Seneca BioEnergy Adds Agricultural Manager

Daren Jensen of Candor has joined Seneca BioEnergy, LLC as its agricultural manager.CEO Michael Coia said Jensen will be the liaison between farmers in the region and the company’s green energy complex at the former Seneca Army Depot. Jensen has an extensive background in agriculture and currently is the manager/grower at Iron Kettle Farm in Candor.At Iron Kettle, he is responsible for planning, implementing, nurturing and harvesting of specialty crops and expanding greenhouse production through seeding vegetables, annuals, herbs and perennials. He also constructs elaborate fall displays and events to be used in Iron Kettle Farm’s annual Spooktacular Pumpkin Display.Jensen, an investor in the company, is the third employee added in recent months at Seneca BioEnergy. The company recently named operations and facilities managers and Coia said that projections call for eventually creating more than 100 jobs.The company’s AgBio Facility is being developed on a 55-acre property along Route 96 in Romulus. The company is converting two former Seneca Army Depot warehouse buildings with 400,000 square feet of redevelopment space and 3,500 feet of dedicated railroad tracks.Seneca BioEnergy just completed its initial run of separating grape seeds from pomace to make grape seed oil. When operations are completely under way, Seneca BioEnergy’s products will include three types:Agriculture – Soybean and canola oil, agricultural meal and grape seed oil; Energy – Biodiesel and biomass; and Environment – Vineyard waste management and manufactured soils.Coia said Jensen’s experience and knowledge make him ideally suited to work with Seneca BioEnergy’s agricultural partners in the region.Jensen is a 1991 graduate of Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Dairy and Farm Management.He is Chairman of the Board of the Candor Emergency Squad and is a NYS Emergency Medical Technician and a member of the Candor Fire Company. He has coached baseball, T-ball and soccer with the Candor Youth Commission.Besides his work at Iron Kettle Farm, he is the Head Bus Driver and instructor for the Candor School System. Previously he was a nutritionist for Youngs Nutrition, a division of Cargill, in Roaring Spring, PA.Jensen was born and raised on his family’s dairy and crop farm in Penn Yan. In his youth, 4-H and FFA provided him a passion for NYS agriculture.Jensen can be reached at 607-765-1283 or by e-mail at [email protected] Seneca BioEnergy’s corporate office is in the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park at 500 Technology Farm Drive – Suite 12, Geneva, N.Y. 14456.