B3-Sal-BC-2-Roberts-Compatibility-Mode

Solving Critical Issues for Small & Mid-Sized Mid Sized Farms Critical Issues in Agriculture Water Quality Pollution Source: U.S Rivers Agriculture Land Disposal 64% Construction Hydromodification Urban Runoff U.S Lakes Sil i lt Silviculture Resource Extraction 57% Other Ot e National Research Council, 1993 Critical Issues in Agriculture Energy • Power consumption on small farms is disproportionate to size • Small farms gain more by producing their own power • Power production ‘on the farm, for the farm’ makes sense! E Energy D Demand: d 60 Cow C D Dairy i 12 kW Energy Demand: 400 Cow Dairy 25 kW Mehta, A., 2002 Univ of Wisconsin Smaller Farms: Problem and Market State Dairy Herd Size 500 Total 918 80 210 620 075 1,075 903 2,903 1597 980 450 100 28 3,155 457 550 270 65 17 1,359 Minnesota 2793 2700 660 230 65 6,448 New York 2975 2700 1100 430 170 7,375 Ohio 2962 1100 470 140 29 701 4,701 Pennsylvania 5110 3300 980 280 43 9,713 571 866 678 595 136 2,115 7566 7100 1900 700 189 17,455 19,376 6,718 3,160 1,752 55,224 Iowa Illinois Washington Wisconsin Total 24,949 Anaerobic Digesters for Smaller Dairies Biogas Outlet Inlet Effl Effluent t Digestion Zone • Low materials and operation costs, • Scaled to the small farm, • Provide fuel for heat & power, • With nutrient management equipment Prototyping – Bench Scale Intervale Foundation Foundation, Burlington Burlington, VT Prototype – “Champ” Prototyping Intervale Foundation Foundation, Burlington Burlington, VT Prototype Wetlands Modules Duckweed Pond B Constructed Wetland Duckweed Pond A Clarifier Separator AVATA R Pilot Digester Schematic Boiler Gas Scrubber Effluent Tank Genset Solids Separator Heating Tank Digester Hulls Digested Solids Direct Return Ret rn Manure Lagoon Digested Liquids Waste Water Storage Chopper Pump Indirect Return Greenhouse (f (future) ) Trickle Filters Pilot System: Materials Flow Manure Bi G BioGas Nitrate-rich Liquid Digested Di t d Solids P-rich Sludge Pilot System: Foote Farm Farm, Charlotte, Charlotte VT Outlet Inlet Partnerships and Collaborations: • University y of Vermont • Work study students • Graduate students • Undergraduate Senior Project • Part-time students • Non-Profit Non Profit “Umbrella” Umbrella • Intervale Foundation • Partnerships with NPOs Establishing Contacts • Direct contact with peers, work pool, grantors – Agencies, NPOs, Institutions – White Whit P Papers’’ – Presentations • Partner with organizations i ti – Space for prototyping, – Mutual benefits to program profile Grant Writing: A fishing trip G t to Get t know… k • Grantor’s priorities • Grantor’s perspective Then tie the fly Then, fly… • Find the alignment between your work/interests and the grantor’s –State it succinctly, y then believe in it! Grant Writing Then, tie the fly… • Background: g set the stage g • Make your case! Finally, set the hook… • Describe your ‘measurables’ –But, keep them real! Funding Sources Start locally: • State agencies g and NGOs • Vermont Agency of Agriculture, DNR, DPS • Federal F d l agencies i h have state t t llevell offices ffi • EPA, NRCS • Regional initiatives that support R&D • SARE, SARE Lake Champlain Basin Program Program, NYSERDA Funding Sources • Federal Agencies – EPA, USDA, DOE, NSF, NOAA, – Monitor agencies’ grant programs • Partner, but with care! Agency and organizational interests may not fit your plan: – Personal agendas or preconceptions – Politics (Egos and reputations to maintain) Pitfalls and Complications • Partnerships: Priorities that aren’t aligned • Finding workspace at a reasonable cost • Finding Fi di affordable, ff d bl quality lit staffing t ffi grantors • Getting feedback from grantors g interest, but no funding g • Finding »Stick with it!!! Lessons learned • Take photos of everything ã Keep formal notebooks ặ Patent Protection • Meet with the public Ỉ Staffing, g etc • Leverage grants for additional dditi l ffunding di • Build a prototype Ỉ Data Hiring the Academy Velocity Vectors in Inlet Region (m/s) William Luisos & Prof Darren Hitt From Concept to Implementation Commercial 2008 - 09 Full-scale Pilot 2005 - 07 Prototype Bench Experiment Concept 2003 2003 2003 - 04 From Concept to Implementation Commercial Full-scale Pilot Prototype y Bench Experiment Concept Investor Interest Grant Availability From Concept to Implementation Commercial Full-scale Pilot Prototype y Bench Experiment Concept Investor Interest Grant Availability Acknowledgements Intervale Staff, Interns and Volunteers: • Kurt Muller • Lindsey y Ketchell y • Kevin Kennedy • Erin Kenny • Erik Wells • Jason McCune • Jen Bridgewater • Christopher Miller • Rosalie Wilson • Rob Croker • Andrea O’Conner • Geoff Miller • Adam Sherman • Joseph Fialco • Judy Belval • Gaye Symington University of Vermont: State & other Agencies: • Allen Matthews • Prof John Todd • Jessica Clark • Ryan Crehan • Roelof R l fB Boumans Avatar Staff: Collaborators: • Vermont’s Alternative Energy Corporation • Foster Brothers Farm • Rob Achilles Engineer, Dept of Agriculture • Dan Scrutin Agent, Dept of Agriculture • Jeff Forward Biomass Energy Resouce Center • Jason McCune-Sanders • Janet Stolowitz • Cyrus House y • Kevin Kennedy • Nick DuBois • Krista Florio Funders: The Lake Champlain Basin Program The USDA/DOE Biomass Research and Development Initiative Th V The Vermontt Methane M th Project P j t The Waterwheel Foundation Vermont Alternative Manure Management Program • Ryan Crehan • Ryan Koloski • Pearson McCracken • Eve Lopez