Jul. 23—Midland Farms is coming to a part of Pulaski County near you soon.

That was the message Thursday at the most recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Somerset, whose speakers for the day were from Continental Refining Company (CRC) and Midland Farms, two associated businesses under the banner of entrepreneur Demetrios Haseotes' company Hemisphere Limited LLC.

Miranda Cundiff, Midland Farms store manager at the current Oak Hill Road location, and Nyna Lyle, marketing director for Hemisphere Limited, told those at the meeting that Midland Farms is planning on opening up three new locations in this area: one on U.S. 27 next to the Bob Evans Restaurant, one in the former IGA store on East Ky. 80 near Pumphouse Road, and a full truck stop on Ky. 461.

"It's supposed to have a rest area, showers — they're wanting to do the whole nine," said Cundiff of the truck stop. "Both of the other convenience stores will have the diesel pumps, the gas pumps, it'll have the car wash."

The truck stop will likely take a year or more to be completed, while the other two locations are expected to open sooner.

The two also talked about CRC's "Go and Grow" program, which utilizes their unique biofuel technology. CRC will utilize local businesses to provide soybean feedstock that will be refined into biodiesel fuels to support the farm, school and community fuel needs of Pulaski County and surrounding regions.

"You can accumulate rewards and you can pay right there; it's a debit card and then it's also a rewards card, you only need one card," said Lyle. "This is the vision: When farmers come to sell their beans to to us at CRC, they will also accumulate a point system at CRC, and they will be able to redeem those points in order to buy fuel at CRC and bring that back to the farm with them."

She added that if the farmers want to take those points and go to local company Warner Fertilizer to buy that product, they can do that, or they can use them at Midland Farms or the attached Liquor Emporium store.

"It's basically a rewards program that stays right here locally in our area for farmers, industrial companies and commercial-residential," said Lyle.

Added Cundiff, "That's our goal, for everything to stay local."

The two showed a presentation referencing Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, and quoting him as saying over a century ago that the diesel engine "can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which will use it." With its biodiesel fuel production, CRC is building on that idea to produce a clean-burning alternate fuel produced from domestic and renewable resources that can be used in diesel engines with little or no modifications. Most major U.S. automakers accept the use of up to B20 blends in their diesel engines, according to CRC.

"We're hoping to become energy independent here in this location," Lyle told those assembled for the meeting Thursday at the Mellow Mushroom Restaurant in Somerset, "especially with everything that's going on."

The two also talked about the assortment of popular food offerings available at the Midland Farms convenience store, and about Haseotes' commitment to the community.

"His heart and soul is in this area," said Lyle. "He loves this place, and that's why he's investing so much money here."