20
—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 5, 1974
Methane
As the 58th annual Penn
sylvania Farm Show gets un
derway, a novel “energy” exhibit
will be shown to this year’s
visitors.
It is a methane gas generator,
otherwise known as “cow
power,” and can be seen in die
Farm Show cattle barn near the
entrance to the cattle superin
tendent’s office.
This generator, or digester,
produces methane gas from the
interaction of anaerobic bacteria
and manure. It is being shown by
courtesy of Donald A. Harter,
Area Resource Development
Agent of the Cooperative Ex
tension Service, and Lebanon
County Agent Glenn E. Miller
and Assistant County Agent
Newton J. Bair, who developed
the digester.
With the current energy crisis,
farmers are facing a combination
of shortages and high prices for
fossil fuels. Deriving energy from
animal wastes has been con
sidered by many U. S. resear
chers to be too expensive for
practical use. However,
skyrocketing fossil fuel costs
may now usher in the era of
manure power.
In a comprehensive article
written for the Pennsylvania
Township News. Don Harte
explains that methane, like
natural gas, can be used directly
to fuel cookstoves, water heaters,
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Serving The Farm Community with Agriculture Products
CONVINCE ’B9O
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Generator
refrigerators and gas lights. It
can run a gas engine and
generate electricity and it can
also be compressed and carried
in tanks to power'tractors.
The potential power from
animal wastes is enormous.
Putting these wastes to work can
provide us with the dual benefit of
an energy source and a disposal
system for pollutants, Harter
says. Research has shown that
the residue ( after gas production
has the same nitrogen content as
the raw waste. It does not lose
any of its fertilizing value for
crops.
Harter writes that animal
wastes total nearly two billion
tons annually. In Pennsylvania,
700,000 milk cows alone produce
an estimated 1.75 million tons of
dry organic wastes yearly. The
organic waste from 100,000 cattle
has the potential of supplying the
natural gas needs of 30,000 people
at present rates of use.
America has been slow in
researching the , conversion of
manure to methane gas, perhaps,
because of our great abundance
of fossil fuels. Now those days are
over as we wait in line for
gasoline that will shoot above 50
cents a gallon in the next few
weeks.
Harter tells us that producing
methane from sewage sludge and
animal waste has been a common
practice in Europe since 1930.
r%m
Gets into your ay stem ■ (g
BEHL®
A. I. HERR £ BRO.
To Be On
The most successful research has
been carried out at the Gobar
Research Station in Ajitmal,
India. Today in India there are
more than 2,500 methane gas
generators, mostly in rural
villages and on farms.
According to Harter, a Gobar
designed manure digestor is
currently being used on a dairy
farm in Benson, Vermont. It can
digest 200 pounds of manure
daily, the quantity produced by
Changes Asked
For Livestock
Weighing- Rules
The U. S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), in material
published in the December 27
Federal Register, proposed
changes in the regulation relating
to weighing of livestock under the
Packers and Stockyards Act.
The purpose is to clarify and
update the regulation to fit
present-day livestock marketing
conditions.
The proposal eliminates
reference to scale tickets for live
poultry as this is now covered in
another section of the
regulations.
Also eliminated is the
reference to National Bureau of
Standards specifications for
scale tickets _and reference to
type-registering weighbeams
since the regulations now require
stamped or printed weights.
Language is being added to
exempt markets which use
automatic weighing and recor
ding equipment from issuing
scale tickets when the weight
value is recorded directly on the
account of sale or other basic
record provided to the seller or
consignor.
Requirements for correction
tickets or slips would be deleted
as this appears to be an un
necessary requirement on the
industry.
Persons wishing to submit
written data, views, or
statements in connection with the
proposal should file these in
duplicate with the Hearing Clerk,
USDA, Washington, D. C. 20250,
by Jan. 26, 1974.
The record in this matter is
open to the public. Copies of the
proposal may be obtained from
the Information Officer, Packers
and Stockyards Administration,
USDA, Washington, D. C. 20250.
312 Park Ave,
Quarryville, Pa. 17566
Ph. 786-3521
View At Farm Show
about seven cows. The holding
vessel is an old boiler which has a
daily gas producing capacity of
WHILE AT THE FARM SHOW
STOP AND SEE THE AMERICAN MADE TIME PROVEN
Automatic Calf Feeder
at the S & S Distributor Display
Located in the Cattle Barn.
YOUNG BROS.
NURS-ETTE SALES and SERVICI
Ph. 717-548-2462
Peach Bottom, R.D. 1, Pa 17563
★ Hoffman's Horse & Cattle Powders
★ Aureomycin Sulmet 700 Crumbles
★ /Baymix Warmer Crumbles
★ Shell Horse Warmer
★ Flameiess Gas Pig Brooders
★ Custom Canvass Work .
New For Sweellix Horse Block
AARON S. GROFF & SON
Farm & Dairy Store
H.D. 3. Ephrata, Pa. 17542 (Hinkletown) Phone‘.{s4-0744
Store Hours 7 A.M. to!) P.M.
Closed Tues. & Sat. at 5:30 P.M.
11174,
lURIITO
EASTERN
MILK PRODUCERS
The dairyman in the northeast who does not be
long to a strong, efficiently operated dairy co-op
in 1974 cannot expect his interests to be ade
quately represented.
Every dairyman needs a solid dairy co-op. Eastern
Milk Producers views the issues in ’74 to be:
□ Achieving a fair milk price for all dairymen.
□ Offering guaranteed, stable markets with mini-
mum dues.
□ Protecting blend prices by recouping pool
losses resulting from milk adulteration and
inadequate bonding laws. _
co-op m . t ? 52 consecutive, years em
option, A^o-op^ r c * t .**■* ™ m
market® aie
Make Eastern your dairy co-op in 1974.
Call 315-446-0730 or write:
V EASTERN
w MILK PRODUCERS
280 cubic feet. About 250 cubic
feet of methane gas is equivalent
to one gallon of gasoline.
COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION. INC.
Kmne Road, Syracuse, New York 13214