ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will host its annual Dairy Discussions Seminar on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to noon. The program is sponsored this year by EcoEngineers, a renewable energy consulting and auditing firm headquartered in Des Moines, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The program will be virtual this year due to health concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The focus of Dairy Discussions this year is manure management systems, opportunities in renewable natural gas (RNG) to maximize profitability in the dairy industry, and the benefits of co-locating a dairy near a biofuel facility in the Midwest. The presentations will include a case study for an Iowa dairy and the minimum project size to make RNG project economics work.
The key presentations include:
- “Supporting Dairies in Iowa: How the IEDA can help,” Shelly Peterson, P.E., IEDA
- “Successful Manure Systems,” Kris Kohl, Ph.D., ISU Extension and Outreach
- “Dairy Opportunities in RNG and Location Benefits” Brad Pleima, P.E., EcoEngineers
Shelly Peterson, P.E., is a program manager with the state energy office, housed at the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The energy team supports many emerging energy opportunities in the State of Iowa, including RNG.
Dr. Kris Kohl is the ISU Extension and Outreach Agricultural Engineer in Northwest Iowa. His expertise includes manure handling and management plans, composting and ag building ventilation.
Brad Pleima, P.E., is a Senior Engineer and Senior Regulatory Consultant at EcoEngineers. He has over 17 years of consulting and engineering design experience in water, wastewater and renewable energy project work. Pleima leads the Asset Development Consulting services at EcoEngineers.
There is no fee to attend the program thanks to the sponsorship of EcoEngineers, but registration is required by Nov. 30. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/dairy-discussions-2020-release or contact Fred Hall at 712-737-4230, fredhall@iastate.edu; James Ramm at 515-344-9715, jramm@ecoengineers.us; or Lyndsey Nielsen at 402-885-0358, lnielsen@ecoengineers.us.
— Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
For more news from Iowa, click here.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
SHARON, Conn. — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh has announced USDA is investing $121 million in critical infrastructure (PDF, 541 KB) to combat climate change across rural America. The investments include $111 million for 289 projects to help people living in socially vulnerable communities. “Rural America is on the front lines […]
CLINTON COUNTY, N.Y. — Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, today announced an agreement to construct, own and operate a new biodigester system with Adirondack Farms, […]
MINNEAPOLIS — As fertilizer prices continue to rise, more people are considering how to integrate livestock manure into their soil fertility plans. While dealing with manure can be a bit more complicated than fertilizer, it’s a valuable source of nutrients and also provides food for soil microorganisms; a win-win situation when it comes to overall […]
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — bp and CleanBay Renewables announced a 15-year agreement where bp will purchase renewable natural gas (RNG) processed from poultry litter—a mixture of manure, feathers and bedding—and sell it as fuel for the US transportation sector. CleanBay manages this process by mixing poultry litter with water in a closed system known as an […]
