**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATIONPURSUANT TO 17 CFR 240.13a-14(a)**

**(SECTION 302CERTIFICATION)**

 

I, Douglas Van Duyn, certify that:

 

1.                                       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-Kof Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC;

 

2.                                       Based on my knowledge, this report does notcontain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the periodcovered by this report;

 

3.                                       Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC, as of, and for, the periodspresented in this report;

 

4.                                       Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC’s othercertifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintainingdisclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-15(e)) for Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC, and have:

 

a)              Designed such disclosure controls andprocedures or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designedunder our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to LakeArea Corn Processors, LLC, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is madeknown to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period inwhich this report is being prepared;

 

b)             Evaluated the effectiveness of Lake Area CornProcessors, LLC’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in thisreport our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls andprocedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on suchevaluation; and

 

c)              Disclosed in this report any changes in LakeArea Corn Processors, LLC’s internal control over financial reporting thatoccurred during Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC’s most recent fiscal quarterthat has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, LakeArea Corn Processors, LLC’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

5                                          Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC’s othercertifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluationof internal control over financial reporting, to Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC’sauditors and the audit committee of Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC’s board of managers(or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a)                                      All significant deficiencies and materialweaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financialreporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Lake Area CornProcessors, LLC’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation; and

 

b)                                     Any fraud, whether or not material, thatinvolves management or other employees who have a significant role in Lake AreaCorn Processors, LLC’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date:  |   March 29, 2006 |                    | /s/ Douglas Van Duyn |   |
|--------|---------------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------|--------|
|   |                            | Chief Executive Officer |
|   |                            |                    |

 

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