Guest blog for Smart Energy

By Peter Weisberg, Offset Project Analyst at The Climate Trust

09.18.09

A recent census by the USDA demonstrates that while the number of small and large farms in the United States is growing, medium-size farms are rapidly being consolidated into large-scale operations. I recently visited Smart Energy’s Farm Power digester in the Skagit Valley of Mount Vernon, Wash., and the trip reminded me of the important role medium-sized farms play in our communities. The visit inspired me to share with Smart Energy customers how your contributions are supporting family farms, in addition to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

With funding from Smart Energy customers, Farm Power recently constructed an anaerobic digester that captures methane from the manure of 1,200 cows on two dairies. The manure is converted into electricity—enough to power about 550 homes. You can tour how the digester operates in a slide show at The Climate Trust’s web site www.climatetrust.org/slideshow.html.

In addition to making renewable electricity, one of the byproducts of the digester can be processed into bedding for the cows. In return for fueling the digester with manure, Farm Power is providing Beaver Marsh Farms and Harmony Dairy with free bedding for the cows. Bedding is a significant cost to dairy farmers, and Farm Power estimates that the free bedding will save the dairies $100,000 to $200,000 every year. This cost savings is especially significant at a time when the U.S. dairy industry is suffering financially.

The Farm Power digester is one example of the innovative technologies and practices that can help keep medium-sized farms a part of our communities. This offset project never would have been implemented without the funding from Smart Energy customers. Your support is making a difference to rural economies as well as the environment.

Kevin Maas, left, and his brother, Darryl, not pictured, are the founders of Farm Power, the builder and operator of the digester. Garrett Kuipers, right, is the owner and operator of Beaver Marsh Dairy, where the digester is located.