Ear corn is picked from corn fields by ear corn harvesters and transported to a central shelling station associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility. Shelled corn from the central shelling station is processed into ethanol at the ethanol manufacturing facility, and corn cobs from the central shelling station are burned to provide process heat for the ethanol manufacturing process. Energy is conserved and costs are reduced during the picking and shelling of the ear corn and by the burning of cobs for process heat.