Energy Farming

Though the traditional forms of agriculture, crop and animal farming aren’t the only farm sectors anymore.

Feedstock farming – growing varying cellulosic, non-food material such as miscanthus and switchgrass, which is then fermented for conversion to biomass pellets and fuel – is emerging as a new industry market.

Biomass comprises several types of herbaceous grasses that are converted into fuel using special processing equipment. Pellets are a byproduct of the conversion and can be used as livestock feed and to generate electricity.

Farmers receive a price based upon each feedstock’s net-energy value and moisture content. According to FarmEnergy.org, 1 ton of pellets contains as much energy as 190 gallons of propane.

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), instituted in the 2008 Farm Bill, was designed to stimulate new crops for renewable energy feedstocks. It demonstrates the importance of this emerging ag market.

“Farmers are the foundation to drive [the new biomass energy] technology — not technology driving farmers,” said Steve Flick, president of Show Me Energy’s (the first U.S. producer-owned biomass cooperative) board of directors.

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), administered by the Farm Service Agency, provides financial assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and non-industrial private forest land who wish to establish, produce, and deliver biomass feedstocks. BCAP provides two categories of assistance:

• Matching payments may be available for the delivery of eligible material to qualified biomass conversion facilities by eligible material owners. Qualified biomass conversion facilities produce heat, power, biobased products, or advanced biofuels from biomass feedstocks.

• Establishment and annual payments may be available to certain producers who enter into contracts with the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to produce eligible biomass crops on contract acres within BCAP project areas.

BCAP-qualified producers are eligible to receive up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing and planting biomass crops within a BCAP project area. The USDA provides annual payments to compensate for lost opportunity costs until these crops are established and provides financial assistance for the collection, harvest, storage and transportation of biomass crops by matching the amounts paid to producers by the biomass conversion facility, up to $45/dry ton.

Not only does feedstock farming impact the farmer, it significantly impacts the entire economics of the business supply chain. Biomass conversions creates hundreds of direct and ancillary jobs in rural economies.


“Hauling massive amounts of feedstock long distances has a tremendous effect on the economy,” said Steve Carter, director of Iowa State University’s Research Park in Ames.

Some farmers are participating in feedstock farming to power their own equipment. This may become an increasing trend as oil prices continue to escalate.

A farmer interviewed for a recent Herald-Review story, said that he’s found using 1 ton of biomass pellets to cost $165, compared to 149 gallons of propane for $387.40 and 101 gallons of fuel oil for $383.80.

In Ohio, Aloterra Energy develops biomass conversion facilities by handling both feedstock development and its conversion to fuel using advanced biofuel production. One biomass conversion facility is currently in operation in Conneaut, Ohio, and the company is in the process of expanding its network of farmers for energy-crop production.

As fuel and other energy costs continue to increase, so too will the interest in feedstock farming. It will be interesting to witness how farmers react to this emerging new-income opportunity.

Photo obtained from: farmenergy.org

Campaign connects farmers and consumers

An ambitious campaign that celebrates the American farmer is taking off in popularity.

After a successful December launch in Ohio, “Farmers Feed US,” a campaign showcasing the strength and scope of American agriculture, has now launched in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri.

The Center for Food Integrity, a not-or-profit organization, which works to serve as a resource for balanced information about the U.S. food system, is managing the campaign, and plans to bring it to additional states throughout 2010.

According to campaign administrators, this “innovative, interactive and proactive” campaign strives to “instill confidence” in America’s farmers. Connecting consumers to the intricacies of their shopping carts is the basis of the campaign; underscoring the values of those that produce our food is its primary message.

The campaign is “just the beginning of an exciting platform that puts a familiar face on the dedicated men and women who produce our food, and sets the stage for long-term outreach with an audience that, today, is generations removed from the farm.”

FarmersFeedUS.org allows visitors to view short online videos about how farmers produce safe, nutritious and affordable food. Each video is a separate farm tour, featuring personal stories of farmers from their respective states. Each state’s individual Web page also offers links to its state-specific agricultural groups for additional consumer-education opportunities.

“As more and more people move from an agricultural background to the suburbs and cities, it’s important for consumers to understand how food is delivered to their tables,” said Terry Fleck, executive director of the Center for Food Integrity. “And there’s nobody better to factually and passionately tell that story than the farmers of this country.”

Driving the campaign’s success is heavy social marketing, including a YouTube promotional video and separate Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for each participating state.

Visitors to the 90-day campaign will also have the opportunity to register to win "Free Groceries for a Year." The Ohio sweepstakes, with three awardees, has ended; however, consumers in the other participating states may still enter to win.

Each state is awarding $5,000 in free groceries for a year to one to three registrants depending on the state. Visitors can register every day to increase their chances for selection.

207,000 registrations were received in Ohio. Ohio’s campaign generated a staggering 1.76 million media impressions. The average Internet user visits a Web site for two minutes, but visitors to Ohio’s “Farmers Feed Us” Web site visited for nearly seven minutes, revealing a real interest in the farming community.

Ongoing promotional efforts include retailer promotions, state advertisements and news-story placement for all states.

Fun Farm Facts (http://www.farmersfeedus.org/)

• The average person consumes 584 pounds of dairy products a year.
• Agriculture employs more than 24 million American workers (17 percent of the total U.S. work force).
• Today's American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide. In 1960, that number was 25.8.

“Farmers Feed Us” lays the foundation for ongoing consumer engagement in today’s agriculture industry and promises to spark renewed awareness and curiosity in America’s farmers.

Do you think this campaign is effective or has the potential to be effective? Do you believe the average American consumer is grateful to our country’s agriculture industry? Do you think the average American consumer has confidence in American farmers?