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Introduction
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Pasturing cows, harvesting
wind: two big energy savers.
- Photo by Troy Bishopp |
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Missouri farmer Dan West found a solution for the waste fruit that
remained after harvest: He distills it into clean-burning, high-octane
fuel to power his farm equipment. New Mexico farmer Don Bustos uses
recycled solar panels to heat a new greenhouse, extending his season
and nearly eliminating sky-high fossil fuel bills that were threatening
his family’s 400-year-old farm. With high-efficiency irrigation,
rancher Rick Kellison avoids expensive and energy-intensive pumping
from Texas’ ever-lowering Ogallala Aquifer.
Across the country, as energy prices climb, farmers and ranchers
are turning more and more to clean energy practices. From energy-saving
light bulbs to solar panels to fuel grown and processed on the farm,
farmers are making their operations more profitable, efficient and
cleaner. In the process, they are helping the nation. Generating
renewable energy and using fossil fuels more efficiently reduces
dependence on foreign oil, providing greater local and national
energy security. It also curbs global warming pollution and offers
new economic opportunities for communities. In short, clean energy
practices are quickly becoming core to the operations of farmers
and ranchers across America.
Clean Energy Farming explores this emerging trend in
agriculture and explains how farmers can:
 improve
energy efficiency while saving money
implement
farming practices that both save energy and protect natural resources
produce
and use renewable energy
For example, Bustos’ solar-heated greenhouse can eliminate
most fossil fuel costs. Energy audits, such as those recently performed
on 25 farms on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, revealed potential
total savings of almost $115,000 annually for the participating
farmers.
While energy efficiency measures are generally the fastest and
cheapest way to reduce energy-related costs, many farmers are now
turning to their land and operations to generate renewable energy.
Recently, much national attention has focused on corn ethanol.
Yet other renewable types of energy, such as solar, wind and fuels
from animal waste or other energy crops, also offer many opportunities
to reduce fuel costs and increase energy self-sufficiency on the
farm. As an added bonus, these energy sources can generate extra
income through sales of surplus and offer a more sustainable alternative
to energy-intensive corn.
As with all agricultural practices, renewable energy production
will vary widely by region. For example. a wide variety of oilseed
crops for biodiesel show excellent promise in the Pacific Northwest
and Northeastern states, while switchgrass, a high-yielding and
relatively easy-to-grow crop, and potential fuel feedstock, appears
very well suited to the South and Midwest. As the clean energy industry
grows, farmers will be able to tap into their local resources –
soil, wind and water – to find the best energy sources for
their area. It’s safe to say that it is no longer a question
of if or when, but how this country will transition to cleaner energy
sources. Clean Energy Farming highlights research and examples
of farmers and ranchers who are successfully transitioning toward
energy systems that are profitable, demonstrate good stewardship
of America’s land and water, and benefit their operations
and communities.
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