Practical Energy Solutions for Small Farms
— Register Now for March 22 workshop —
The Howard County Economic Development Authority’s Agricultural Marketing Program has partnered with Future Harvest-CASA, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to offer Controlling Energy Costs: Practical Solutions for Small Farms, a day-long workshop targeting energy conservation and renewable energy options for small farms.
The workshop will be held Thursday, March 22, 2007, at the Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, Md.
Escalating energy costs have become a concern for all agricultural producers. While biofuels and ethanol production hold economic promise for larger-scale grain producers, operators of small farms, dairies and greenhouses must look to energy conservation and other renewable energy options to lower their energy costs.
Controlling Energy Costs: Practical Solutions for Small Farms will offer timely information and practical examples of on-farm renewable energy uses including presentations by:
— Don Campbell, Donald Campbell Associates, Northfield. Mass. What sort of system might work for you, from your own simple first pass to getting a professional overview.
— Bruce Howden, Howden Farm, Sheffield, Mass. Howden Farm uses a 1.1 kilowatt solar electric system to power drip irrigation for their fruits and vegetables.
— Kyle Teamey, Switch, LLC, Montgomery Village, Md. Renewable energy systems from Switch help farmers benefit from the naturally occurring energy resources on their land, including sunlight, wind, biomass and streams.
— Tom McConnell, West Virginia University Extension Specialist, Morgantown, W.V. Potential for wind-generated energy in the Maryland Virginia, and West Virginia triangle.
— Matt Steiman, Manager, Fulton Farm, Chambersburg, Pa. Renewable energy projects, including processing bio-diesel from waste vegetable oils, solar and wind power, and straw-bale building construction.
— Agency representatives (panel discussion). Funding and Support Opportunities for Implementing Energy Conservation Measures and Renewable Energy Generation
Registration is $25 per person. Register by March 14, 2007 by contacting:
Ginger S. Myers
Howard County Economic Development Authority
6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 500
Columbia, MD 21046
(410) 313-6500/gmyers@hceda.org.
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