On Oct. 25, officials unveiled a new, 10,000-square-foot manure digester on a 640-acre dairy farm in Dos Palos, California, according to an article by Thaddeus Miller in the Merced Sun-Star. The thermophilic anaerobic digester system is the first of its kind in the county.
The six-tank digester is a result of a partnership between the Antonio Brasil Dairy and Nevada-based Elite Energy.
The digester generates about 18,000 gallons of liquid compost, plus about 25 cubic yards of solid "soil amendment," every day. Keith Wilson, a consultant with Elite Energy, told the newspaper that the system will be able to handle waste from about half of the operation's 3,000 cows.
Antonio Brasil, who built the dairy in 2007, said reducing the amount of nitrogen on his farm might allow him room to expand, and he might make a little more money.
He's also aware that his decision has a positive impact on the environment, said the article. PD
—Summarized by PD staff from cited source
