Western NY Farm Powers Up on Manure, Wastewater and Food Scraps

By LESLIE SHELDON
Empire Farm & Dairy magazine

PAVILION — Not much goes to waste at Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County.
 

Noblehurst Farms anaerobic digester.

An anaerobic digester is processing the farm’s manure, waste water and milk, and food scraps from stores, restaurants and universities to generate enough energy to power its dairy farm and creamery.
 
Noblehurst, a 1,750-cow dairy farm, built its first digester in 2001-02.
 
“We liked the ability to reduce or eliminate our electricity costs on the dairy and to reduce the odor in the manure,” said Chris Noble, who is Noblehurst’s vice president and an eighth-generation farmer. “We were also able to convert some of the effluent from the digester into bedding for the animals.”
 
Noblehurst Farms is a multi-family business that has 31 shareholders ranging in ages from 26 to 88 with 17 of those shareholders involved in the farm or affiliated businesses.
 
About 40 employees work at Noblehurst Farms, which also raises 1,400 head of youngstock.
 
The farm harvests about 3,000 acres of corn for silage and grain, alfalfa haylage, wheat and triticale.
 
Noble is involved in the financial side of the business. He has responsibility as the manager of Craigs Station Ventures, a joint venture with DFA in Craigs Station Creamery, Noblehurst Green Energy, which involves the anaerobic digester, and Natural Upcycling, a food waste collection partnership.
 
A fire in 2011 destroyed the generator portion of the original digester. During 2013-14 the farm built its second digester, which was larger and was designed to accept various types of food waste.
 
“We thought that was an important feature of the new digester so that we could add income (in the form of tipping fees) that would help further offset the cost of the system,” Noble said.
 
Natural Upcycling collects food waste from more than 30 Wegmans locations in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse areas.
 
Natural Upcycling works with other composting and digester sites, notably Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency in Syracuse where the Wegmans food scraps are destined. They collect from a variety of other customers as well, universities, food manufacturers, restaurants, etc.

“We process approximately 10-12 tons per day of food scraps and packaged food waste at the digester,” Noble said. That food waste would normally go to a landfill.

The digester’s generator produces approximately 450 kilowatts of power (per hour?). That electricity powers 100 percent of the dairy farm’s needs and 100 percent of Craigs Station Creamery’s needs, Noble said. During certain times of the year the farm also sells some power back to National Grid.

Noble said the farm has considered other sources of producing energy. They have solar panels on the the roof of the dairy’s milking parlor and the creamery for generating energy to heat hot water.
 
“We have looked at both solar and wind power but biogas-fueled power offers the best bang for our buck based on electricity produced per kilowatt hour produced,” Noble said.

Funding and assistance

“Anaerobic digesters support New York’s nation-leading energy strategy to incorporate energy efficiency and renewable energy into business operations to lower energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” a NYSERDA spokesman said. 

“Through the use of clean energy technologies, farms across the state are helping the state reduce its carbon footprint and protect our environment for generations to come,” the spokesman said.

Noble said the best source of information for others considering implementing digesters is from farmers who have already installed them.
 
“They would be able to tell you what works and doesn’t work,” Noble said. “Cornell University PRO-Dairy has a great team of people with vast knowledge of these systems.”

The digester itself does not really get rid of the manure – only about 3-4 percent is consumed by the process. itself.

Western New York Farm Wins Sustainability Award

News from the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council:

Seen holding the award is Chris Noble with his wife Jennifer, family members Rob and Terri Noble (far left), and Sustainability Award host Phil Lempert

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has recognized Noblehurst Farms Inc. in Linwood, Livingston County, with an award for Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships as part of the organization’s fifth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. 

The awards program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and partnerships whose sustainable practices positively impact the health and well-being of consumers, communities, animals and the environment.

Noblehurst Farms was recognized with the community partnership award for its food waste cooperative, which was created by Chris Noble. Noble represents the seventh generation of leadership at Noblehurst Farms, where he holds the title of vice president. 

Noble had the vision to do the right thing with food waste by getting it out of landfills and back into the system. Through the cooperative, food waste and scraps from Wegmans Food Markets stores, as well as universities and schools, are gathered and delivered to a digester at the dairy farm that harvests methane gas from the food scraps and manure to create electricity, liquid fertilizer for crops, and dry materials that can be used for animal bedding. 

The collaborative effort not only keeps tons of food waste out of landfills, but also provides enough energy to power the entire dairy. 

“We started collecting food waste from six Wegmans grocery stores a little more than two years ago,” Noble said. “While Wegmans does a simply phenomenal job with its food donation program, in the end, there’s still food that can’t be eaten by people – things like melon rinds or orange peels. That’s where we come in.

"Currently we’re taking in food waste from more than 30 Wegmans stores throughout Western and Central Through its food scraps collection affiliate Natural Upcyling, Noblehurst Farms and its food waste recycling partners divert 500 tons of waste from local landfills per month, eliminating 409 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking 1,046 cars off the road.

“We truly value our partnership with Noblehurst and all the benefits it offers to everyone involved and throughout the community," said Jason Wadsworth, Wegmans sustainability manager. "The process is easier, safer and more efficient for our people, it reduces carbon emissions generated by landfills, helps farmers in our community achieve their sustainability goals, and creates a whole new business model for farmers and food waste haulers, adding jobs to our region."

“This is the very definition of sustainability and a project that the whole community can feel good about,” Wadsworth said.

“This year’s honorees have truly integrated sustainability into their businesses to achieve not only economic success, but also to support the well-being of their communities and our planet,” said Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center. “Their achievements throughout the value chain, both large and small,
significantly advance the dairy community’s leadership in sustainable business practices.”

For more information about Noblehurst Farms, visit www.linwoodag.com/noblehurst.html. 

To learn more about the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards, the winners and the best practices in place at their operations, The Innovation Center, established under the leadership of dairy farmers, aligns the collective resources of the industry to offer consumers nutritious dairy products and ingredients, and promote the health of people, communities, the planet and the industry.

American Dairy Association North East promotes dairy and its nutritional benefits to 50 million consumers within a six-state region including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia and four counties in northern Virginia. 

Established in March 2016, through the consolidation of
American Dairy Association and Dairy Council Inc., Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, the organization represents the collective power of more than 13,500 dairy farm families to market their products in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

New York Farm Show Opens Thursday, Feb. 20

The New York Farm Show opens at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes.

This year's event, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 20, 21 and 22, will include more than 400 exhibitors in six buildings -- Arts and Home Center, Center of Progress, Dairy, Horticulture, International Pavilion and Science.

The Farm Show also includes many seminars on a wide range of agriculture topics. Included will be 30-minute briefings in the Bistro Room of the Arts and Home Center beginning at 12:30 p.m. each day concerning changes in the recently adopted Farm Bill that will affect crop and revenue insurance options. These briefings are important because farmers must make decisions on insurance programs by the March 15 signup deadline.

These briefings are being put on by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. More details about the Farm Bill's impact also will be available at the Ag and Markets exhibit in the International Pavilion.

Some of the special displays this year include:

Robotics -- Daily Dairy Robotonomics mini-seminars put four robotic manufacturer experts on the platform.

New York Beef Producers -- Offers a pen-of-five beef improvement topics daily on cattle show fitting, fencing and handling, grazing and forage management and more.

Anaerobic Digesters -- There could be big money available for digesters this year, so the UEM Group (AD designer) and New York State Energy and Research Development Authority and the Antares Group (NYS digester ombudsman) are teaming up for a Dairy Anaerobic Digester Profits mini-seminar at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 (Friday) at the show.

New York Forest Owners Association -- Offers many workshops during the show on 14 topics ranging from forest/woodlot management, market outlook, low-impact harvesting, portable sawmills, wildlife habitat, feral pigs, timber pasturing and more.

For an exhibitor list by category, go http://newyorkfarmshow.com/customPage.aspx?p=273 to this link.

Admission is $ 5 at the door; children under 18 are free. Tickets are available for free from Northeast Equipment Dealers.

Parking is free, and shuttle buses run all day to the six farm show buildings.

New York Farm Show is co-sponsored by the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association and American Agriculturist magazine. 
  

State Makes $20 Million Available for Dairy Programs

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

Nearly $21 million is being made available to farmers in New York state to help them produce renewable energy and improve their business operations.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday the money will help dairy farmers convert farm waste to energy and develop individualized business and environmental plans to reduce operating costs and increase profitability. 

The funding for these efforts stem from recommendations made at Cuomo’s Yogurt Summit in 2012 to ensure the industry continues to grow and create jobs in New York state. 

In his 2014 State of the State Address, Cuomo pledged a second Yogurt Summit to identify additional economic growth opportunities within this growing sector of the economy. 

“The state is committed to creating new economic opportunities for our dairy farmers, who have helped make New York the Yogurt Capital of the nation,” Cuomo said. “With this funding, we are providing significant financial assistance to farmers so they can cut their energy costs, increase efficiencies in their operations, and develop plans to expand their businesses and contribute to cleaner communities."

Here is what is planned:

Waste-to-Energy Anaerobic Digesters

Starting Jan. 17 (Friday), $20 million will be available through NYSERDA to install anaerobic digester technology that produces renewable biogas used to produce electricity and heat from organic wastes. 

Farms, food processing manufacturers or municipal wastewater sites would be eligible for up to $2 million per project.

Biogas-to-power technology has several steps. Dairy manure and other organic wastes are pumped into digestion tanks where bacteria break down the waste, creating a methane-rich gas called biogas and a nutrient-rich effluent that can be applied to crops as fertilizer. The biogas is burned in engines to produce electricity and heat. 

Through this process, farmers can often eliminate a significant portion of the electricity they would otherwise purchase from the utility grid, and periodically export surplus electricity onto the electrical grid in exchange for credits. Furthermore, farmers can realize operational savings in other areas as well.

During the past 10 years, NYSERDA and the New York Power Authority have awarded nearly $30 million toward anaerobic digestion projects and related technology, resulting in significant energy savings to New York-based businesses while reducing the use of fossil fuel. 

Currently, this funding supports 20 operational digester projects. The digester technology funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible projects. 

Dairy Acceleration Program

Funding for the Dairy Acceleration Program (DAP) will be increased by $850,000, which is in addition to the $1 million announced by the governor this past August. 

DAP is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and DEC. DAP is resonating very positively with dairy farmers across the state, most with herds of fewer than 300 cows. 

Combined with some funding still available under the current program, this new funding will serve at least 100 more dairy farms across New York. 

Payments under DAP may include: up to $5,000 per farm to write a business plan or develop a combination of a business and facility growth plan; and up to $4,500 to update an existing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) or $6,000 to develop a new one. 

Additional funds also will be available to design farm practices described in CNMPs. CNMPs are a conservation system for animal feeding operations designed to address soil erosion and water quality concerns. 

The CNMP encompasses the storage and handling of manure as well as using and applying manure nutrients on farm land. Through DAP, the state awarded dozens of projects already for farms with an average herd of about 140 cows. 

Business planning may include financial analysis, farmstead development planning, facility planning and capital investment planning for increased milk production per cow. Environmental planning includes CNMP development and updates. Farms without an existing CNMP can hire a certified Nutrient Management planner to develop a new CNMP.

To be eligible for DAP, a dairy cattle farm must have complete financial records. Preference will be given to farms with fewer than 300 cows. DAP funding will cover up to 80 percent of a project’s cost.

To apply for DAP, visit http://ansci.cornell.edu/prodairy/dairy_acceleration/.

Cow Power -- Making Electricity from Manure

This http://cowpowerfilm.com/ video is about Vermont, but New York state is going through many of the same problems and sustainable energy efforts.

Jefferson County Farm Wins State Agricultural Environmental Management Award

News from Empire Farm Days:

The Shelmidines, Dylan, Christopher, Todd, Kaitlyn, Donald, Erik, Susan, Jessica, Devon and Doug

The Shelmidine family of Adams, Jefferson County, today received the 20th annual New York Agricultural Environmental Management Award during the NY Ag Leadership Luncheon at Empire Farm Days.

State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine presented the award to Donald, Doug and Todd Shelmidine and their families.

The AEM program aims to boost public awareness of farm efforts in preserving the environment. During the awards presentation, Aubertine said the family's commitment to conservation and the environment extends far behind the farm.

The Jefferson County dairy farms 1,650 acres of alfalfa hay, corn silage, corn for grain, soybeans and small grains – all of it supporting their 775-cow milking herd. Working closely with the Soil and Water Conservation District, Sheland Farms’ conservation and environmental protection measures go above and beyond those required for their concentrated animal feeding operation.

The family has played in key role in putting in place the state's AEM program in the Sandy Creek project. Doug has served on USDA's Agricultural Air Quality Taskforce for 10 years.

"Meeting CAFO requirement has been challenging," he said. "But our SWCD has helped us solve most problems."

The Shelmidines keep all cattle and crops "under cover" – roofs for all dairy animals, plus crop residues and cover crops on their fields. Even Sheland Farms' manure lagoon is covered. It all fits with the farm's commitment to protecting the environment.

A manure solids separator and methane digester were installed in 2007. They began composting manure solids for bedding and generating electricity from methane created in an anaerobic digester.

Close to half of the farmland is no-tilled to minimize soil compaction. The rest is minimum-tilled. Most manure nutrients are spring-applied and incorporated into the soil just ahead of planting or on spread on growing hay ground to maximize nutrient uptake and minimize nutrient losses.

The Shelmidines are active in the New York Farm Bureaus, 4-H, FFA and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association. In 2006, their farm was honored the Rural Entrepreneur of the Year award by the Small business Development Center of the State University of New York.

In 2011, it was chosen as Jefferson County SWCD's Conservation Farm.

Other 2013 finalists for the award were:

* Downing Acres, Burke, Franklin County, is 200-acre mix of hay, grazing and wood lands with a large herd of Katahdin sheep. Owners Elizabeth and Pat Downing were nominated by Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District.

* Heritage Hill Farm of Fort Ann, Washington County, Inez Mattison and family were nominated by Washington County SWCD. Heritage Hill involves 750 acres of cropland plus a 250-cow dairy herd meeting their concentrated animal feeding operation commitment.

June is Dairy Month -- Just What Can One Cow Do??

For today's June is Dairy Month feature, I found this great graphic that explains just what one dairy cow does for all of us.

It produces food and nutrients for us, deposits nutrients into the soil for other crops grown for people and animals, saves items from being deposited in landfills and even helps produce electricity.

That's a lot to ask from one bovine. And according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, there were more than 600,000 dairy cows in New York state.