My experience in ethanol production started on the farm. My father held to the conviction that good farmland should be put to good use. He didn’t like being paid by the government for “set-aside acres.” He wanted to turn corn into a higher-value product like energy. So he did just that. Our family built a small ethanol plant to make clean-burning fuel.

As a retired Vice Admiral, Navy pilot and fleet commander, I have seen firsthand how ensuring an uninterrupted flow of oil to the United States has tremendous costs and puts our men and women in uniform in harm’s way.

This summer I was “elected” as the director of youth hockey in Lakeville, Minn. At the time, I ran unopposed. I viewed this as a resounding endorsement for my vision for the future of our early development program.