**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) or 14(a)**

 

I, Robert J. Ferguson,certify that:

 
| 1.     | I have reviewed this  Form 10-Q of Heron Lake BioEnergy, LLC                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit  to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of  the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with  respect to the period covered by this report;             |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the  financial statements, and other financial information included in this  report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,  results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the  periods presented in this report;                                |
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| 4.     | The registrant’s other  certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and  maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act  Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:                                                                      |
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Designed such disclosure  controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to  be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information  relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made  known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period  in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Evaluated the  effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and  presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report  based on such evaluation; and, |
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|   | c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Disclosed in this report  any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that  occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s  fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially  affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s  internal control over financial reporting; and, |
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| 5.     | The registrant’s other  certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent  evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s  auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or  persons performing the equivalent functions): |
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|   | a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | All significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal  control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely  affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report  financial information; and |
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|   | b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Any fraud, whether or not  material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant  role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |

 

 
| Date: March 17,2009 | /s/  Robert J. Ferguson                                                              |
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|                     | Robert J. Ferguson,  President and Chief Executive Officer  (Principal Executive Officer) |

 

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