by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Horizon II Seeks 39,000 Acres in Northern Missouri and Southern Iowa for Turnkey Prairie-to-Energy Initiative

Owners of Highly Erodible Land Will Receive $160 per Acre Cash Rent, Renewable Energy Revenue, Potential Environmental Credits

First 1,000 Acres of Native Prairie Now Being Planted Near Princeton, Missouri

St. Louis, MO (February 7, 2024) – The first 1,000 acres of the Horizon II pilot project are being converted to native prairie near Princeton, Missouri, showcasing a new way for landowners to earn income while improving the environment.

The project has funding available for another 39,000 acres of highly erodible land in Northern Missouri and Southern Iowa to compensate landowners. Horizon II seeks to build wildlife habitat, help the environment, and use sustainably harvested native prairie feedstock to create Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). There is also funding available to incentivize planting 40,000 acres of winter-hardy cereal rye cover crops which will also be harvested for RNG production.

Significant Financial Incentives Now Available Owners of Marginal Farmland

Through an $80 million USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant awarded to a partnership of 13 public and private entities led by Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE), Horizon II will provide owners of highly erodible land significant income to care for that property in a new, and arguably better, way. The incentives include:

  • Rent: $160 per acre per year for highly erodible land for the duration of the contract.
  • Turnkey Approach: Horizon II pays all expenses for prairie seed, installation, maintenance for first two years.
  • Renewable Energy Revenue: Beginning in year 3, receive $37 per ton of harvested prairie biomass delivered to the RAE anaerobic digester that will be located near Albany, Missouri.
    • Or: The landowner receives $1 per ton if RAE handles harvest and delivery.
  • Potential Environmental Credit Compensation: Additional income from carbon sequestration and other ecological services (landowner receives 75%).

Planting Process – Emulating Mother Nature

Members of the media are invited to cover the first 1,000 acres of prairie being planted near Princeton, Missouri.

  • Dormant Seeding (or Frost Seeding)
    • Native Prairie seeds perform best when planted during the cold of winter.
      • Seeds are broadcast over-ground beginning in late January.
      • During frost-heaving cycles, the seeds work their way to the proper soil depth.
      • After a couple of cold months in the ground, the seeds are ready for optimal germination in the spring.
    • Locally Sourced Seed Mix: Diverse mix of forbs and grasses native to northern Missouri and southern Iowa, ensuring success in the region.

Beyond Biogas: Ecological Services, Wildlife Habitat

While Horizon II produces renewable natural gas (RNG) from prairie biomass, the project also offers significant environmental benefits:

  • Wildlife Habitat: Creates valuable habitat for native species.
  • Ecological Services: Improves water infiltration, soil health, carbon sequestration, and prevents soil erosion.

Join the Horizon II Movement

Landowners, the future of sustainable agriculture is here. Join Horizon II and earn income while making a positive impact on the environment! The project will create a greener future for your land and your community! Join us!

  • 39,000 acres still needed: Landowners in the Grand River Basin (northern MO, southern IA) are encouraged to participate.
  • Focus area: Smithfield Foods Ruckman Farm near Albany, MO, will be the site of the next Horizon II RNG facility.

Information Session

March 1, 2024 (10:30 AM) with a catered lunch at noon. Please RSVP by contacting Steve Mowry, Director of Land Development and Prairie Establishment at [email protected] or by calling 816-830-6900.

 

Additional Contacts:

 

About Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC

Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) is the owner, operator, and developer of renewable energy production facilities that convert agricultural and industrial wastes, along with renewable biomass feedstocks to renewable natural gas and sustainable co-products. RAE engages in these business operations with a focus on incorporating native prairie restoration. RAE recently merged with its parent company, Roeslein and Associates, in July 2023, with its principal offices located in St. Louis, Missouri. RAE was launched in 2012 by Rudi Roeslein, co-founder and chairman of St. Louis-based Roeslein and Associates, Inc. (a global leader in engineering, modular fabrication, and construction of industrial plant facilities). Visit our website https://roesleinalternativeenergy.com/ We also invite you to explore Prairie Prophets at https://prairieprophets.com/.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q: Why is Horizon II called a turnkey project?
    • A: Participating involves no cost to the landowner. They receive $160 an acre in rent, in addition to eventual funds for harvested biomass and potential environmental credits.
  • Q: Is there any cost-share involved for participants in Horizon II?
    • A: For anyone with highly erodible land who is also interested in grassland habitat, this is a wonderful program. In particular, they don’t have to put up any cost share money as with government programs.
  • Q: What contractual agreements are involved for those participating in Horizon II?
    • A: Landowners will sign a lease agreement, the length of which will be determined by the amount of time remaining in the grant period. For example, if a landowner agrees to begin participating with 4 years of the grant remaining, the lease will be for 4 years.
    • There will also be a separate agreement with the contractor who will install and maintain the prairie so that the parties understand their responsibilities.
  • Q: What happens after the grant period expires?
    • A: We are committed to finding long-term funding and market solutions to sustain the project beyond the grant period.
  • Q: Do I need to manage the prairie myself?
    • A: After planting, RAE will remain responsible during the first two growing seasons for mowing, which is necessary to protect the new seedlings. Beginning in year three, harvest of biomass will occur. After year three, an agreed upon prescribed burn plan will be discussed with the landowner.
  • Q: Can I still farm other crops on the land?
    • A: Yes, you can continue to farm other crops on the land not enrolled in the program.
  • Q: How can I learn more about the project?
    • A: Visit our website, attend the March 1st information session, or contact us directly using the information above.
by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Partnership Led by Roeslein Alternative Energy Finalizes Grant to Develop New Climate-Smart Agriculture Value Chain

‘Horizon II’ Pilot Project to Demonstrate How Farmers Get Environmental Credit Compensation and Renewable Energy Revenue by Planting Prairie Grasses and Cover Crops

St. Louis, MO – September 26, 2023 – A partnership of 13 public and private entities led by Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) finalized an $80 million grant from the federal government’s first pool of funds from the U.S.D.A’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. The funding will be used in a five-year pilot project in Iowa and Missouri called ‘Horizon II’ to demonstrate a “Climate-Smart Future for Corn, Soybean, Livestock, and Renewable Natural Gas Production.”

The Horizon II project will enhance climate-smart markets, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve carbon sequestration in the production of corn, soybean, pork, and beef commodities. Horizon II will also create new opportunities for small and underserved producers while benefiting soil health, clean water, flood control, and habitats for native wildlife.

Horizon II: Environmental and Wildlife Benefits from Renewable Energy Production

The grant award is a major step toward advancing RAE’s core mission to develop a market-based solution that puts an economic value on restored native grasses, prairie plants, and winter-hardy cover crops by using sustainably harvested biomass to create renewable natural gas.

“Since founding RAE, our overarching goal has been to provide farmers an alternative way to use land, especially highly erodible acres, in ways that will benefit the environment, wildlife, and their own livelihood,” said Rudi Roeslein, RAE Founder and CEO. “This funding will propel Horizon II forward more rapidly than otherwise would have been possible. We will show how farmers and landowners can do well for themselves while also providing ecological services and wildlife benefits.”

Pilot Program in Iowa and Missouri

A pilot will be developed, deployed, and verified in Iowa and Missouri, where much of the nation’s corn, soybeans, and pork are produced. Horizon II seeks to incentivize improved management of nitrogen fertilizer and other inputs on agricultural land, which is critical to the success of climate-smart practices.

  • Farmers, livestock producers, and landowners will be compensated for GHG reductions and carbon sequestration in the soil through an outcomes-based carbon credit program.
  • Producing winter-hardy cover crops and grassland restoration will be further incentivized through a novel, market-based program that supports renewable natural gas (RNG) production through the anaerobic digestion of herbaceous biomass combined with manure.
  • This renewable energy can be fed into the national grid and become part of the sustainable new value chain.
  • Program partners will collaborate with farmers, livestock producers, landowners, and other stakeholders, including early adopters of practices and historically underserved producers, to ensure equitable access to the opportunities offered by the low-carbon agriculture of the future.

Horizon II Partner Organizations

Partner organizations involved in the RAE Horizon II project are: Conservation Districts of Iowa, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa State University, Missouri Prairie Foundation, Sievers Family Farms, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, Smithfield Foods, The Nature Conservancy, University of Missouri, Verdesian, University of California-Davis, and Veterans in Agriculture.

“Iowa State University has been working with Roeslein Alternative Energy and many additional partners for nearly a decade, laying the foundation for a climate-smart commodity supply chain based on the anaerobic digestion of prairie grasses and winter hardy crops along with manure,” said Lisa Schulte- Moore, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management and co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University. “I’m excited and thankful for this tremendous investment by USDA toward commercializing our research and development, with the goal of closing system loops to return more value from agriculture to people and the land.”

Once fully developed, deployed, and verified, the program can be extended and tailored to other agricultural commodities (i.e., dairy, poultry) and regions of the country. While focused on GHG reduction and soil carbon storage, these climate-smart agricultural systems will add further value in terms of soil health, clean water, flood control, and habitat for native wildlife.

 

by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Partnership Led by Roeslein Alternative Energy Wins $80 Million Grant to Develop New Climate-Smart Agriculture Value Chain

‘Horizon II’ Pilot Project to Demonstrate How Farmers Get Environmental Credit Compensation and Renewable Energy Revenue by Planting Prairie Grasses and Cover Crops

St. Louis, MO – September 14, 2022 – A partnership of 14 public and private entities led by Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) has been awarded $80 million from the federal government’s first pool of funds from the U.S.D.A’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. The funding will be used in a five year pilot project in Iowa and Missouri called ‘Horizon II’ to demonstrate a “Climate-Smart Future for Corn, Soybean, Livestock, and Renewable Natural Gas Production.”

The Horizon II project will enhance climate-smart markets, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve carbon sequestration in the production of corn, soybean, pork, and beef commodities, while creating opportunities for small and underserved producers and benefitting soil health, clean water, flood control, and habitats for native wildlife.

Horizon II: Environmental and Wildlife Benefits from Renewable Energy Production

The grant award is a major step toward advancing RAE’s core mission to develop a market-based solution that puts an economic value on restored native grasses and prairie plants, by using the sustainably harvested biomass to create renewable natural gas.

“Since founding RAE, our overarching goal has been to provide farmers an alternative way to use land, especially highly erodible acres, in ways that will benefit the environment, wildlife, and their own livelihood,” said Rudi Roeslein, RAE Founder and CEO. “This funding will propel Horizon II forward more rapidly than otherwise would have been possible. We will show how farmers and landowners can do well for themselves while also providing ecological services and wildlife benefits.”

Pilot Program in Iowa and Missouri

A pilot will be developed, deployed, and verified in Iowa and Missouri, where much of the nation’s corn, soybeans, and pork are produced. Horizon II seeks to incentivize improved management of nitrogen fertilizer and other inputs on agriculture land, which is critical to the success of climate-smart practices.

  • Farmers, livestock producers, and landowners will be compensated for GHG reductions and carbon sequestration in the soil through an outcomes-based carbon credit program.
  • Cover cropping and grassland restoration will be further incentivized through a novel, market-based program that supports renewable natural gas (RNG) production through the anaerobic digestion of herbaceous biomass combined with manure.
    • This renewable energy can be fed into the national grid and become part of the sustainable new value chain.
  • Program partners will collaborate with farmers, livestock producers, landowners, and other stakeholders, including early adopters of practices and historically underserved producers, to ensure equitable access to the opportunities offered by the low-carbon agriculture of the future.

Horizon II Partner Organizations

Partner organizations involved in the RAE Horizon II project are: Biostar Renewables, Conservation Districts of Iowa, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa State University, Missouri Prairie Foundation, Sievers Family Farms, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, Smithfield Foods, The Nature Conservancy, University of Missouri, Verdesian, and Veterans in Agriculture.

“Iowa State University has been working with Roeslein Alternative Energy and many additional partners for nearly a decade, laying the foundation for a climate-smart commodity supply chain based on the anaerobic digestion of prairie grasses and winter hearty crops along with manure,” said Lisa Schulte-Moore, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management and co-director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State University. “I’m excited and thankful for this tremendous investment by USDA toward commercializing our research and development, with the goal of closing system loops to return more value from agriculture to people and the land.”

Once fully developed, deployed, and verified, the program can be extended and tailored to other agricultural commodities (i.e., dairy, poultry) and regions of the country. While focused on GHG reduction and soil carbon storage, these climate-smart agricultural systems will add further value in terms of soil health, clean water, flood control, and habitat for native wildlife.

“We are thrilled to partner on this transformational project that will drive adoption of prairie strips and cover crops; create clean, renewable natural gas; improve water quality, address climate change and improve America’s energy independence,” noted Sean McMahon, Executive Director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance.

About Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC

Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) is the owner, operator and developer of renewable energy production facilities that convert agricultural and industrial wastes, along with renewable biomass feedstocks to renewable natural gas and sustainable co-products. RAE engages in these business operations with a focus on incorporating native prairie restoration. RAE is a limited liability company with its principal offices located in St. Louis, Missouri. RAE was launched in 2012 by Rudi Roeslein, co-founder and CEO of St. Louis-based Roeslein and Associates, Inc. (a global leader in engineering, modular fabrication, and construction of industrial plant facilities).

 

Contacts: 

Brandon Butler

Roeslein Alternative Energy

660-281-9804
[email protected]

by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Roeslein Alternative Energy Welcomes Tim Johnston as Vice President

Roeslein Alternative Energy welcomes Tim Johnston to the team as Vice President. Tim has 40 years of experience in the natural gas industry. He previously worked with RAE on the design of gas production technology on Ruckman Farm.

Tim is the co-founder of Colorado Natural Gas, a company he started with a friend to deliver clean, safe and affordable natural gas to rural mountain communities in Colorado. Tim led the start-up through an expansion to roughly 280 employees. He left to pursue other interests in 2015.

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by RoesleinAE RoesleinAE

Roeslein Alternative Energy Wins Two Industry Awards: Rudi Roeslein Receives Energy Vision Leadership Award and RAE Named 2019 Project of the Year Winner by the American Biogas Council

Energy Vision, a New York based non-profit committed to low-carbon transportation fuels, held its 13th annual Energy Leadership Awards Reception on October 10th at the Ramscale Studio Penthouse in New York City’s West Village. This year, Energy Vision presented three awards to:

New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky, Chair of Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.
Juan Corcino, Director of Fleet Operations, for Manhattan Beer Distributors.
Rudi Roeslein, Founder and CEO of Roeslein Alternative Energy, LLC.

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by RoesleinAE RoesleinAE

Roeslein Alternative Energy Acquires AERG

As of April 1, 2019, Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) has acquired Alternate Energy Resources Group (AERG), an environmental engineering and construction firm, located in Texas. The two companies have been collaborating for several years on multiple projects throughout Northern Missouri. AERG’s experience and unique skill set will allow RAE to better serve its clients.

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by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Rudi Roeslein Receives Saint Louis University Alumni Merit Award

Rudi Roeslein, founder of Roeslein & Associates and Roeslein Alternative Energy, received the 2018 Saint Louis University Alumni Merit Award. Saint Louis University honors distinguished graduates in recognition of their outstanding achievements, dedication to a chosen profession, and commitment to the mission of the University. The National Alumni Board, Development Division, and SLU leadership from twelve SLU schools and colleges select the winners.

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by Adam Voight Adam Voight

Market-Based Solutions Proposed for Endangered Landscapes

Initial 200,000 Acre Grand River Project to Demonstrate Benefits for Environment, Wildlife, and Renewable Energy

Ultimate Goal: 30 Million Acres in 30 Years

St. Louis and Princeton, MO – An unprecedented gathering of business, agriculture, grazing, conservation and government change-agents helped launch a market-based approach to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run-off on endangered landscapes.

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