Moving manure from a cost to a benefit

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is committed to identifying, and helping to develop technologies that will integrate all of the nutrient management activities on the farm, addressing the environmental issues, while making manure into an income generator for the farm.

In 1999, with the help of Senator Jim Jeffords who secured the funding, the Vermont Public Service Department, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets embarked on a joint venture to look at why anaerobic digesters were not in widespread use on farms. The initial thought was to build a few demonstration sites, but it quickly was shifted to a more strategic approach. What were the obstacles and questions that needed to be answered before more systems would be used? Why did the systems built in the late 1970's and early 1980's fail at such a high rate? The mission was to identify, and help overcome, the strategic hurdles to widespread adoption of agricultural methane recovery and use technologies.

Below are papers that can be downloaded that will help with alternative manure management decisions. Check back often for more information as it becomes available: Dan Scruton prepared a white paper looking at the current state of anaerobic digesters. This was a first look that would help the project set direction.

WHITE PAPER METHANE PROJECT.PDF

Jeff Fehrs was asked to investigate the digestible resources in Vermont. Dairy manure is the largest available resource.

METHANE RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.PDF

Stephen Hoyt did a resource project looking at the practicality of attached growth as a digester option. It was shown that reduced retention times was possible but the manure had to be screened to work with the design tested.

ATTACHEDGROWTH.PDF

The St. Albans Bay region of Vermont is an area with a large number of cows in a close geographic location. The Agency, along with the Economic Development Council of Northern Vermont has been co-coordinating an effort to look for a viable use for the manure resource while returning a benefit to the farmers. Below is an initial report by Spencer Bennett.

ST ALBANS BAY BENNETT REPORT.PDF

For more information, contact Dan Scruton at dan@agr.state.vt.us