As Zach Schaffner prepares his equipment for planting later this month, he has a new companion onboard – biodiesel fuel. The Michigan soybean grower is trying a B5 biodiesel blend for the first time this year, and he’s bringing us along on his biodiesel journey.
Schaffner admits to being initially skeptical about biodiesel, influenced by previous generations of farmers who experienced problems during the early days of biodiesel production.
“I personally heard old rumors of fuel quality issues. But with the current high standards for biodiesel, it is nowhere near the concern it used to be,” he says. “When I joined the MSC market development sub-committee, I quickly became educated about biodiesel. It’s a great avenue for the farmers to become more sustainable.”
Sustainability is top-of-mind for Schaffner as he looks forward to the possibility of his young son eventually joining his family’s operation, Char-Lin Farms.
Transitioning to Biodiesel
Schaffner’s path toward biodiesel started by consulting with Pete Probst, technical director of the Michigan Advanced Biofuels Coalition. Probst provided advice on steps for transitioning from conventional diesel to biodiesel.
One of the first steps was pulling fuel samples from the farm’s off-road diesel fuel storage tank. Lab tests revealed some contamination at the bottom of the tank, although the fuel coming out of the nozzle was clear.
Probst explains: “It’s pretty common to find water, rust, sludge and microbial activity lurking in the bottoms of fuel tanks, especially if they are older. Although Zach’s off-road diesel nozzle sample was clear and bright, the fuel on the bottom of the tank was degraded and contained many contaminants. It gets stirred up during every fuel delivery and could cause engine performance issues if contaminants reach the tractors and other farm equipment.”
Starting with a B5 Blend
“Since the solvent properties of biodiesel tend to clean out older fuel tanks and pumps like Zach’s, starting with a B5 blend is a great first step. This will clean slowly over time so any diesel varnish loosened in the fuel lines will not overload the dispenser and vehicle filters,” Probst says.
Regardless of the type of fuel, addressing microbial contamination is best practice for optimal fuel performance. Schaffner plans to clean the tank before his supplier delivers the first load of B5.
“I suspected contamination issues in the tank because we’ve been switching fuel filters more frequently,” Schaffner says. “As farmers, we juggle so many things and fuel testing was not as high on our priority list as it should have been. We’re looking forward to getting the tank cleaned and moving forward with biodiesel for planting.”
Watch for future updates from Zach Schaffner on how B5 performed at planting time. Sign up for the newsletter here.
About Char-Lin Farms
- Located in Hudson, in southern Michigan
- 3,000 acres of soybeans and 2,000 acres of corn
- Farm name derived from the first names of Zach Schaffner’s grandparents, Charlie and Linda