John I most certainly hope you are right but I live in farm country. I have watched years when prices went sky high because it was a bad year and the crops failed. Then I have seen banner years when the yeild was great for everyone and the price fell to nothing. When was the last time you priced the equipment you are talking about, Like a 36 row corn planter or a no till system of twenty four rows or more, or even a three hundred horse tractor. Total the cost, the interest on the loans, the fuel, the chemicals, and seed. Then the question becomes what will the final price be when it is all over, and what will happen when we have the weather extremes that wipe out the crops for a year. An example of what I am talking about is a system to convert chicken dung into fertilizer. It provided a very cheap lawn fertilizer from a by product that was causing a problem with its disposal. Then the demand picked up for the fertilizer and the chicken farms wasn't suppling enough by product and the price went through the roof for the fertilizer. I am not arguing against E-85. I am just asking has anyone done the math? If it becomes the primary fuel for the world what would be the availability and the price. Also if we burn our corn in our car and our soy beans in our diesel trucks, will it affect our prices in the grocery store. How many gallons of gasoline are used every year just in this country? Also how many in the world. Now how many acres of corn would it take to produce that amount of E-85? Maybe this is a plan by John Deere to increase their sales. I think that solar and other systems need to be researched until they get it right. It has came a long way but it still has a long way to go. As for the onion fields if the are suitable for Corn and soy beans which need to be alternated to keep the soil productive. why have they not been farmed since WWII? I think that onions will grow in ground that other crops won't but I'm not certain about that. All of this is just my thoughts as I have not conducted any research or can I find any properly documented research on any of this. I just don't want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Also does anyone know why even though I am logged in I can't preview my post.
Big Bill

Been there, Done that, Hope to live long enough to do it again.
Big Bill
I.I.# 4698