John Irving, General Manager of the McNeil Wood-fired plant, was our tour guide as we explored the issue of power generation and how it affects the local environment. He explained that the 50 Megawatt power-plant primarily uses wood as its source of biomass. Built in 1984, the McNeil plant produces about 8% of Vermont’s power.

As we were touring the plant many questions arose about the environmental impact of a wood-burning plant. Mr. Irving explained that 70% of the wood used in the plant comes from forest residue that has been “weeded out” and 25% comes from mill residue. The remaining 5% is derived from "waste wood". Other environmental precautions include taking out 99.9% of particulates and taking left over ash and using it as a composting additive. One student specifically asked about how wood-fired plant emissions compare with other power plant emissions. With wood-fired plants there are no net CO2 emissions, no sulfur emissions and fewer oxides of nitrogen than coal burning plants. Although Mr. Irving sold us on the positive aspects of wood-burning plants questions continued as we left the plant and headed for the Intervale.

Is weeding out forests for wood-fire plants disturbing the ecosystem?

Even though there is no burning of fossil fuels in the powerplant iteslf, how is the transportation of wood and ash adding to CO2 emissions and run-off into the local streams?

Later that morning at the Intervale Farm Complex, we met with Guy Robertson, who guided us through the steps in his cow manure biodigester. The manure first travels through a long biodigester tube, in which the conditions developed are anaerobic and begin to produce methane gas. This gas is available as energy for use on the farm. He even has a small gas grill hooked up to it for demonstration!

The next part of the system separates the manure liquids from the solids. The solids are placed into composting bins and are mixed with straw to create valuable growing media. The liquids are used as a medium for growing duckweed, which can act as a calcium supplement when added to cattle feed as well as a medium for growth of wetland plants and hydroponic crops. Guy's goal is to be able to make the use of a manure biodigester a feasible option for both innovative cow waste management and sustainable energy practices for smaller dairy farms.

Also at the Intervale, we spoke with Lindsey Ketchel of the Intervale Foundation. She took us on a tour of the farm, explaining the various programs supported by the Foundation. The Intervale provides incentives for people to start small farms by making land and equipment available to those farmers. The Intervale also provides programs for youth that allow them to create their own small-scale agricultural projects. A major goal of Intervale Foundation is to make the community aware of sustainable and organic agricultural practices. They have a community supported agriculture (CSA) program, in which community members can pay a membership fee to support farmers and receive the products as they are harvested. They also make their products available to the community through schools, farmers’ markets and local restaurants.

After lunch, the class met with Ted Yandow and Jack Lazor, organic dairy farmers. Ted has found in his 20 years of organic farming that organic cows live much longer than those conventionally raised. Organic farming has enabled Ted to drastically increase his profit margin over time and has led him to many sustainable farming practices, including rotational grazing, no anti-biotic use and a manageable number of cows. A notable aspect of Ted’s farm was his irrigation system, which conserves water by storing it in a pond and releasing it as needed using man-made channels.

Jack Lazor, owner and manager of Butterworks Farm located in Westfield, Vermont, places heavy emphasis on returning organic matter back to the earth using compost created on his farm. Butterworks differs from the Yandow farm by marketing value added products such as yogurt and heavy cream. Jack explained that adding value to his milk products before they leave the farm nets him higher profits. One of Jack’s innovative approaches to raising cows in a greenhouse barn to provide a large, warm feeding area for the animals. Also, he grows organic grain feed for his stock onsite.

In talking with both farmers we wondered why more conventional farmers weren’t converting to organic dairy farming. With the farmers we theorized that some of the reasons might be the desire to remain independent, the perception of the term “organic” and the regulatory requirements of organic farming. However, the viability of the organic farms we visited as opposed to the struggling conventional farms surrounding them made it difficult for us to understand the reason for not converting. Through our visits we also became aware of the connectivity and impact of agriculture on the surrounding communities, forests, mountains and watersheds, and the importance of implementing sustainable farming practices.
Couture’s Maple Shop and Farmstay