USDA using cow pies to send renewable energy message

Reusing manure is no new trick for agricultural workers who have long used the excreted waste to accelerate growth in cropland and forage land. A USDA agreement, however, may recognize a new use for cow pies in an effort to reduce emissions by dairy workers.

A memorandum of understanding between three major players in dairy farming (the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the USDA and dairy producers) announced the goal to help accelerate a 25% reduction in gas emissions by 2020. With advancements in energy producing technology and increased societal knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions, now is the time, more than ever for the three parties to commit to a change.

Each player in the memorandum will have an important role in implementing the change, and each will help drive the goal at different stages along the way, but perhaps most important, is the role of the USDA to conduct research and create awareness.

The USDA has the unique opportunity of making dairy farmers aware of the little bacteria in the anaerobic process that may be able to be used for generating renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

So how do the anaerobic digesters convert manure into a renewable resource?

According to the US Department of Energy, the anaerobic bacteria digest organic material and produce a biogas made up of primarily methane and carbon dioxide. The biogas would then be fed into a gas-fired combustion turbine to generate energy.

The process is revolutionary, considering the amount of manure produced on dairy farms (if you've ever been near one you'd know), but sadly, only 2% of dairy farmers use the renewable process. This is where the agreement begins to make sense.

The USDA, along with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, can drive the change by providing the cutting edge research and knowledge of the process, making it that much easier for a dairy farmer to not only reduce emissions, but save money at the same time.

Obviously, the USDA has a daunting task of bringing the renewable energy message to the 98% of farmers not taking advantage of anaerobic digesters. The message, however, could mean a huge reduction in greenhouse gas from a major contributor: cows.