There’s no avoiding this reality in farming: Energy is one of the more expensive components of raising crops and livestock. In 2006, direct energy expenditures in agriculture accounted for 5-7 percent of farm expenditures. An earlier USDA study found that nearly half the cost of production was spent for energy.
Insulation Primer from eXtension
“Insulation Know-How,” provides a brief guide to insulation materials and usage around the farm. A list of insulation types, considerations to keep in mind when planning how much insulation to install, and a guide to choosing the right material are included, as are links to further information.
Manure Energy Capture
“How Can I Capture the Value of Energy in Manure?” provides links to several other resources on how the energy in manure can be captured, either on the farm or offsite, through biogas production, anaerobic digestion, or combustion.
Short video educates on anaerobic digestion
The Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture released a short video, “Anaerobic Digestion: Beyond Waste Management,” which shows how state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion systems can offer multiple benefits to society. These benefits include renewable energy production, improved air and water quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and job creation. The video contains footage of operating anaerobic digester systems and features brief interviews with experts.