My name is Dale Larson and I live next to a cornfield in rural Ohio. My study of the problems of animal agriculture resulted in my 2006 book titled “Sustainable Agriculture through Animal Waste Management.” I have observed No-Till farming since 1995 when the first major Roundup® campaign was unleashed using genetically modified corn seed with the DNA particle of Bt (bacterium thuringensis) PLUS the Roundup® molecule including glyphosate. Glyphosate, an anti-bacterial pharmaceutical began to show its effects on native soil fauna – the bacteria, archaea, algae, protozoa, arthropods and the symbiotic fungi. Over the years the loss of these native microbes has required the increase of NPK fertilizers added to produce adequate crops. My neighbor has accommodated a dairy farmer by spreading as much manure as possible on the land. I have learned from personal experience how biogas smells. Our neighbor told my wife: “My dear, that is the smell of money” – her retort – No, it is the smell of cowshit.
What is Biogas?
Biogas is produced by the digestion of biological waste products including animal manure, vegetation, and even lignocellulosic materials. In a controlled technical process, the carbohydrates that remain in the manure as undigested feed are converted into carbon dioxide CO2 (about 40%) and methane CH4 the remaining 60%. All mammals have an anatomical system replicated by the functions of the bacteria used in a controlled digester vessel. The effluent is separated into solids and liquids. The controlled reaction that takes place within the digester vessel prevents the escape of any of the gas into the atmosphere.
Because Biogas has such a high content of non-combustible CO2 its fuel value and therefore its price is only 60% of that on natural gas. Except in areas where natural gas is not available biogas is not a competitive fuel. Some farmers may use it because they can modify a CNG engine system for short haul equipment to use farm-produced fuel on which they pay no road taxes.
The graphic shows the open field time when liquid manure can be lawfully spread, about four months of the year during which time the production of manure is relentlessly building up in lagoon storage. The open field interval varies with weather conditions, affected by rain, snow, frozen ground and other factors. For example, our 1,500 cow herd with a ‘finished’ flush-down solids content of around 15% generates about 600,000 gallons monthly. With a steady daily output, the annual accumulation of liquid manure will total out at close to six million gallons by the end of the year, including the time/weather permitted withdrawal for field applications. When that lagoon begins to overflow, desperation dumping takes place, fowling waterways.
The Ohio Biogas Facility has the capacity to process 376 tons per day of raw manure. The size of the plant requires that as many as ten CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) be agglomerated to provide the raw manure flow required by the plant.
• There never needs to be another manure lagoon overflow resulting in desperation dumping.
• The surplus NPK nutrients (that is the excess of dumping over actual plant nutrient uptake) will be exported off the farm to other locations where an organic fertilizer can be substituted for costly chemicals.
The result of all this is that our waterways are returned to a more pristine state with the revival of native fauna – frogs, crawfish, turtles, and fish as well as aquatic insects. This will result in a return of birdlife and native small animals.
Even better, the quality of our drinking water will improve with each new farmer addition to the supply of OHFC Biogas Facilities.
More info: ohiohealthyfood.com
