Why is a small farmer prohibited from making his own alcohol to run his tractor?

Question

Fermenting organic material and distilling it into gallons of fuel is a no-brainer. Who can be against that?

Answer 1

The federal government is against it since the resulting alcohol could be sold for drinking without paying the taxes on it.

Answer 2

cause he shouldnt have to get drunk before he harvests

Answer 3

He isn't - if the distilled fuel is used off road and on his own property, which, in your example, would be the case.

Answer 4

Anyone who's looking for an opportunity to put someone down to draw attention to them self

Answer 5

Rules like that go back to the Dust Bowl days when planters would own an entire operation,- an orchard would also be a cannery as well a company store, and they could control the wages, and the demand for labor, etc, and no other industries could thrive around them... Fair competition vs monopolies.

  Farmers ought to stick to what they do best. Let the ethanol plant focus on making ethanol, and the farmer his crops.. Each man to his  trade.

  Newt Gingrixch was good at bringing arguments like this up,but they turned out to be myths.. Now, ten years later we have salmonella tomatoes...

Answer 6

I don't think this is prohibited. We live in farm country, and it's probably being practiced here. As long as the vehicle stays off road, no body cares.

Answer 7

why are farmers not able to plant hemp?

Answer 8

But the government knows that he will sell the alcohol to the rubby dubs, make lots of undeclared income and cut into their alcohol revenue.  Of course the government is against competition.

Answer 9

Money, money!  MONEY!

Seriously, if the farmers all made it themselves, how would anybody make any money off of them?

Answer 10

I don't think it matters if the farmer is big or small, fat or skinny.