Cow poo into power
For most farms, manure is a pungent problem. At Homestead Dairy, it smells like money.
The family-run American farm invested in a biogas recovery system which transforms cow poo and other waste intoelectricity.
Enough electricity, in fact, to power 1,000 homes, a service which the local utility company pays for handsomely.
But that's just a side benefit.
"It works economically, but one of the main reasons we did it was to try to help take care of the odor control for the neighbors," said Floyd Houin, whose family has owned the farm in Plymouth, Indiana since 1945.
"The land's important to us also because we produce a crop for feeding cows. So we want to do everything we can to take care of the land and the water. We drink the same water as everyone else."
Livestock farms typically store their effluent in open lagoons and the stench does not make them very popular with the neighbors.
The lagoons also have a significant environmental impact because they emit methane and carbon dioxide—major contributors to climate change—and can sully the groundwater if they leak or overflow during heavy rains.
Setting up an anaerobic digester—essentially a giant shed that uses heat to speed up decomposition—captures both the smell and the greenhouse gases.
Power one million homes
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than three million tons ofgreenhouse gas emissions were eliminated last year by Homestead and the 246 other US livestock farms which have installed biogas recovery systems.
That's equivalent to taking more than 630,000 cars off the road.
There are about 8,000 dairy and hog farms in the United States which are large enough to make a biogas recovery system viable.
The EPA estimates they could generate enough electricity to power over a million homes and cut emissions by the equivalent of taking nearly four million cars off the road.
Farmer Ryan Rogers shows the rich fertilizer which comes out of an anaerobic digester used to treat manure at Homestead Dairy in Plymouth, Indiana
Biogas recovery is also being used to capture methane from landfills andsewage treatment plants and even at craft beer companies.
"The federal government is really committed to seeing progress in this sector," said Allison Costa, program manager for the EPA's AgStar unit.
"Widespread investment and adoption could help us make significant inroads in helping us address some of our environmental and energy challenges."
The problem is the financing, Costa said. There's a huge upfront cost and most utility companies in the United States won't pay enough for the electricity to make the project appealing to a bank loan officer.
It also requires a lot of maintenance, which many farms don't have the manpower to manage. But when it works, Costa said, it really works.
"We've seen a lot of farms expand and build a second one," she told AFP.
"You just have to have someone willing to love that digester and take care of it."
Ryan Rogers, 31, loves his digester.
"There's so many (good) things, you forget them all," said Rogers, who married into the Homestead family and spends about four hours a day on digester maintenance and management.
Controlling the smell from the 70,000 gallons of manure and urine produced every day by the dairy's 3,400 cows clearly tops the list.
Then of course, there's the crops. The digester does a much better job of turning the manure into fertilizer, which means a better yield from the farm's 4,500 acres of corn.
Once that nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer is extracted, what's left makes for some nice soft bedding for the cows.
And instead of spending money to manage the manure, soon they'll be making money off it.
Recover cost in five years
The family managed to get a grant to help cover some of the cost of the facility and a favorable contact with the local power company which was looking to expand its renewable energy supplies.
They bring in extra income—and fuel for the generators—by charging restaurants and food processing plants a lower rate to dump their waste than the local landfill.
It will probably only take about five years until the initial investment is fully paid off, Rogers said. And it's working so well they're planning to build a second facility.
"It's definitely a growing field within the United States," said Mike Fenton of Michigan CAT, which sold the Caterpillar generators used by Homestead and helps them to maintain the system.
The European market is much more advanced because there are so many more subsidies available and the cost of electricity is so much higher, he said.
While US farmers may balk at the initial cost—a system like the one at Homestead would run around $6 million—Fenton said it's a good investment. Most farms can pay it off and start making a profit within three to five years.
"It's a proven technology that works really well," he told AFP.
Read more at:
Name: ______Date: ______Class Period: _____
Turning Cow Poo into Power
Agricultural Literacy
Directions: Retrieve the article entitled, “Turning Cow Poo into Power is Profitable for U.S. Farm” from After reading the article, determine the BEST answer for each of the following questions. Write the letter of the best answer in the blank.
1. _____ What happens to the electricity that is produced by Homestead Dairy?
A. It is used to convert manure into fertilizer.
B. It is used to power 246 other farms.
C. It is sold to the local utility company.
D. It is used to power the farm’s tractors and combines.
2. _____ The article mentions several places where methane gas is being captured and used for energy. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
A. LandfillsB. Sewage treatment plantsC. Beer companies D. Paper mills
3. _____ What is an anaerobic digester?
A. A power plant that runs off fossil fuels.
B. A power plant that runs off methane gas.
C. A place where heat is used to make waste decompose quickly.
D. A place where electricity is used to remove odor from methane gas.
4. _____ Which of the following statements BEST describes Homestead Dairy?
A. It is a large, diversified farm made up of thousands of acres and more than one product.
B. It is a small family farm that has been producing milk and dairy products since 1845.
C. It is an experimental farm run by the agriculture extension office of Indiana University.
D. It is an experimental farm owned and operated by the United States Department of Agriculture.
5. _____ The article says, “Livestock farms typically store their effluent in open lagoons and the stench does not make them very popular with the neighbors.” Effluent means
A. spoiled animal feedB. wealthC. foul-smelling gasD. flowing waste
6. _____ MATH CONNECTION. According to the article, 247 U.S. livestock farms have installed biogas recovery systems and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to removing 630,000 cars from the road. About how many cars is that per farm with a biogas recovery system?
A. 25,500 carsB. 2,550 carsC. 300 carsC. .03 cars
7. _____ MATH CONNECTION. Based on the answer to Number 6, if the remaining 8,000 dairy and hog farms large enough to have a biogas recovery system started using one, how many more cars would be “removed” from the roads?
A. 20,400,000 carsB. 2,400,000 carsC. 24,000 carsD. 240 cars
8. _____ According to Allison Costa, what keeps more farmers from installing biogas recovery systems?
A. The biogas recovery system is not profitable for most livestock farmers.
B. There aren’t enough agriculture engineers who understand how biogas recovery systems work.
C. The startup costs are very high and it is hard for farmers to get financing from banks.
D. Farmers are more concerned about food crops than they are about protecting the environment.
9. _____ About how much does it cost to start up a new biogas recovery system?
A. $ 5,000 B. $56,000C. $ 600,000D. $6 million
10. _____ According to the article, why are there more anaerobic digester systems in Europe than in the United States?
A. There are more livestock farms in Europe than in the United States.
B. Electricity is more expensive in Europe and there are more subsidies available for farmers.
C. Europeans are more concerned about the environment than Americans are.
D. Caterpillar generators used to produce electricity from methane are manufactured in Europe.
11. _____ How does Homestead Dairy attract local restaurants and food processing plants to dispose of their waste at the Homestead Dairy anaerobic processor?
A. They sell dairy products to the restaurants at a discounted price.
B. They provide the restaurants with electricity at a discounted price.
C. They charge less to dispose of the waste than the local landfill does.
D. They advertise their commitment to clean air and water.
12. _____ In addition to electricity, what useful byproducts are created by anaerobic digesters?
A. mineral water and hayseed mix
B. methane gas and high octane biodiesel
C. high protein chicken feed and mineral supplements
D. livestock bedding and liquid fertilizer
13. _____ Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The Environmental Protection Agency will fund the total cost of anaerobic digesters in California.
B. A farm that invests in an anaerobic digester can expect to have it paid off in about five years.
C. Anaerobic digesters are low-maintenance machines that need servicing about once per month.
D. Most utility companies in the U.S. are willing to pay extra for electricity from an anaerobic digester.
14. _____ According to the article, what was the main reason Homestead Dairy began using an anaerobic digester?
A. The dairy needed an inexpensive source of electricity to run their milking machines.
B. The dairy company needed extra income when the price of milk dropped.
C. The dairy owners were concerned about the air quality for their neighbors.
D. The dairy owners were chosen by the EPA to try out the new technology.
15. _____ Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the main idea of the article?
A. U.S. cattle farms can turn cow manure into electricity and make a profit.
B. The EPA is starting a new grant program that will purchase anaerobic digesters for farmers.
C. Soon American cars will run off the electricity that is generated by burning cow manure.
D. Anaerobic digesters are the best way to control the smell of cow manure.
OPEN RESPONSE
Using specific information from the article, explain two reasons the use of open lagoons for animal manure is a problem. Then explain two reasons the use of anaerobic digesters is likely to increase.