Cow Replaces Dog as Man's Best Friend

Renewable energy isn't just about solar and wind. Several dairy farms throughout the state of Vermont, are capturing the methane that comes from cow manure to produce electricity for the surrounding homes and businesses. "We saw this as an economic and environmental management too; It's helped to diversify our farm," one farmer said.

According to the New York Times article, "cow waste produces 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily, enough to power 300 to 350 homes, according to the utility," earning around $200,000 of profit for the farmer. In addition to the profit and the added electricity on the grid, the farms are also recycling all of the cow waste, instead of just adding it to the waste stream.

Once the methane is separated from the waste using a large digester set at 101 degrees, it is further separated into solids and liquids; the liquids becoming fertilizer for the farm, the solids returned to the barn floor where they act as bedding. This has saved the farms thousands of dollars on cow bedding alone. They also take in leftover food from local businesses, most notably ice cream from local Ben and Jerry stores to add to their bio-gas digesting efforts. You can read more about this fascinating method in the article. As this innovative idea spreads across the mid-west, now used in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, Missouri will hopefully catch on and make use of our own farm waste.