MANKATO, Minn. — Twenty years ago, Minnesota farmers helped make history. In the fall of 2005, the state became the first in the nation to require a biodiesel blend in its diesel fuel, which was a milestone that launched a new era for soybean growers, energy independence and rural innovation.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years already,” said Lincoln County farmer Bob Worth, who served as Minnesota Soybean Growers Association president in 2005. “In some ways, it feels like yesterday.”

For soybean farmers and biofuels advocates, it was a significant event when the B2 biodiesel law was implemented, changing the state’s energy landscape for good.

In 2002, following several years of leadership from MSGA and research funded by the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, the biod

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