While browsing through some articles of Ag News today I found this amazing story of a resourceful farm in Maine. These types of things really make me proud of what I do, who my peers are, and what we can accomplish.
The article, Exeter farm uses poop to produce energy (very exciting name, I know) goes into how a dairy farm in Maine has these "mixture vessels" where they pump ALL the waste from the farm and then it produces gas, working a generator. The farm only uses about 5% of the energy it produces, selling the rest to the electrical company. Now that is some golden opportunity!
Not everyone can use this kind of system, and there may be something better out there. The initial cost of the tanks is expensive, and I can't imagine its as easy as plugging filling the tanks with waste and letting it go, but it is possible to make improvements.
We should be proud of the efficiency we are able to achieve. By having people out there who are willing to take risks, we figure out how far we can go. As producers, this is the type of thing we are capable of, and it is what we should expect from ourselves.
One theme I have stressed in many posts is representing farming to the consumers. Recently, I have found a contest put on by the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) called Faces of Farming and Ranching, which provides a great opportunity for us to gain access to the consumers, and take a prominent position in the dialogue. The contest requires an entry form and a short video for entry, and allows us to really focus on why we do what we do. Check out the other areas of the Food Dialogues website, as it is very insightful, particularly if you haven't had a chance to check it out before.
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