JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A switch in the type of gas that Missourians pump into their cars could make Jim McClendon a richer man.

At the very least, he said, it probably would keep his farm and others in business.

The Liberal corn grower said a bill requiring that most gasoline in the state contain a 10 percent ethanol blend would pretty much ensure a consistently high demand and price for corn, which is used in the production of the renewable fuel source.

"This just reassures us it's going to be a good market," McClendon said in a telephone interview.

Gov. Matt Blunt made ethanol a priority in his State of the State address, and a similar version of the bill overwhelmingly passed the House earlier. If Blunt signs the bill, which he is expected to do, Missouri would join three other states with an ethanol-blend gasoline mandate.

The recent gasoline shortage is creating new demand for ethanol, so there are good financial opportunities for farmers who want to invest in Barton County's plant, McClendon said.

"That's one way we can use the grain we're growing, and that's a way we can market our product nationwide," McClendon said.