Recent reports rolling out of California might leave the average person believing that digesters on animal facilities are on their way out. First, there is the battle over which is more damaging to air quality – the natural emissions from anaerobic digestion in lagoons or the emissions from the generators that turn methane into power.

Methane digesters have recently come under fire in California. Once seen as a viable option for helping producers deal with problems associated with manure management, the engines used to convert biogas into electricity have come under fire as an unwelcome source of emissions many air boards are clamping down on. Without the ability to generate additional income or offset energy use at the dairy, many had considered digesters a dying part of manure management.

Can dairy farmers capture energy contained in manure produced by their cows and improve their operation’s sustainability, profitability and public image?

Making electricity is more than flipping a switch or trapping gas. Indeed, the process takes much longer than many hope for, and with all the responsibilities on the farm to take care of, it’s a process that demands more time than a producer has. What are the steps to getting your digester hooked up to the grid? And who should you work with to get your methane making money?

Carbon credits – their creation, how they will impact the struggling economy – are not only generating buzz and discussion online, but action on several fronts. Washington State’s governor has proposed a statewide, cap-and-trade; California and other states have either enacted or are currently evaluating similar legislation; and, for the first time, a proposed federal budget includes a revenue line item generated from a national cap-and-trade system seeking to limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The addition of anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization or sale (hereafter a biogas system) to a dairy or other livestock operation can significantly reduce odor problems and possibly increase net farm income. In addition, it can substantially reduce the emission of methane.

Amidst the calls that there should be a Greenhouse Gas Tax on ruminant animals (meaning cows; not meaning goats, rice, termites or water buffalo), exciting research is being done genetically to address the issue.

If I remember right, Vince Lombardi said it (if I have his name wrong, blame my son-in-law). The immortal quote goes something like this: “It doesn’t matter what the coach thinks. But if the coach can make the football player think that he can do a job, then there is no stopping him!”

Over the last several months I have discussed with many people the pros and cons of biotechnology. I have sat in lectures, read a number of papers and listened to parties debate back and forth on this subject.

What crops gain the most with alfalfa rotations?
“We are primarily in dry-land country, so we use alfalfa in rotation with our wheat acres. It has been great as a soil-builder in addition to providing cheap nitrogen.