The cost of manure application is substantially reduced. The purpose of digester installation was to improve manure handling while recovering energy. The cows are pastured in the summer and kept in the barn during the winter. Digester gas production varies seasonally. The digester started up in fall 1997.
Gas is used in a boiler or flared.
Hot water is used to keep the digester warm. The boiler also maintains 6,000 gallons of 180 degree hot water for thermal uses. Benefits - The intended use of the excess digester hot water is to provide heat in the farmhouse and several greenhouses during the winter. It is expected that the required interconnection piping will be installed before winter of 1998. A solids separator and a new lined storage basin were constructed concurrently with the digester.