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Solving Critical Issues for Small & Mid Sized Farms for Small & Mid-Sized Farms... Critical Issues in AgricultureWater Quality U.S.. Critical Issues in AgricultureEnergy Energy Demand: 6

Solving Critical Issues for Small & Mid Sized Farms for Small & Mid-Sized Farms

Critical Issues in Agriculture

Water Quality

U.S Rivers

Agriculture Pollution Source:

Water Quality

Agriculture Land Disposal Construction

64%

U.S Lakes

Hydromodification Urban Runoff

Sil i lt

64%

U.S Lakes

Silviculture Resource Extraction Other

57% Ot e 57%

National Research Council, 1993

Critical Issues in Agriculture

Energy Energy Demand: 60 Cow Dairy

• Power consumption on small

farms is disproportionate to

12 kW

farms is disproportionate to

size.

Energy Demand: 400 Cow Dairy

• Small farms gain more by

producing their own power.

25 kW

• Power production

‘on the farm, for the farm’

makes sense! Mehta, A., 2002 Univ of Wisconsin

Smaller Farms: Problem and Market

State Dairy Herd Size

State Dairy Herd Size

• Low materials and operation costs,

• Scaled to the small farm, Scaled to the small farm,

• Provide fuel for heat & power,

• With nutrient management equipment.

Prototyping – Bench Scale

Intervale Foundation Burlington VT

Prototype – “Champ”

Prototyping

Intervale Foundation Burlington VT

Prototype Wetlands Modules

Constructed

Duckweed

Wetland

Duckweed Pond B

Duckweed Pond A

Clarifier

Separator

Pilot Digester Schematic

AVATA R

Boiler

Gas Scrubber Effluent

Tank Genset

Heating Tank

Solids Separator

Manure

Digested Solids Direct

Chopper

Pump

Waste Water Storage

Greenhouse (f )

Indirect Return

Trickle Filters (future)

Pilot System: Materials Flow

Manure

Bi G BioGas

Pilot System:

Foote Farm Charlotte VT

Outlet

Inlet

Partnerships and Collaborations:

Establishing Contacts

• Direct contact with peers, work pool, grantors.Direct contact with peers, work pool, grantors

– Agencies, NPOs, Institutions

– Space for prototyping,

– Mutual benefits to program profile.

Grant Writing: A fishing trip

G t t k

Get to know…

• Grantor’s priorities

• Grantor’s perspective

Then tie the fly

Then, tie the fly…

• Find the alignment between your work/interests and the grantor’s

–State it succinctly, then believe in it! y

Grant Writing

Grant Writing

Then, tie the fly…

• Background: set the stage.g g

• Make your case!

Finally, set the hook…

• Describe your ‘measurables’

–But, keep them real!

Funding Sources

Start locally:

• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, DNR, DPS

• Federal agencies have state level offices

• EPA, NRCS

• Regional initiatives that support R&D

• SARE Lake Champlain Basin Program NYSERDA

Funding Sources

• Federal AgenciesFederal Agencies

– EPA, USDA, DOE, NSF, NOAA,

– Monitor agencies’ grant programs.

• Partner, but with care! Agency and

organizational interests may not fit your plan:

– Personal agendas or preconceptions.

– Politics (Egos and reputations to maintain).

Pitfalls and Complications

• Partnerships: Priorities that aren’t aligned

• Finding workspace at a reasonable cost

• Finding affordable, quality staffing

• Getting feedback from grantorsGetting feedback from grantors

• Finding interest, but no fundingg g

»Stick with it!!!

Lessons learned

• Take photos of everything

• Keep formal notebooks Æ Patent Protection

• Meet with the public Æ Staffing, etc.g

• Leverage grants for

additional funding

• Build a prototype Æ Data

Hiring the Academy

Velocity Vectors in Inlet Region (m/s)

William Luisos

& Prof Darren Hitt

From Concept to Implementation

From Concept to Implementation

Commercial Full-scale Pilot

Commercial

Prototype y Bench Experiment

Investor Interest

Concept

Grant Availability

From Concept to Implementation

Commercial Full-scale Pilot

Commercial

Prototype y Bench Experiment

Investor Interest

Concept

Grant Availability

Intervale Staff, Interns and Volunteers:

• Rob Achilles Engineer, Dept of Agriculture

• Dan Scrutin Agent, Dept of Agriculture

• Jeff Forward Biomass Energy Resouce Center

• Vermont’s Alternative Energy Corporation

• Foster Brothers Farm

The Lake Champlain Basin Program

The USDA/DOE Biomass Research and Development Initiative

Th V t M th P j t

y

• Nick DuBois

• Krista Florio

The Vermont Methane Project

The Waterwheel Foundation

Vermont Alternative Manure Management Program