The Rush County Agricultural Roundtable has outlined a strategic
plan for agricultural economic development and growth for Rush
County and the region. A major component of our comprehensive Ag
Strategy involves bio-fuels, and alternative energy sources. The
plan specifically looks at enticing ethanol and soy bio-diesel
production facilities to the area and Rush County.
Rush County is home to 205,000 acres of prime cropland. Our corn
yield is 8th in the State, and soybean yields rank Rush County 1st
in the state.
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Regional
Agricultural Statistical Data
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The Southeastern Indiana Agricultural Region (SEIA Region) covers an
area within a 50 mile radius of Rush County, Indiana. Ten Indiana
Counties fall within this 50 mile radius, and are as follows:
Fayette, Union, Wayne, Henry, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Decatur,
Franklin, and Bartholomew.
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Corn Yields
(000) BU |
Soybean Yields
(000) BU |
Cattle, Beef, Cows, Milk,
Cows |
Hog |
| State
of Indiana |
631,620.0 |
235,750.0 |
860,000.0 |
3,478,570 |
| SEIA
Region |
71,950.7 |
27,704.0 |
97,100.0 |
470,027 |
| Percentage
of State |
12% |
12% |
11% |
14% |
| Rush
County |
159 BU/Ac-#8 in State |
4391.4, 46 BU/Ac-#1 in State |
12,000 head #23 in State |
77,549 - #15 in State |
Together, this statistical data helped justify our desire to bring a
strong bio-fuels initiative to the forefront. The strategy also
considers the direct market impact of bio-fuels development,
bi-product utilization, alternative energy sources as fuels for the
facilities, and secondary business development associated with bio-fuels
development.
Rush County will be home to a new 60 million gallon per year ethanol
plant, Rush RenewableEnergy, LLC. Located on Highway 3 North, the
facility is expected to house 40 direct employees and create 125 spin-off
jobs in the region. Within a fifteen mile radius of the heart of
downtown Rushville, Whitewater Valley Ethanol, a proposed 120
million gallon per year facility looms on the horizon, and Bunge North
America soy bio-diesel facility round out this segment of
development by the Agricultural Roundtable.
For more information about bio-fuels or agricultural economic
development, please contact Pam Leisure at pamleisure@rushcounty.com.
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Rush
County Agricultural