BIOCYCLE WORLD

BioCycle September 2003, Vol. 44, No. 9, p. 6

LOW-GRADE POTATO WASTE MAKES
HIGH-GRADE COMPOSTABLE PLATES
A recent newspaper report (Capital Press) headlined, “Recycled spud waste transformed into food trays,” describes how a New Zealand firm is manufacturing trays from reclaimed potato starch for fast

food and also for organic fresh produce sold in supermarkets. Potatopak Ltd. is using low-grade and waste potatoes to make the biodegradable and compostable plates, bowls, etc. Much of the potato waste comes from making potato chips and quick-frozen French fries. A director of Potatopak discussed the recycling method at the fourth International Potato Processing Convention in Boise, Idaho - explaining that it extracts the starch from potato wastewater leaving clean, reusable water. About eight tons of potatoes are needed to extract one ton of starch to make about 43,500 trays.

MANURE SPREADING RULES
RAISE COSTS FOR LARGEST LIVESTOCK FARMS
A new analysis by the USDA Economic Research Service estimates economics of rules governing manure runoff for the largest livestock and poultry producers, notes Alternative Agriculture News. Under the nutrient application standards, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) will need to “spread their manure over a much larger land base than they are currently using, and most will need to move their manure off-farm.” Only 18 percent of large hog farms and 23 percent of large dairies are applying manure on enough cropland to meet a nitrogen-based standard to protect water quality. “Competition for land for spreading manure could be severe in regions with high animal concentrations,” primarily states in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and California, noted the report. (See page 25 in this issue for advice on “Ten Keys to Successful CAFO Composting Operations.”)
Meanwhile, this past summer, the Ohio Department of Agriculture Director ordered closure of all barns operated by Buckeye Egg Farm near Carey, Ohio. Buckeye Egg has more than 15 million laying hens and pullets, as well as a hatchery and breeding barn. The facilities produce 2.4 billion eggs each year, making it the biggest egg-producing farm in Ohio and fourth largest in the nation. The order specifies that all barn closings should be complete by June 1, 2004, and all manure must be removed no later than September 1, 2004. However, Buckeye Egg has appealed the Agriculture Department's decision, and hearings have been scheduled to consider the appeals.

KNOWING WHEN YOUR COMPOST HAS
THE RIGHT PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
“The trend to more efficient methods of compost production and handling requires a complete understanding of the process, materials involved, and physical parameters like moisture content, bulk density and mechanical properties,” emphasize J.J. Leonard and J.M. Agnew of the University of Alberta in their paper in the latest issue of Compost Science & Utilization. Methods for measuring critical components such as particle density, porosity and electrical properties are summarized. For example, note the authors, for aerobic microorganisms to be most efficient in their composting work, they must be provided with a suitable nutrient, water and oxygen supply in which thermophilic temperatures (>40°C) can be maintained. “Thermophilic organisms are generally accepted to be more productive, and the thermophilic temperatures kill pathogens and weed seeds that may have been present in the initial mixture,” they write.
In their conclusions, Agnew and Leonard stress that in order to reduce costs and composting time, “producers need to optimize conditions which can include monitoring and follow-up improvements .... useful contributions can be made by virtually all compost researchers if they are aware of the needs, and include measurements of physical properties, and report them in a consistent and uniform way.” Bulk density measurements of compost are a case in point, as they often are used for design and haulage calculations as well as determining power requirements for operations such as turning and mixing.
To receive the Summer 2003 issue of Compost Science & Utilization with this special review report by Agnew and Leonard, order a one-year trial subscription at $129. For details, contact Celeste Madtes at csuedit@jgpress.com or visit www.biocycle.net.

RENEWABLE ENERGY POTENTIAL AND THE 2003 BLACKOUT
The October, 2003 issue of BioCycle will have a special section on using organic residuals to provide power to the electrical grid as well as power to the soil in the form of humus. One report by J. R. Drabick of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute will describe the impact of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) that have been passed by 13 states.
An RPS requires utilities to produce a minimum percentage of renewable electricity as a portion of their total output. These RPS initiatives remind us of the impact which bans on landfilling yard trimmings by some 24 states had on accelerating start-up of thousands of composting projects. In the case of state RPS programs, collectively they would add over 12,400 megawatts of new renewable, clean electricity capacity in the United States by 2012 providing enough electricity to meet the needs of 7.6 million homes.
We asked Drabick to send us his comments on the 2003 blackout last month that forced millions of people to be without electricity for hours and in some cases, days. In all, over 50 million people were affected. Here are his views: “National leaders have a unique opportunity to hedge against this type of event in the future. First and foremost, the grid needs to be up upgraded - the grid currently relies on 1950s and '60s technology. Higher capacity and better reliability assurance technologies and practices are readily available. Second, investments in distributed renewable energy resources can make cities and regions less dependent on the grid, and in turn more capable of keeping the lights on when the grid fails. Clean energy generated locally can help decrease the vulnerabilities of the electricity grid and total dependence upon power being sent hundreds of miles over transmission lines. An RPS, coupled with a renewable energy production tax credit, can play a key role in stimulating this investment. And finally, increased energy efficiency, particularly during peak electricity usage periods, would decrease stress on the grid, protecting against future blackouts.”

STUDY ANALYZES FINANCIAL
FEASIBILITY OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTER
The economics of dairy digester systems were evaluated in a study by William Lazarus and Margaretha Rudstrom of the University of Minnesota's Department of Applied Economics. Presented at the Anaerobic Digester Technology Applications in Animal Agriculture meeting in June in Raleigh, North Carolina, their analysis looked at alternate policy scenarios, valuation of benefits and production efficiencies.
The case study was based on operations at the Haubenschild Farms, an 800-cow, 1,000-acre dairy farm north of Minneapolis. In 1999, the farm installed a heated plug flow digester with a 130 kilowatt engine/generator to utilize the biogas. “The successful operation of this facility (the generator has been running over 98 percent of the time since start-up) has resulted in much interest from policy-makers as to the applicability of digesters to other animal feedlot operations in the state,” note Lazarus and Rudstrom in their paper. They provide this summary:
“The performance of the farm's anaerobic digester system to date looks quite profitable, which can be attributed partially to careful management by a motivated and detail-oriented manager who has achieved outstanding digester and generator performance, and partially to favorable electricity pricing by the local utility along with assistance from various government agencies due to the demonstration status of the system. While future installations will not be eligible for the grants and zero interest loan the case farm received and will likely not receive as high an electricity price, a smaller new operating subsidy appears to offer sufficient support to assure profitability if performance is comparable to the case farm's performance. At a lower performance level, the system would lose money unless nonenergy benefits are substantial. Even without the nonenergy benefits a digester may still be cheap 'insurance' against odor complaints.”
Lazarus will evaluate the financial feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system at the November BioCycle conference. The Haubenschild Farms' digester will be visited on the field trip Wed., Nov. 19.

INTERNATIONAL BIOGAS CONFERENCE IN
GERMANY DISCUSSES ENERGY PRODUCTION
From Michael Kottner comes a summary of the Third Biogas International Conference held June 27-July 6, 2003 in Augsburg, Germany. An overview of energy production from nonfood crops and organic waste through biogas technology was give along with the prospects for worldwide markets with special emphasis in Europe and Asia. Main topics focused on practical experiences with different feeding systems as well as regulations. Field trips to operational biogas plants showed digesters ranging in size from 120 m3 to 2,000 m3; treated substrates at those facilities included manure slurries, silage crops, organic household residuals and wastewater. Complete programs in English, German and French can be viewed on the internet home page: www.biogas-zentrum.de. Contact information for Michael Kottner is: biogas-service@t-online.de. He is associated with the German Biogas and Bioenergy Society (GERBIO) International Biogas and Bioenergy Center (IBBK); Heimstrabe 1, 74592 Kirchberg, Jagst , Germany.

FERTILIZER VALUE AND WEED SEED
DESTRUCTION OF DIGESTED MANURE
The number of anaerobic digester (AD) systems on dairy and swine farms in the United States has approximately doubled in the last five years, nearly all at larger feedlot operations. Although the odor reductions due to AD can be fairly obvious to the nose, there is a critical need to better understand some of the more subtle environmental and economic impacts of AD systems. In 2000, The Minnesota Project - a nonprofit environmental and rural development group - was the recipient of a four-year USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grant to look into several questions related to the environmental performance and financial feasibility of AD systems at dairy farms. The evaluation utilizes the research and outreach expertise of the University of Minnesota.
The first, augmented with field trial research, compares soil quality and yield response for commercial fertilizer, stored digested manure, and undigested manure. The second considers the destruction of weed seeds - a widely-claimed, but little studied, benefit of AD. The project tests viability of weed seeds suspended in an anaerobic digester.
Results to date indicate the following key preliminary conclusions: (1) Stored, digested manure can result in crop yields equivalent to undigested manure or fertilizer when applied at similar nitrogen rates, while simultaneously allowing the capture of bioenergy; and (2) The digestion process does not appear to significantly destroy weed seed viability, although germination times may be impacted. A summary of findings was prepared by Deborah Allan and Jeanie Katovich of the University, and Carl Nelson of the Minnesota Project.

NEW GREENHOUSE GAS REPORT VALUES
IMPORTANT ROLE OF ETHANOL USE
A new report from the highly respected Pew Center on Global Climate Change notes that increasing use of ethanol-blended fuels - called replacement fuels - represents the “greatest promise” for reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Written by David Greene of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Andreas Shafer of the Renewable Fuels Association newsletter, the report stresses that: “Replacement fuels are compatible with conventional vehicles; thus, no infrastructure change is necessary ... Because replacement fuel blends are compatible with the ubiquitous existing fuel distribution and retailing systems, they could quickly displace some petroleum in transportation without having to overcome the transitional barriers faced by alternative fuels.” The complete Pew Center report can be found at www.pewclimate.org/projects/ustransp.cfm.

REDUCING PESTICIDE USE WITH BIOLOGICALLY
INTEGRATED GROWING SYSTEMS
A report in California Agriculture (July-Sept., 2003) discusses the BIOS approach for controlling walnut pests. BIOS refers to the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems project developed by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, which demonstrated that it is possible to reduce pesticide use and still produce good yields of high-quality walnuts with low levels of pest damage. Explain the authors: “BIOS emphasizes intensive monitoring, biological control and beneficial insect habitat enhancement to control pests; cover crops, animal manures and composts to build soil; and measured use of fertilizers based on nutrient budgeting plus leaf tissue analysis to optimize fertilizer use.” Sum up the authors who included Cooperative Extension staff in Integrated Pest Management and Sustainable Agriculture methods: “Growers' pesticide use records show that our successes in managing key walnut pests in BIOS blocks were achieved while using substantially fewer conventional pesticide applications.”

Copyright 2003, The JG Press, Inc.