With the move to B20 in May 2018, we’ve partnered with the DieselSellerz, stars of Discovery’s “Diesel Brothers” to promote higher blends of biodiesel.

There’s an old Yiddish proverb that says “Man plans, and God laughs.” Th e Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) and the DieselSellerz did a lot of planning the past year to bring to MN AG EXPO a biodiesel truck built for Minnesota soybean farmers. Unfortunately, there was laughter followed by a detour. “Let’s just address the elephant in the room right now,” says Dave “Heavy D” Sparks, CEO of the DieselSellerz. “Hercules, not the Minnesota biodiesel truck, will be accompanying us to Ag Expo. But we’ve said all along that this is a custom build, as in never been done before.” Sparks says the only delay with the Minnesota truck build has been the fi lm production schedule, which has become more complex as the celebrity factor grows for
the DieselSellerz.

“We knew when we set out to do this project, we would be able to bring exposure to farmers and biodiesel,” he says. “Minnesota soybean farmers will be shown as the leaders they are and biodiesel will be promoted as the tough fuel it is to a national audience.” MN AG EXPO, which kicks off Jan. 23 with an evening reception at the Loose Moose Saloon & Conference Center and in full Jan. 24, was supposed to be the DieselSellerz’s unveiling of the Minnesota biodiesel truck. The four brothers, stars of Discovery’s hit show “Diesel Brothers,” will still make the trek to Mankato. MSR&PC Chairman Patrick O’Leary says the Council discussed the development at great length when it first learned of the delayed build.

“Like anyone waiting for something exciting, we were disappointed at fi rst,” he says. “Ultimately, when we started this partnership with the DieselSellerz, we never expected to have our build be part of their show with the Discovery Channel. Our partnership wasn’t with Discovery. As a board, we decided we were comfortable delaying our build if it brings exposure to Minnesota soybean farmers and biodiesel at the national level.” Sparks says farmers will be surprised by the build.

“The producers have loved everything we’ve filmed to this point,” he says. “Unfortunately, fi lming a truck build
doesn’t happen in one take. Th row in a custom build, and it’s a complex process. But we’re still going to build
Minnesota soybean farmers a bad ass truck that helps promote a bad ass fuel.” O’Leary wants soybeans farmers to understand the build has always been about the promotion and education of biodiesel as the state gets ready to move to B20 (20 percent biodiesel blended with 80 percent diesel) during the summer months, beginning this May.

“From the jobs it creates, to the impact on the state’s economy, to clean air benefi ts, biodiesel has had a positive
impact for Minnesota,” O’Leary says. “Never mind it adds value to our soybeans, biodiesel is a farmer product,
created by the soybean checkoff , and we’re proud of that.” The goal for Minnesota’s truck unveil now shift s to
the National Biodiesel Board’s (NBB) booth Feb. 28 at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, Calif. NBB CEO Donnell
Rehagen says Minnesota will be well represented at the national farm show.

“We’re very excited to be a part of Minnesota’s truck unveil with the DieselSellerz,” Rehagen says. “Minnesota
has long been a national leader in growing the biodiesel industry, and this will be the perfect way to acknowledge and celebrate Minnesota and their accomplishments.”