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A Closed-System, Energy Independent Organic Dairy Farm for the Northeastern U.S.

Principal Investigator:John Aber

Co-Principals: Matt Smith, Allison LeachBill McDowell, Matt Davis

Funded 2008 – 2018 by:

Agroecosystem Research at the University of New Hampshire

Department of Natural Resources and Environment

NH Agricultural Experiment Station

http://www.sare.org/mission/cow_music/index.html

Solar/Wind EnergyPrecipitation Inputs

Concept: Moving from Isolated, Conventional

Not Just to Isolated, Organic

But Toward Integrated, Closed Cycle Organic

Setting: UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm

• First in the Nation (only?)

• Support: four largest US organic dairy producers• Stonyfield• Aurora• Horizon• Organic Valley

• Inspiration• Chuck Schwab• Rick Kersbergen• Tom Kelly• John Carroll



The Farm and Forest Resource

100 acres (~40 ha) certified organic pasture

160 acres (~64 ha) of typical old-Field New England woodland

- White Pine - Red Maple - Black Birch- Red Oak - Hemlock



Lead Donor

“This could not come at a better time, as the organic dairy market in general and New England in particular is in need of more organic farmers. We believe organic dairy farming has the promise of saving New Hampshire and New England family farmers,”

~Gary Hirshberg,

- President and CEO, Stonyfield Farm

- Co-founder, New Alchemy Institute (1970s)



• Financial Viability

- Imported Commodities- Bedding- Energy- Grains

- Most Successful Farms HaveDiversified Income and/orValue Added Processing

What are the Biggest Challenges to Organic Milk Providers In New England?

• Environmental Impact

- GHG emissions- Runoff and Water Quality- Manure Management

CompostingSpreading

Role of Land-grant Institutions

We Got to Ask the Question:



A Closed-System, Energy Independent Organic Dairy Farm for the Northeastern U.S.

Principal Investigator:John Aber

Co-Principals: Matt Smith, Allison LeachBill McDowell, Matt Davis

Funded 2008 – 2018 by:

Leading to: Agroecosystem Research at the University of New Hampshire




An Integrating Concept: On-site Bedding Production and Manure Composting for Energy [and CO2 for a Greenhouse]

Bedding

Bedding/Manure

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Woodlands

Woodchips

Wood Shavings

Heat, CO2, N to Greenhouse

Compost




First Step: Sustainable Harvesting of Low Quality Softwoods

Measured Productivity and Biomass - About 40 hectares of manageable, low-quality old field woods- Need to harvest .4 hectare/year or 1/6th of total annual wood

production



Second Step: Producing Bedding from Harvested Wood

Data show yield of 3 “cords” of shavings for 1 “cord” of wood(1 cord = ~ 4 m )3



Third Step: Bedding use in the Barn



Fourth Step: Composting the Bedding/Manure Mixture:A High-End Research Facility



The Joshua Nelson Energy Recovery Compost Facility



UNH Names Innovative Composting Facility after Sustainable Agriculture Pioneer

Technology Advanced by Josh Nelson Used at UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm

https://colsa.unh.edu/nhaes/article/unh-names-innovative-composting-facility-after-sustainable-agriculture-pioneer

https://colsa.unh.edu/nhaes/article/unh-names-innovative-composting-facility-after-sustainable-agriculture-pioneer



Aerated Static Pile (ASP) Heat Recovery Composting (HRC)

This is NOT Anaerobic Methane Generation!



http://discoverarmfield.com/en/products/view/w8/anaerobic-digesterhttp://www.cornerstoneeg.com/2013/06/05/organics-anaerobic-digester-septic-tank/

http://discoverarmfield.com/en/products/view/w8/anaerobic-digester

http://www.cornerstoneeg.com/2013/06/05/organics-anaerobic-digester-septic-tank/

Nor Conventional Turned-Pile Composting



1. Blower pulls airThrough compost

2. Hot, moist airpasses over isobarsheat captured inphase change to gas in isobars

3. Heat transferred to bulk water tank as phase change back to liquid in isobars

4. Hot water used for heating, washing, etc.

4

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Schematic Diagram of the Operation of an Aerobic Composting System for Energy Capture

AGRILAB Isobar system

Brian Jerose



While this appears complicated, much the same effect can be had with some leach field pipes and a fan

(solar powered or not)!

The Future: Energy, CO2 and ammonia for a High-Tunnel Greenhouse Operation

Compost

Number of composting operationsGrowing rapidly in New England

http://www.farmtek.com/wcsstore/EngineeringServices/allbizunits/prodimages/zoom/1x/103083d.jpg



Unbundling the Process – Multiple Sources of Revenue

Bedding

Bedding/Manure

http

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imag

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lar-gh

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Woodlands

Woodchips

Wood Shavings

Heat and CO2 to Greenhouse

Compost




Non-Farm Applications:

New laws in MA and VT prohibit disposal of organic wastesComposting as a growth industrySPAC as least labor intensiveCould become the standard (City Soil)What do you do with the heat, C and N?

A greenhouse!



http://www.citysoil.org/index.html

Bruce Fulford

Co-founderNew Alchemy Institute

http://www.citysoil.org/index.html

Other Projects: Impacts on Water Quality Before: Bedding/manure stockpiled for months-years



Manure Piles

WasteLagoon

YardRunoff

Leads to Elevated Total Dissolved Nitrogen in Groundwater

Improvement in Groundwater Quality - Total Dissolved Nitrogen(Numbers in grey boxes are maximum Y-axis values)

Manure Piles

Lagoon Barn (Deep)

Field Near stream

All barns

30

5054

7080

Water Footprint of the Organic Dairy Research Farm

Liters of water per Liter of milk

Other ProjectsSee Appropriate Web Pages for Results

Energy use and alternativesGeothermal Heat Exchanger for Milk HouseSolar, wind and geothermal potentialsElectricityFuel oil

Biomass productionPasturesWoodlot

Nitrogen cycling, budgetsNitrogen footprint Life cycle analysis

http://livingwinsomely.com/?cat=84

agroecosystem research at the university of new hampshire ... · agroecosystem research at the...

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