About AGreen Energy, LLC
Civilization began with the farm - the stability of consistent food production allowing for human expansion into new endeavors, and those endeavors in turn improving agricultural practices. Today our Massachusetts farm economy faces a challenge - how do we continue to be good stewards of our natural resources, continue to be strong community leaders, continue to employ a local workforce while remaining competitive with global food production?
The Commonwealth dairy farmers involved in the AGreen Energy project are taking the next step in manure handling, organics recycling, and sustainable farming by installing anaerobic digesters at their farms. These anaerobic digesters will stabilize dairy manure from the host farm and Source Separated Organics produced as a byproduct of the Massachusetts food industry. The farms hosting these digesters will use the methane produced by this process to power their farms, and use the stabilized material as a fertilizer source, replacing synthetic fertilizers.
Anaerobic digestion is a process that occurs naturally when organic materials decompose without the presence of oxygen - the decomposition of organic materials with the presence of oxygen is familiar to most people as 'composting.' Anaerobic digestion and composting are simply two sides of the same degradation coin.
While composting occurs naturally, commercial composting facilities employ various techniques (material aeration, leachate management, etc.) to ensure that the material they produce is of uniform quality and does not pose risk or nuisance. Commercial anaerobic digestion takes the same precautions by isolating the material being degraded ('digestate') in a sealed, oxygen-free environment for the treatment period. Anaerobic digestion facilities can be found digesting animal manures, human biosolids, organic residuals from food production, and even energy crops around the world.
The anaerobic digesters installed at Jordan Dairy Farms of Rutland, Barway Farm of South Deerfield, Barstow's Longview Farm of Hadley, Rockwood Farm of Granville, and Hager Brother's Farm of Colrain will recycle nutrients from our food supply back to our food source, generate clean, efficient electricity and heat for Commonwealth businesses and homes, provide rural employment, and reduce manure odors. The low-cost electricity, heat, animal bedding, and recycled fertilizer produced by this project will help preserve these family farms and the Commonwealth's agricultural legacy.
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