March 18^th is National Agriculture Day!

Ag Day brings together farmers, corporations, associations, and more, to celebrate the contributions provided by farming in the United States.

Agriculture Day offers a look into how the farming industry helps maintain a strong national economy. Really, it’s pretty easy to tick off the benefits of farming. It gives us food, maintains healthy soil, and employs people in industries from food science to education and urban planning.

Did you know that farmers and agriculture can also create clean renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions?

Farm work generates a lot of biomass residues – stalks, branches, fruit pits, straw, and, of course, animal waste among them. Oftentimes these remnants are left out in the field to reduce erosion and recycle the nutrients back into the soil.

Savvy farmers take this agricultural waste and manure and turn it into clean energy for their property via anaerobic digestion. All organic waste creates methane gas as it decomposes. Typically, this happens in an open-air landfill, allowing the harmful gasses to contaminate the atmosphere.

During anaerobic digestion, methane gas is captured, rather than released into the atmosphere, and converted to electricity, natural gas and radiant heat. This heat and power can be used onsite to run the digestion facilities.

Or, farms can generate enough electricity to operate “off the grid” with a renewable energy source to fuel barns, outbuildings, processing facilities and even nearby residential neighborhoods.

Imagine the possibilities! And read more about our anaerobic digestion services.