I recently saw some plans for a small capacity methane digester that manufactures methane gas and reduced fertile sludge from animal fecal wastes. An environmentalist that I work with was discussing the design of the small system with me and we both got to wondering about possible applications in the cofinement farming industry. Could a system possibly be designed to accomodate the sewage produced by an average sized confinment farm, thereby producing usable natural gas and fertilizer while reducing atmospheric polllutants. Municipal waste treatment plants already use techniques similar to this, why not these farms? Seems like it would be a benificial middle ground compromise toward solving a couple of problems. What are some of your thoughts on this?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Answers

Yep, I've heard of them. And what you're proposing sounds like a great idea to me. I've often wondered why hog confinement lots (we're innundated by them around here) don't produce their own methane... There was a recent article in our local Ag Innovation newspaper on a dairy farmer here in Minnesota that's producing methane from his dairy cows. Here's a link to the article:

Cow Power: As America feels the energy crunch, a central Minnesota dairy farm generates more than enough electricity from an anaerobic manure digester.

‘Bug’ boost for ethanol
Manure to methane: does it pay?
For digester farmer wannabes

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Jay, and Jim; I read about his a lot back in the late 70's/early 80's. Seems to me there were some articles in TMEN about it, but not sure when and where. I always thought it would be a great idea and wonder why the big confinement (and little confinement) operations don't use them - seems to me the gas produced could have multiple uses around the farm. The only local sewer plant I am familiar with (and that's from many moons back) just had a valve where they burned off the gas as it was produced. What a waste!! We don't produce enough manure (human or animal) around here to justify even a small digester; but I do think it is an idea whose time has come, especially for farming operations, as you said.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

I just heard a story on Wisc. public radio about a dairy farmer with 3000 cows who just set one of these up. They generate about 40 gallons of manure a minute and the methane generated from the manure is used to produce electricity---about 800KW/hr

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Jim,

Thanks for the links. I'll pass em on. If this can work on farms maybe a digester could be attached to lazyboy recliners and couch cushions. Just imagine the potential btu production on Superbowl Sunday alone :>)

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

ROTFLMAO!

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Geez, is it all you guys!!? Hubby keeps saying if he could put a toilet and a fridge in his Lazy-Boy; all would be right in the world. Men!! I just don't get it....;o)

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Polly,

My wife describes men as "If it itches, we scratch it". All I know for sure is we solved the old "seat" problem in our house by everybody putting both, the seat and lid down when finished so nobody gets any advantage :>)

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Keeps things from falling in, too!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001