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RANDOLPH, NY (WNY News Now) – Dairy cows produce more than just milk, with an almost uncountable amount of animals, one local dairy farm is looking to harness a new energy source, converting cow manure into methane gas.
Congressman Nick Langworthy toured Adams Farm in Randolph NY this week to get a look at this new initiative transforming waste from their four thousand dairy cows into usable methane gas.
“It’s a methane manure digester,“ explained Ron Adams. “And all of the cows on this farm, their manure will go into this. And it stays in there for 28 to 35 days, and the methane gets captured, comes off the top of it gets captured, and it goes and gets put into what they call scrubbers and it gets turned into natural gas to go back into the pipelines in the area.”
Currently, manure collected by the farm is stored or injected into the soil, utilizing the full potential of the cow chips. With this new initiative, farmers will finally put all of their cow’s waste to good use.
“You hear on the news how all the car farts are ruining the environment and all this,“ stated Ron Adams. “I think if you reach a certain number of cows like ours, I think you’re going to be forced to have something like that.”
Adams Farm was approached by REV, a renewable energy company, to implement a $20 million dollar bio digester. Granting the local farm an eco friendly means of using manure, and a great revenue earner.
“The gas is actually going on transport trailers to be injected into a tap on another pipeline somewhere that can handle that volume,“ explained Ron Adams. “Because that pipeline that goes through here cannot handle the volume that that’s going to make during the summer months.”
For Congressman Langworthy, he is seeking other lawmakers to pay close attention to the agriculture business.
“This is the biggest dairy farm in my district,“ said Langworthy. “So it is definitely sought after by REV to come in here and do this project. This is one of the biggest I have heard of, and I wanted to see it with my own two eyes to see how it’s going to come online and work. And this is the answer to a lot of green farming initiatives, and they’re going to take the waste of the cows and put it back into energy.”
Among other topics discussed during the farm tour, including how farmers in New York are impacted by state regulations. From overtime laws to rising dairy prices.
The Methane converter is expected to be fully operational by the end of the month.
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