Innovative Ag Services Has a Seat at the Table for E15 and the Future of Corn Demand
Feb 13, 2026
Innovative Ag Services Has a Seat at the Table for E15 and the Future of Corn Demand
Some days in agriculture feel like spreadsheets and soil tests.
Some days feel like history tapping you on the shoulder.
For Innovative Ag Services (IAS) Board Member Tim Burrack of Arlington, Iowa, one recent afternoon landed squarely in the second category.
What started as a Monday text turned into a seat inside a room where national energy policy, corn markets, and rural economies were being discussed face-to-face with United States President Donald Trump.
And Tim showed up with one clear mission.
Speak up for IAS members. Speak up for E15.
Showing up for members
Growth Energy invited ethanol and ag leaders to a presidential event at Machine Shed Restaurant in Clive, Iowa, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Tim submitted his name and, by the next morning, learned he could attend.
He did not know if he would even get near the President. He just knew why he needed to be there.
“To represent IAS and advocate for E15 if I got the chance.”
Wearing his IAS shirt, Tim took his seat at a booth alongside three people he had never met before. Like many events of this size, it was a mix of unfamiliar faces and shared purpose.
Later, when attendees had a chance to briefly mingle, he connected with representatives from three other Iowa ethanol plants who had also been invited by Growth Energy. Even among new introductions, there was a clear sense of unity. Everyone in the room understood what was at stake for Iowa agriculture.
Before the event began, Secret Service instructed guests to return to their seats and remain there. Then the President entered, delivered remarks, and after the press conference, made his way around the room to greet attendees one by one.
When President Trump reached out to shake Tim’s hand, Tim shared one simple sentence.
“E15 is important to our state and to the industry.”
The President turned to the room and called out, “Is E15 important to this state?”
The answer thundered back. Yes.
Tim said he felt heard and felt proud that IAS had a voice in the room.
“That was my mission. To make sure IAS members had a seat at the table and to advocate for E15.”
That same day, the President publicly backed the E15 bill, signaling he would sign it if Congress advances it.
For Tim, who has been advocating for E15 since 2012, it felt like a meaningful step forward.
Why E15 matters to our members
E15 is not just a fuel blend. It is demand. It is stability. It is value.
Year-round E15 access means:
Connecting policy to IAS investments
Advocacy is one side of the coin. Investment is the other.
At IAS, we are not just watching these policy conversations from the sidelines. We are actively investing on behalf of our members through Pine Lake Corn Processors (PLCP).
Our continued investment in PLCP helps:
In other words, the work happening in Washington and the work happening in Steamboat Rock are connected by the same goal.
Help every member get the best possible return on every bushel they harvest.
More than a handshake
Tim described the moment simply.
“When I got to shake his hand and say E15 matters, I felt like I did what I went there to do. I was there for our members.”
It was not about politics. It was about presence.
It was about making sure the voice of Iowa producers, ethanol plants, and cooperatives like IAS is heard when decisions are made that affect our livelihoods.
Sometimes advocacy looks like a board meeting or a field day.
Sometimes it looks like a handshake in a crowded restaurant with the future of fuel policy hanging in the air.
Either way, the mission is the same.
IAS will continue to show up, invest, and advocate for opportunities that strengthen markets, support rural communities, and create long-term value for our members.
Because every bushel counts.
And so does every seat at the table.
Image credit: Fox News
Some days in agriculture feel like spreadsheets and soil tests.
Some days feel like history tapping you on the shoulder.
For Innovative Ag Services (IAS) Board Member Tim Burrack of Arlington, Iowa, one recent afternoon landed squarely in the second category.
What started as a Monday text turned into a seat inside a room where national energy policy, corn markets, and rural economies were being discussed face-to-face with United States President Donald Trump.
And Tim showed up with one clear mission.
Speak up for IAS members. Speak up for E15.
Showing up for members
Growth Energy invited ethanol and ag leaders to a presidential event at Machine Shed Restaurant in Clive, Iowa, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Tim submitted his name and, by the next morning, learned he could attend.
He did not know if he would even get near the President. He just knew why he needed to be there.
“To represent IAS and advocate for E15 if I got the chance.”
Wearing his IAS shirt, Tim took his seat at a booth alongside three people he had never met before. Like many events of this size, it was a mix of unfamiliar faces and shared purpose.
Later, when attendees had a chance to briefly mingle, he connected with representatives from three other Iowa ethanol plants who had also been invited by Growth Energy. Even among new introductions, there was a clear sense of unity. Everyone in the room understood what was at stake for Iowa agriculture.
Before the event began, Secret Service instructed guests to return to their seats and remain there. Then the President entered, delivered remarks, and after the press conference, made his way around the room to greet attendees one by one.
When President Trump reached out to shake Tim’s hand, Tim shared one simple sentence.
“E15 is important to our state and to the industry.”
The President turned to the room and called out, “Is E15 important to this state?”
The answer thundered back. Yes.
Tim said he felt heard and felt proud that IAS had a voice in the room.
“That was my mission. To make sure IAS members had a seat at the table and to advocate for E15.”
That same day, the President publicly backed the E15 bill, signaling he would sign it if Congress advances it.
For Tim, who has been advocating for E15 since 2012, it felt like a meaningful step forward.
Why E15 matters to our members
E15 is not just a fuel blend. It is demand. It is stability. It is value.
Year-round E15 access means:
- More gallons of ethanol used nationwide
- Stronger, more consistent corn demand
- Better basis and market opportunities
- Stronger local ethanol plants and rural jobs
Connecting policy to IAS investments
Advocacy is one side of the coin. Investment is the other.
At IAS, we are not just watching these policy conversations from the sidelines. We are actively investing on behalf of our members through Pine Lake Corn Processors (PLCP).
Our continued investment in PLCP helps:
- Expand local ethanol capacity
- Create reliable markets for member grain
- Strengthen regional corn demand
- Keep value-added processing close to home
In other words, the work happening in Washington and the work happening in Steamboat Rock are connected by the same goal.
Help every member get the best possible return on every bushel they harvest.
More than a handshake
Tim described the moment simply.
“When I got to shake his hand and say E15 matters, I felt like I did what I went there to do. I was there for our members.”
It was not about politics. It was about presence.
It was about making sure the voice of Iowa producers, ethanol plants, and cooperatives like IAS is heard when decisions are made that affect our livelihoods.
Sometimes advocacy looks like a board meeting or a field day.
Sometimes it looks like a handshake in a crowded restaurant with the future of fuel policy hanging in the air.
Either way, the mission is the same.
IAS will continue to show up, invest, and advocate for opportunities that strengthen markets, support rural communities, and create long-term value for our members.
Because every bushel counts.
And so does every seat at the table.
Image credit: Fox News