Objective:
To develop a whole-farm and farm/field level Agriculture/Environment simulation model that can be used to analyze the economic and environmental implications of a wide array of bioenergy enterprises on existing farms.

Approach:
We will develop and implement a whole-farm, system-based simulation model to understand, simulate, and forecast economic and environmental impacts of implementing bioenergy practices on existing farms. We will first focus on the economic and environmental performance of the DFRC research farm at Prairie du Sac, WI as a model. With the assistance of local extension agents, we will then complement this DFRC farm analysis with on-farm research from commercial operations surrounding the DFRC farm. The project will involve gathering and documenting animal and crop production methods and costs for the DFRC farm. This will involve working closely with the farm manager and crew to sort through records and document production practices. These data will then be translated into models to assess the economic and environmental impacts of current farm practices, considering the unique circumstances of a research facility. Similar data will also be gathered from private operations surrounding the DFRC farm to better simulate commercial conditions. Once these baseline models are established, they can be used to assess the economic and environmental impacts of introducing bioenergy-related enterprises (e.g., manure digestion, feeding bio-energy by-products (DDGs), exporting cellulostic feedstocks, etc.) onto an existing farm.