Turn Waste Into Value: Farm-Scale Energy Solutions

Farmers across Indiana and Michigan are turning leftover biomass-manure, crop waste, coffee grounds into fuel, soil products, and energy. These aren't just experimental ideas - they're working systems providing energy and cost savings right now! 

Anaerobic Digestion: A process where microbes break down manure and organic waste in sealed tanks without oxygen. It produces methane-rich biogas (used for electricity or pipeline fuel) and digestate (used as fertilizer or bedding). 

Examples: 

- Beaver Creek & Den Dulk Dairies (Ottawa County, MI) are producing renewable natural gas. 

- Homestead Dairy (Plymouth, IN) powers over 1,000 homes with manure-generated electricity. 

- Fair Oaks Farms (IN) runs a milk delivery fleet on digester gas, saving 1.5 million gallons of diesel per year. 

Pyrolysis: Heats biomass without oxygen to produce biochar, syngas, and bio-oil. Useful for converting wood waste, coffee grounds, and ag residues into fuel and soil carbon. Solid biochar can improve soil health and store carbon long-term. 

Torrefaction: A milder version of pyrolysis at lower temps. This process produces a dry, energy-dense material that burns cleaner than raw biomass. It’s ideal for small farm applications or co-firing with other fuels. 

Gasification: Uses limited oxygen to turn dry biomass or waste into syngas for heat, power, or engine fuel. It has been used on farms to convert poultry litter and crop waste into usable energy.

This isn't just theory - it's happening right here in the Midwest!