After the wooden barn that housed Patterson Farms' 100 cows burned down in 1991, Connie Patterson had a decision to make: sell the cows or rebuild the business while finding a way to adapt to the growing dairy industry.
Now the Aurelius farm is going high-tech in a big way.
Patterson, the farm's majority owner, has applied for a permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation for an anaerobic digester to process the manure the farm's 857 cows produce. This will be one of the few digesters of this style in the county, and the only one digesting both manure produced on the farm and food waste from other sources.
In addition to cutting back on offensive odors, the digester will provide Patterson Farms on Aurelius-Springport Townline Road with extra revenue streams to offset the costs of being environmentally friendly.
"You're looking for an economic equal to every environmental move," Patterson said.
Through the new process, a digested manure mix will be separated into solids for bedding or sold as composted material, and liquids to be spread as fertilizer. Excess gas created will be used to produce electricity to warm the digester and prepare water that will be used to chill milk before delivery into trucks.
When Patterson Farms had fewer cows, its waste management system was simpler. A pit held a week's worth of manure and was emptied constantly. But storage was limited and it had to be emptied, even if the fertilizer couldn't be used at the farm.
The farm's system was then upgraded to a lagoon, but the manure smelled even worse the longer it was allowed to sit.
"I lived downwind from my own lagoon, and I wasn't happy," she said.
About five years ago, Patterson began looking into how she could upgrade her system and virtually eliminate the smell. It took time to find a company that manufactured the type of digester she wanted and that had a proven track record of success.
Finding money to cover the cost of building and operation was difficult, Patterson said. She has nearly $1 million in grant money from NYSERDA, the USDA and non-point source pollution grants secured with help from the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District. But that's barely enough to cover construction.
To keep the digester running once it is completed this spring, Patterson will attempt to generate revenue with the project.
She heard of a farmer in Western New York who had a digester but was earning extra income from digesting waste from food processors in the area. The farmer charges tipping fees for dropping off the food waste.
The additional waste creates more gas after being mixed with manure, so the gas can be burned off to generate electricity. The Western New York farmer generates so much electricity from his system that his utility bill is down to almost nothing, Patterson said.
Typically, these types of digesters do not require DEC permission. But because of the additional food waste being brought in from off-site, a permit is needed, said Joanne March of the state DEC Region 7 in Syracuse.
The DEC will also be learning from this project because there are so few projects like this across the state, said Dave Wazenkewitz, DEC environmental engineer.
"It's very common to have a digester. It's very successful. But the fact that she's bringing in different materials is a new twist," he said.
Staff writer Liz Hacken can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or elizabeth.hacken@lee.net
Patterson, the farm's majority owner, has applied for a permit from the state Department of Environmental Conservation for an anaerobic digester to process the manure the farm's 857 cows produce. This will be one of the few digesters of this style in the county, and the only one digesting both manure produced on the farm and food waste from other sources.
In addition to cutting back on offensive odors, the digester will provide Patterson Farms on Aurelius-Springport Townline Road with extra revenue streams to offset the costs of being environmentally friendly.
"You're looking for an economic equal to every environmental move," Patterson said.
Through the new process, a digested manure mix will be separated into solids for bedding or sold as composted material, and liquids to be spread as fertilizer. Excess gas created will be used to produce electricity to warm the digester and prepare water that will be used to chill milk before delivery into trucks.
When Patterson Farms had fewer cows, its waste management system was simpler. A pit held a week's worth of manure and was emptied constantly. But storage was limited and it had to be emptied, even if the fertilizer couldn't be used at the farm.
The farm's system was then upgraded to a lagoon, but the manure smelled even worse the longer it was allowed to sit.
"I lived downwind from my own lagoon, and I wasn't happy," she said.
About five years ago, Patterson began looking into how she could upgrade her system and virtually eliminate the smell. It took time to find a company that manufactured the type of digester she wanted and that had a proven track record of success.
Finding money to cover the cost of building and operation was difficult, Patterson said. She has nearly $1 million in grant money from NYSERDA, the USDA and non-point source pollution grants secured with help from the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District. But that's barely enough to cover construction.
To keep the digester running once it is completed this spring, Patterson will attempt to generate revenue with the project.
She heard of a farmer in Western New York who had a digester but was earning extra income from digesting waste from food processors in the area. The farmer charges tipping fees for dropping off the food waste.
The additional waste creates more gas after being mixed with manure, so the gas can be burned off to generate electricity. The Western New York farmer generates so much electricity from his system that his utility bill is down to almost nothing, Patterson said.
Typically, these types of digesters do not require DEC permission. But because of the additional food waste being brought in from off-site, a permit is needed, said Joanne March of the state DEC Region 7 in Syracuse.
The DEC will also be learning from this project because there are so few projects like this across the state, said Dave Wazenkewitz, DEC environmental engineer.
"It's very common to have a digester. It's very successful. But the fact that she's bringing in different materials is a new twist," he said.
Staff writer Liz Hacken can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or elizabeth.hacken@lee.net
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