With all the bad news in the ethanol industry these days, here’s some positive news.

A new 100-million gallon ethanol plant in New Hampton, Iowa hasjust started production. The plant is owned by Homeland Energy Solutions. Board chair Steve Eastman says they’re grateful to have missed the commodity boom and bust of 2008 that whiplashed so much of the ethanol industry. He says, while margins remain tight, the company feels well positionedgoing forward.

The New Hampton plant brings to 39 the number of ethanol refineries in Iowa. Four more plants are currently under construction in the state.

The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Ball’s has addedanother pair of boots to its Famous Boots Auction—a pair of black Tony Lama cowboy boots, signed in silver ink, by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Gates joined his friend and bridge partner Warren Buffet in signing boots for the auction. Earlier this year, Buffetautographed a pair of boots, adding “I love beef!” to his signature.

Other celebrities who have autographed boots for the cause include Dan Whitney, better known as Larry the Cable Guy; actor Kevin Costner; and country singers Brad Paisley and CharlieDaniels.

Proxy bids for the Famous Boots Auction will be taken on the Cattlemen’s Ball web site starting May 1st. The final auction winners will announced at the ball on June 6.

The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska was established to promote beef in ahealthy diet and to raise money for health care research. This year’s 11th annual ball will be held June 5th and 6th near Doniphan. The theme of this year’s event is “Give Cancer the Boot”.

Minnesota’s new 5 percentbiodiesel mandate takes effect on Friday becoming the first state at that level. A 2 percent mandate was enacted in 2005 despite concerns the renewable fuel would have problems in the cold Minnesota winters. Since that time it has been found biodiesel has much the same characteristics as regularNumber-2 diesel, when it gets cold, it gels. In the same manner, biodiesel blends can be treated for winter use in similar ways that Number-2 diesel is treated.

Ed Hegland, a Minnesota soybean farmer and Chairman of the National Biodiesel Board says he is, “Proud tolive in a state that is leading energy innovations and taking part in valuable solutions like biodiesel.” The Minnesota mandate will move to 10 percent in 2012 and 20 percent by 2015.

Last year U.S. biodiesel production approached 700 million gallons. Washington,Oregon, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New Mexico and Massachusetts have also passed biodiesel requirements.

Responding to state budget cuts, officials of Iowa State University’s Extension program have announced restructuring plans.

ISU vice president forextension and outreach Jack Payne announced the plan to all staff and extension council members Thursday morning. “This plan will reduce administrative costs and move extension from a geographically-based structure to an issues-based model,” says Payne.

Among thechanges—five area director positions and all five area offices will be closed. The county extension educator director—or C-E-E-D—positions also will be eliminated. In their place, 20 regional positions will be created across the state.

Under the plan, the currentpartnership agreement between ISU and the county extension councils has been dissolved. But Payne says county extension councils will have the ability to retain offices in every county, if they choose to do so.

Payne says approximately 25 extension positions on the ISUcampus will also be eliminated.

Officials says they hope to have the transition complete by year-end.

“We will be receiving federal stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” Payne explains. “These dollars can beused as a bridge to help us transition into the new structure—and will alleviate the immediate reduction of staff and allow us to work on transitioning throughout the coming months.”

Currently, there are 97 county extension directors in Iowa.