Farmer leaders from throughout the country recently descended on the Big Apple to see the bourgeoning Bioheat industry in action. The National Biodiesel Board arranged a biodiesel and Bioheat tour of New York City for about 20 farmers from supporting organizations.
 &ldquo;New York City is a major energy center,&rdquo; said Tom Verry, director of development for the NBB. &ldquo;High volumes of biodiesel are used here too, which makes it the perfect place to show soybean farmers how their long-term vision for biodiesel and Bioheat has become a reality.&rdquo;
 New York City is a major biodiesel market. Starting in October, all heating oil sold within New York City will contain at least 2 percent biodiesel. New York City Department of Parks &amp; Recreation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the New York City Department of Sanitation all use 5 to 50 percent biodiesel blends in their diesel vehicles totaling nearly 11 million gallons of biodiesel blends a year.
 &ldquo;It's exciting for us to see the passion in New York City among biodiesel's many champions,&rdquo; said Greg Anderson, a soybean farmer from Newman Grove, Neb., and NBB governing board member. &ldquo;New York City represents more than just another market for biodiesel. It's a strategic partner in furthering biodiesel acceptance in the Northeast, and nationwide. Our champions here want to leverage their position as energy leaders to promote biodiesel growth. That's a powerful partnership.&rdquo;
 While soybean farmers benefit from a healthy biodiesel industry, the industry continues to benefit from strong farmer support.
 &ldquo;The biodiesel and Bioheat industries would not be where they are today without the support of farmers, the United Soybean Board, and the soybean check-off in developing this fuel,&rdquo; said Paul Nazzaro, who runs the Bioheat program for the NBB. &ldquo;It's a pleasure to show them how their vision has materialized into reality.&rdquo;

Farmer leaders visited biodiesel and Bioheat user The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Officials showed attendees the snow removal and emergency response equipment at JFK International Airport that runs on biodiesel blends.

Farmer-leaders see biodiesel investment in action on NYC Bioheat tour

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