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  Comments from Vermont

  Agreed there are some major environmental offenders in Agriculture, but I believe offenders are a minority across the US farm base.  For example the farms I am working with in Vermont are very interested in protecting the environment we all share.  All of the farms thus far have proven to be strong environmental stewards, and they are looking to anaerobic digesters and renewable energy production as a means to reduce farm odors, to reduce pathogens in the manure, reduce weed seeds so they can cut down on herbicide use, change the manure nutrient chemistry so liquid manure can be applied to growing crops, and to offset fossil fuel purchases for heat and hot water on the farm among other fringe benefits.

  One concern I have with the author of the Times editorial opinion is that she lumps direct combustion of animal waste, such as poultry litter, and conversion of animal waste to biodiesel in her argument against farm waste to energy projects.  These technologies are not widespread in the US, and I only know of one poultry waste combustion plant in the country.  She touts the negative environmental impacts of a variety of technologies as evidence that farm waste to energy is a bad thing for America.  The fact is there is a growing farm population that is utilizing anaerobic digestion to effectively address the environmental concerns she raises in her article.  

  The author talks about how subsidies are hurting the family farm.  In Vermont, all we have are family farms, even if they have 2,000 cows!  And the economics are changing so rapidly that the 2003 University of Minnesota work cited in her article reveals assumptions which are 300% out of synch with current economics, particularly here in Vermont for cost effectiveness.  Economic cost effectiveness improvements are one consequence of the subsidies critisized by the author.On Is poo power sustainable? Depends on scale. posted 3 years, 8 months ago 9 Responses