Exploring farm-appropriate alternative energy strategies is a primary focus of Cedar Circle Farm’s Education Program

Alternative energy models… using less energy on the farm

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center has made a commitment to explore alternative sources of energy so that other farms can learn from our experiences.

It has become increasingly clear to farmers that they must develop alternative energy strategies in the face of rising oil prices and diminishing supplies and the impact of the energy use on the environment. Farmers are experimenting with using biodeisel, used vegetable oil, woodchips, corn, geothermal heat, solar and wind as alternatives to propane, electricity and oil.

Several farms in Vermont and New England are also exploring alternative means of generating the heat and electricity needed to grow vegetables in our climate. We are all interested in finding ways to extend the growing season without additional carbon emissions—a necessary goal if local food systems are to become less dependent on food shipped in from elsewhere.

Cedar Circle Farm is also working on developing alternative energy models on the farm. Our focus is on both energy production and energy conservation. Our recent projects include:

• In 2010 we custom built a three room root storage area in to an existing structure on the farm.
• We extended our season through December, 2010 for 65 Fall CSA families.
• We collect used vegetable oil from area restaurants and burn it in our Clean Burn Furnace.
• We have 24 solar panels that recover ~1/10 of the electricity used on the farm.
• We experiment with cover crops to improve soil structure and nutrient density while minimizing external fertility inputs.
• We are integrating horse power in to our team of cultivators.
• We experimented using a corn heater in one of our early vegetable greenhouses.
• We developed a Do It Yourself Farm Energy Audit to help farms identify equipment and technology that uses energy on the farm.
• We use electric vehicles.
• We are experimenting with new crops for our region such as oilseed crops, dry beans, and grains.
• We like to share information. For more resources for farmers see our growing collection of links.

Root storage area

Our custom root storage area was designed by our assistant farm manager, our electrician Dick Ratico, and a skilled local builder Patrick Kearny. Built in to an unused stall in the old barn, the 3 room unit is incredibly insulated. Temperature and humidity requirements are met with a combination of the walk-in cooler, which is one of the rooms, and a system of vents built within. This addition allowed us to keep our storage crops in marketable condition through January.

Extending the growing season

For the first time, we extended our season through December 2010, providing some fresh greens to accompany the storage shares that 65 CSA members invested in. We did this without heating our greenhouses. We anticipate even better results in 2011.

Clean Burn Multi-Oil Heating System

In 2006, we installed a Clean Burn heating unit in one of our main vegetable greenhouses that can run on used vegetable oil (as well as home heating oil and used motor oil). Our crew collects oil from local restaurants to fuel the stove. Before use, the oil must be strained and then kept at a certain temperature so that it flows properly in the system (which can be a challenge in winter!). We start the system in early spring which helps to heat the space to the desired temperature to plant early tomatoes.

We are taking 2011 off to make improvements to the early tomato greenhouse structure and will resume the use of the Cleanburn Furnace in early spring 2012.

Cover Crops

We experiment with cover crops throughout the growing season to improve soil structure and nutrient density while minimizing external fertility inputs. We use cover crops in fallow fields, between plantings in rows, and to follow a crop especially as a winter cover. In summer we use buckwheat, white clover, oats, field peas, or other legumes. We use rye for over winter, except for the places we plan to plant in early spring in which case we use oats as they winter kill. We often leave white clover in over winter as well for all of its soil enhancing benefits but also to serve as an early nectar source for native pollinators.

Horse Power

In addition to smaller tractors that consume less fuel, Cedar Circle Farm uses a team of draft horses to prepare soil and plant seed. In the process the horses help aerate the soil opposed to compacting it, allowing it to retain more moisture and micro-organisms, which in turn reduces the amount of irrigation needed. Our horses are also used to give wagon rides to and from the strawberry and pumpkin patch during our annual harvest festivals.

Corn Heater Experiment

In 2008 and 2009 we experimented with a corn heater, which we purchased with the help of a grant through the UVM Extension Service. These heaters operate on dried corn kernels, as well as wood pellets and sunflower pellets, with zero carbon emissions. The corn came from our own farm and a nearby dairy farm. A farm in northern Massachusetts has transitioned some of their feed corn operation to corn used for energy purposes, providing much needed additional income for them. Some of our neighbors across the Connecticut River also grow corn for use in heaters.

We tried the corn heater out in one of our vegetable greenhouses and found that is was not a good fit for our needs. We are happy to share the data upon request [link to Cat’s email].

Solar Energy

Cedar Circle Farm is also experimenting with solar energy. We now have 24 photovoltaic panels mounted on the roofs of our coffee shop and farmstand. After wiring them, hooking up a converter, and tying into the electric grid, we started generating power in January of 2007. During the calendar year, we generated about 6,500 watts of electricity. The power company gives us credit for electricity generated, and we have calculated that those 24 panels are generating about 10% of the electricity the farm uses in one year. Because vegetable farming is so energy intensive, an energy audit is planned to help everyone on the farm look for ways to conserve energy.

Energy audit

We created an Google doc spreadsheet that helped us to locate and list all of the equipment on the farm that uses energy and what kind of energy is used. This enabled us to identify a lot of low-hanging fruit like lighting, weatherstripping, and insulation in key areas. Efficiency Vermont reviewed our electric energy use list and made some recommendations for new equipment like Energy Star coolers. They also gave us some useful tips that we were not aware of. For instance, some older equipment we might have considered replacing, like greenhouse fans or heating pads for seedlings, have not improved much over the years and replacing them would not actually reduce energy use.

We hope to inspire other farms to get a handle on their energy use. Please freely use the Do-It-Yourself Farm Energy Audit spreadsheet.

cedarcirclefarm.diyfarm energyaudit.v1 by Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.cedarcirclefarm.org.
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Electric Vehicles

We have one electric tractor which we fondly refer to as Sparky, and we are converting a second diesel tractor to electric as well. Our crew uses one old gas farm truck and two electric golf carts to move people, tools, and crops around our 40-acre farm to help cut down on our use of fossil fuels.

Experimenting with new crops

In the interest of producing more staple foods locally, we are experimenting with new crops for our region such as oilseed crops, dry beans, and grains.

Sunflower Oil

For four years Cedar Circle Farm has been experimenting growing sunflowers, a spectacular sight when in bloom. Though the oil can be used to help fuel our Clean Burn heating system, we find it a more valuable source of locally produced cooking oil. Another byproduct is sunflower pellets, which could be used in the cornheater, but we feel may be more valuable as animal feed.

We have purchased a combine to aid in the harvesting of the oilseed crop and have worked out many kinks in keeping the machine running smoothly.

We have obtained a Chinese oil press. We have overhauled the press by sandblasting and repainting it to eliminate the possibility of the questionable paints that have been associated with products manufactured in China. Our main goal for the bulk of the sunflower seed crop is to produce cooking oil to meet the localvore movement’s need for a local source of organic sunflower oil.

Through trial and error we have learned how to manage the crop and hope for a successful market product for 2011. Some of the things we have learned along the way include: dealing with harsh weather, plant spacing requirements, drying and timing the harvest, protection from the birds, and learning to use new-old equipment!

These sorts of issues are also being researched and evaluated by other farmers who are interested in sustainable energy consumption and facilitating a transition from fossil based fuels.

Drip Irrigation

The use of drip irrigation cuts down on irrigation time and water usage, and water pump fuel consumption. A popular technique perfected by Israeli farmers, drip irrigation significantly reduces the amount of water needed by dripping water directly onto the plants, as well as manpower needed for weeding.

Cedar Circle Farm joins the global effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, in hopes that many more farmers will learn from our experience.
The farm hosts farmer workshops to promote the exchange of ideas. During the winter months, staff members attend workshops and conferences, and visit other farms around the country and the world to learn more and work towards finding local alternatives to fossil fuels, as well as continuously improve farming practices.

Resources for farmers

We like to share information and so do many others. Here is an ever growing collection of links to useful resources for on-farm energy use.

Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School :: website

Agriculture Energy Solutions at Vermont Law School :: website
The Farmer’s Handbook for Energy Self-Reliance :: download handbook
A Farmer’s Guide to Energy Self Reliance :: download guide

Photos by Cat Buxton