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Penn State University held its first Digester Day at the Snider Agriculture Arena on July 21, 2021. The event was put together by Daniel Ciolkosz and Siobhan Fathel of Penn State Extension, who wanted to provide a place for people interested in anaerobic digestion to connect.
Digesters are gaining popularity among dairy farms for several reasons. Not only do digesters reduce odor of manure and leave less of a residue, but they also help the condition of the soil.
The past two years have seen a surge in new digester construction, predominantly for production of renewable natural gas (RNG) sold into the California vehicle fuel market.
As dairy farmers look for ways to diversify and add value, many are seeing the benefits of using manure as a revenue source. In its various forms, manure processed in an anaerobic digester can be used on the farm or sold. While it has its unique challenges, it can serve as livestock bedding or be used to produce electricity and natural gas.
Public policy is increasingly evolving to reduce or divert waste from limited landfill space. One way to accomplish this is by reducing the many tons of organic waste such as food processing waste, food scraps, and spoiled fruits and vegetables that are landfilled annually.
Forty percent of food in this country is wasted. At the same time, nearly 2.8 million New Yorkers struggle to have enough to eat. Food also makes up 18% of New York state’s solid waste stream and is filling up landfills.
Concern is worldwide about how to control the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), and are expressed as CO2 equivalents (CO2 eq.).
For some time, anaerobic digesters for nutrient management and clean energy have been discussed and utilized. However, much of the dairy industry is still unfamiliar with these beneficial systems.
