Bachman stand in front of the team buses. (Photo: Joclyn Bushman, Iowa Soybean Association)

Biodiesel produced with Iowa and Midwest-grown soybeans will fuel the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Iowa State University Cyclones team buses throughout the 2023-’24 school year.

The sponsorship kicked off Labor Day weekend with the start of the college football season.

It’s courtesy of the Iowa Soybean Association, powered by the soybean checkoff, with support from the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

“Biodiesel continues to generate market demand for soybeans and offers the universities a reliable supply of clean-burning fuel,” said Randy Miller, president of ISA. “Reducing carbon emissions is a huge priority for universities, making biodiesel an ideal fuel product for our state’s two largest universities.”

Miller, a farmer in Lacona, Iowa, added, “It’s another example of how ISA is truly driven to deliver for soybean farmers, the environment and the teams we enjoy rooting for.”

The Hawkeyes and Cyclones team buses will travel more than 100,000 miles during the upcoming year, creating additional demand for soybeans.

The soybean-oil market share has sharply increased with the expansion of biobased fuel usage.

In addition to job creation and emissions reductions, converting the oil component of soybeans into biodiesel also supports Iowa’s thriving agriculture industry and helps farmers weather difficult economic times.

By increasing soybean-oil value, biodiesel supports 13 percent of the price per bushel of soybeans.

This equated to $1.78 per bushel in 2022.

It also lowers the price of soybean meal, a key ingredient for livestock producers and the food supply.

Iowa farmers harvested an estimated 587 million bushels of soybeans in 2022.

Every bushel harvested again this fall will enhance Iowa’s standing as the nation’s top-producer of biodiesel.

Using biodiesel to create mutually beneficial outcomes is the best and most efficient way to build markets, according to Grant Kimberley, ISA senior director of market development and IBB executive director.

“Biodiesel promotions on the team buses and inside the venues on game days will grow awareness of the role soybean farmers play in improving our air quality and strengthening America’s energy security,” Kimberley said.